Ask A Pro: The Stone Facial Tools
By now, I feel like everyone has a jade roller at home, maybe a Gua Sha facial carving stone, or even a few of you have both! Let’s make sure your getting the best out of your stone tools and level up your skincare game.
“Jade rollers are about as effective as any form of facial massage when done correctly.”
The first thing to know about all tools, like mentioned above, they won’t work if you don’t use them. Could you practice facial massage and get similar results? Yes. Is it more fun to use a jade roller or Gua Sha? Heck yes! Simply put, USE YOUR TOOLS! This applies to all aspects of life as there are tools and skills we have in life that sometimes we tend to forget or neglect. Get back to taking your best and favorite tools out of the box and use them!
Keeping with the analogy above, each tool has a purpose that it was made for, and in the case of skincare tools, they can usually help with more than just massaging your face.
In the case of the jade roller, as the quote says, it can actually help with the puffy face we can get after a night of drinks. How you might ask?
Too much of anything is just that, too much. When it comes to liquor, sugar, and dairy, these can lead to inflammation and redness topically. Internally is a whole other story, but also outside of the scope of this blog, so let’s just focus on that topical problem.
Inflammation in the skin can often be soothed with anything cool, like a cool gel mask, a cool towel, or the jade facial roller. The coolness helps to constrict blood vessels bringing down redness, ingredients in your facial mask will help but the massage movements when using the jade roller will also help to bring down the puffiness. Try it!
I also use this trick for my clients who fly a lot, traveling to different climates and time-zomes, that can really mess with our mind, body, and skin. Use a hydrating sheet mask either upon arrival to your hotel/Air-BnB with a cool jade roller on top. It will soothe the skin from the cabin pressure and air in the plane, and nowadays also from wearing your mask on the plane.
To give your skin a balanced canvas in any climate, simply use a sheet mask, preferably a hydrating one, on clean skin, then roll your jade or quartz facial roller on top of the mask. Continue rolling for 10-15 minutes, remove sheet mask following directions for your specific mask (each one is different and might need to be rinsed off or massaged into the skin), once all product is removed/massaged, spritz toner, and apply your moisturizer to your skin.
Really puffy and need a quick fix? Toss your facial roller in the freezer for 5 minutes, then roll on top of clean skin that has a hydrating serum or facial oil on it. The chilled roller will bring down inflammation, or proof that you did in fact drink too much last night.
When choosing your facial tool, there are some things to take into consideration about which stone and which type of facial tool to buy. Let’s quickly go over what their benefits are and I will rate them on a scale of 1-5 for the difficulty to use/technique, 1 being super easy and 5 being you’ll need some training first.
Facial Rollers:
Great for all skin types, it’s quite versatile and easy to use.
Usage Rating: 1
Jade Roller -
Jade is known for being a cool stone, meaning it’s always cool to the touch. This is one reason it’s great to use on the face, especially around the eyes. If you work on a computer daily, have tired or puffy eyes, have chronic allergies, or even had a little cry, Jade is the best tool for you.
You can use it over a facial serum, except in the case of eyes in which you will use it before or after your eye cream, on top of a sheet mask, or over a facial oil applied on top of your moisturizer. In a bit, I’ll walk you through the movements, but I’m also tagging a link to my Instagram Guide all about facial rollers HERE. There are tons of posts, you can roll along with me, and even buy a Jade Roller Necklace for a real on-the-go roll!
Quartz Roller -
There are two types of Quartz: Rose Quartz and Clear Quartz. While Rose Quartz is thought of to be more for love and healing of self and others, it’s actually Clear Quartz that holds more of the protective and healing properties.
Clear Quartz is the symbolic stone for the Crown Chakra or the opening to the divine. Without getting too “woo woo” as my friend Donna would call it 😅…this is the facial roller to use if you are a beauty who is constantly dealing with negative attention from women, or who has had their identity stolen. If this is you, also try keeping Clear Quartz with you.
To the rest of my beauties, Rose Quartz offers similar benefits but more on the love or nurturing healing side. It’s great for the beauty who needs a little more self-love, or who has a hard time accepting a compliment, or seeing her own beauty. I personally have both a Jade and Rose Quartz roller ❤️
Facial rollers in general are cool stones, but you can store them in the fridge. It doesn’t matter if you’re using a beauty fridge or your regular old fridge, just store it in a plastic ziplock. I urge you to not put them in the freezer unless it’s for a flash-freezing, so no more than 5 minutes. You can use any facial roller the same way and over the same products. How you use it is all up to you, your skin, and your routine.
Gua Sha:
An ancient tool that’s been a hot trend for the past couple of years. This strangely carved stone can be easy to use when you know how but can end in a broken stone if you don’t.
Usage Rating: 4.5
Jade vs. Rose Quartz -
The properties of the stones are the same as mentioned above, so again it really just depends on what you need. If you have sensitive skin, acne, inflammation, are a smoker or sun worshiper - go with Jade. Any skin type can use any stone, but if you haven’t been kind to your skin or maybe even yourself, have a job outdoors or working with any environmental toxin, experienced any trauma on your face or facial skin - go with Rose Quartz.
“If you’re looking for love (or heart chakra healing), rose quartz is probably the crystal to turn to... And that goes for love from others but also love from yourself.
As we know, the two go hand in hand, and rose quartz can help when it comes to clearing out the things that keep you from loving yourself and others fully while encouraging trust, compassion, and emotional healing.”
Gua Sha is an amazing tool but does require some training. Whether you learn from YouTube videos or take a class or course in it, what matters is to always keep learning as there is new information and techniques all the time.
