DAY 5

Gua Sha & Acne: Everything You Need To Know

“Renew, release, let go. Yesterday’s gone. There’s nothing you can do to bring it back. You can’t ‘should’ve’ done something. You can only DO something. Renew yourself. Release that attachment. Today is a new day!”

STEVE MARABOLI
author and behavioral scientist

FIRST THINGS FIRST

Start everyday with
the Empress Ritual

Then, add on each day's new focus.

If you need a refresher, follow this video tutorial by our very own, Britta Plug:

TUTORIAL

Gua Sha & Acne

It happens — some people break out after starting a gua sha regimen. Why? This is likely because you’re stimulating movement in tissues that have been stagnant for a long time. It’s like kicking up dirt from the bottom of a lake. The “dirt” needs somewhere to go. Breakouts are a sign that your skin is detoxing, which is not a bad thing in this context! If the other organs or detox pathways aren’t working optimally (e.g. the liver, elimination, and digestion), that’s when the leftovers start to come out of the skin. If you’re dealing with a breakout, here’s what to do:

— 1 —
Start and end with lymph-friendly strokes from the back of the ear to the collar bone. It’s important to “drain the muck” properly so it doesn’t continue to surface through the skin.

— 2 —
Don’t gua sha over any active whiteheads. If things are coming to a head, focus on the neck until they start to clear up. (Refer to email Day One or the “neck” highlight on our Instagram.)

— 3 —
Yes, long term gua sha can help improve acne and blackheads! The process can help clear congested skin in a way that topical products alone cannot. Moving the lymph helps stimulate circulation, collagen production, and gets rid of breakout-causing cellular waste.

INSTAGRAM

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FIELD NOTES

Instead of doing gua sha over the breakouts, support skin with a Manuka honey (we like Activist Manuka) or clay mask. Sweat, hydrate, walk, exercise, eat fiber-rich foods, and get lots of sleep. Sleep in! Blame us. :)

EXTRA CREDIT

Learn Britta’s famous blackhead-clearing techniques in this Well+Good article quoting Britta Plug, one of our three co-founders.

SELF-LOVE LETTERS

“I’ve been loving the gua sha—which is kind of like a jade roller in that it’s made out of a gemstone, but it’s more sharp and has different benefits. Namely: sculpting your face and stimulating lymphatic drainage. But as I’ve been gliding the gemstone tool across my face in every-which direction, I’ve been noticing an added perk. My blackheads have been clearing up.”

RACHEL LAPIDOS
Well + Good

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