In our decision to make the Empress Stone, we considered “stone medicine,” an ancient Taoist healing technique that utilizes the properties of a specific stone to enhance bodywork and facial treatments (like facial gua sha).
Empress Stone
Empress Wand
Empress & Aura Stone Duo
After careful research and much deliberation, Bian stone was the clear winner. We love how it makes us feel #guashastoned, but there are many attributes that make Bian stone a superior choice for self-care.
THE ORIGINS OF BIAN STONE.
It turns out that our Empress Stone is made from quite the storied stone. Legend has it that Bian stone — a healing stone used in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years, the modality in which gua sha has its roots — has its roots in a cosmic collision in ancient China. Per the folklore, a meteor struck the side of a mountain and the resulting blast created a special combination of stone and minerals with elevated potential for healing. WILD.
Read more: What is facial gua sha, exactly? Here's your 101 guide.
Because of the collision, Bian stone is said to emit ultrasound pulsations, far infrared rays, and negative ions, all of which are known for their antioxidant and anti-aging effects on our cells and DNA. It contains more than 40 minerals known to benefit overall health. It's also known to cleanse the aura and balance the energy body. Needless to say, custom-crafting our Empress Stone is from sustainably sourced, authentic Bian stone was a no-brainer. Who doesn't want a slice of that magic?
USES OF BIAN STONE.
Its healing properties make Bian stone an magical companion in self-care. It is believed that stones can complement every one of the eight branches of Chinese medicine: moxibustion (warming an area of the body with herbs), acupuncture, feng shui, dietary therapy, exercise, massage, herbal medicine, and meditation.
Read more: This is why there are markings and lines on our gua sha tools.
It’s true! Bian stone can be warmed and charged with moxibustion, used before acupuncture to warm up the skin (that’s how it got a nickname of “needlestone”), it can be decorative in the home, contributing to positive feng shui, its minerals are known to help in dietary therapy (although, of course, always consult a professional before ingesting anything new), can be a tool for exercise, it can be warmed up and used on sore muscles in massage (yes please), it can infuse waters as a part of herbal medicine, and be held as a soothing, physical anchor during a meditation. Bian’s special properties make it quite a versatile stone, but we love it most for facial gua sha.
Nowadays, Bian stones are often the used in hot stone massage, can be employed as a precursor to acupuncture, utilized in gua sha or facial gua sha (like ours!), lymphatic drainage, and are even featured in some healing jewelry.
Don't let its simple appearance fool you — we've got 99 problems and facial gua sha with Bian stone solved about 81 of them. Kidding! But really. This stone is pretty magical. See for yourself!
Its healing properties make Bian stone an magical companion in self-care.