I personally am internet trained, aka YouTube, even though I was using a Gua Sha stone as a freelance facialist (my first ‘official’ job as a working Skin Therapist), I had no idea how to use it but there was a little plastic sheet that had a massage routine with pictures on how to do it. That was at least 6 years before I would meet Gua Sha again and got hooked.
As you can see though, there are a few factors when choosing your facial tool, and honestly, it is also personal preference. Some people prefer the rollers as they are so easy to use, while others prefer Gua Sha. What really matters is that you know how to use it, how to clean and store it, and use it regularly.
What’s a good schedule for using your stone facial tools? Well, let’s look at a few factors that would warrant using them.
Traveling -
If you travel often, consider using your stone facial tool after landing, on top of a hydrating sheet mask. Then follow it by using your roller on top of your facial serum every other day for the next week. That should keep inflammation, irritation, and even dehydration under control.
Sensitive/Sensitized Skin -
If you have chronically red, inflamed, or irritated skin, consider using your stone facial tool 3-4X a week, regularly. You can use it on top of sheet masks, facial serum, or facial oil, but if any irritation occurs: make sure you are cleaning your tool and only use it on bare skin with no product on. Consider chilling it in a clean ziplock baggie in the fridge, or storing it in a beauty fridge if you have one. I would also lean more towards the Jade over the Rose Quartz.
Chronic Dehydration -
Massage skin 2-3X weekly with Gua Sha and a rich, hydrating moisturizer/facial oil. I use mine as a part of my weekly facial or if I ever feel puffy as it always clears anything up. I love Jojoba Oil, but also Apricot Kernal and Sweet Almond work. I don’t use Coconut Oil unless it’s fractionated, meaning it won’t harden at room temperature or cooler. You can massage the skin once or three times a week, but I feel it’s a little excessive every day.
Acne-Prone Skin -
Opt for the facial rollers over the Gua Sha, especially if you have deeper, more nodular-type acne. Use it over a sheet mask (detoxifying), gel mask (a little messy), or facial serum. A chilled stone is even better for that painful, inflamed acne. Use it 2-3X a week or as a part of a mini at-home facial. If you need more help with treating your breakout, check out my blog all about pimples HERE.
Anti-Aging -
This is where Gua Sha really shines! Use your Gua Sha stone regularly to keep up muscle tone and elasticity. You can use it over a facial oil that’s applied after moisturizing -or- as part of a facial massage after exfoliation before applying your serum. I would lean towards Quartz or Rose Quartz and follow it with a vitamin-rich, antioxidant serum.
Like I said before, using it counts! It’s always better when you use something regularly, but even just using it once or twice a month counts towards your skin goals. There is no need to use your facial roller every night though, every other night is fine but you won’t maximize your benefits using it 7 times instead of 4 or 5.
As for facial massage like Gua Sha, weekly is perfect. Anything more than that is up to you, but you’ll get benefits from a weekly routine too.
By now you probably can answer this question, but let’s just entertain ourselves and dive into it anyway.
You know what each tool means, its stone properties, function, and even when your skin might need it, but why do we do it? I did mention you get the same benefits with regular old manual (using your hands) facial massage…
Stone facial rollers mainly work to support the skin in absorbing product topically, although it won’t ‘push product deeper’ it will even product out. I’ve also seen in the treatment room that it makes the skin appear more even, like somehow the pores are less noticeable. I am not sure if this is a benefit that’s been recorded, but I have seen it on my client’s skin!
It also supports lymphatic drainage, if you aren’t clear on what that is, check out my blog on that HERE. As this can be a relaxing tool to use, typically you’ll find it in the evening routine, but there is no rule on when you can and cannot roll.
Personally, I’m an evening roller, unless I had some sun exposure and then I use it AM and PM for a couple of days to keep my skin cool. The trick is just knowing when you’re skin is in need of some rolling time.
“Gua sha can promote facial blood circulation and lymphatic drainage,” [Laurel Liu] said. “People can see real skin lifting and skin complexion change during the TikTok live classes. More people are willing to watch and learn.”
Ok, so now you really know the who, what, where, when, and even why but only partially the how…unless you went to my IG Guide link above and watched my reels on the facial roller…
I really do want to encourage you to check out my Instagram Guide (shameless third plug) on the facial rollers. I do explain how to use it and demo it in a couple of the videos. However, I will also write out how to use your facial roller.
NOTE: How to use your Gua Sha will not be explained in this blog, I am working on a new routine and testing it out. I will make an IGTV video about it 🤞and write a future blog just on Gua Sha.
Using Your Facial Roller:
Always start with a clean facial roller, simply wipe down with alcohol before and after each use
After cleansing, toning, and applying serum to your skin, at an upward 45-degree angle, roll from the center of your eyebrows up towards your hairline (slowly) 3 or 6 times.
Repeat this across your forehead, from just above the eyebrow to the hairline.
Use the smaller roller head around your eyes
Next, with the roller almost flat to the skin, roll from the side of the nose towards your temple/hairline
Repeat this movement just below cheek bone and from the corner of your mouth to the side of your jaw by your ear
Use the smaller roller head on your upper and lower lip line, rolling from the cupid’s bow out
Still using the smaller headpiece, roll down from under your lip down your chin to just under your jawbone.
There is no need to remove any product or cleanse the skin again, make sure to wipe down your facial tool with a cotton ball and alcohol after using
Finish skincare routine with another spritz of toner, if you use a second serum, apply it now and end with moisturizer.
All movements are repeated 3-6X, it really just depends on how much time you have and if you feel your skin needs a little more today than yesterday. If none of that made any sense, then definitely scroll go back up to that link for my Guide!
I hope that this blog helped you further understand the amazing tools that are our the jade roller and Gua Sha! I have learned a lot writing this blog, mostly that I need to use my tools more…
As always my beauties, be good to your skin and even better to your whole self!
xx eri