Is Black Obsidian Good For Gua Sha?
Black obsidian gua sha tools are some of the most effective gua sha products on the market, according to some sources in the skincare industry. Dr. Butkevica, Ph.D., argues that black obsidian's ability to retain warmth, improve circulation, and slow the signs of aging makes it the ideal mineral for use in the practice of gua sha.
Like many modern skin care practices, Gua sha traces its roots to traditional Chinese medicine. Historians believe that the gua sha became popular somewhere between the 1400s and 1600s and spread from China to Vietnam. Even today, gua sha remains a common part of skin routines for Chinese and Vietnamese families in the United States.
The gua sha process involves massaging the skin with a tool to create petechiae, which are small spots caused by capillary hemorrhages. Proponents of gua sha say that the process can stimulate blood flow, oxygenation, and other positive effects in the skin.
For modern consumers, gua sha can provide a number of benefits to both the mind and body. Gua sha can improve circulation and reduce inflammation by increasing blood flow and delivering oxygen to the small blood vessels underneath the skin, relax the muscles, detoxify the system, rejuvenate the face, and provide pain relief, according to some researchers.
Some skincare researchers also believe that adding gua sha into your skincare routine can improve the youthfulness, tightness, and health of your skin.
Black obsidian gua sha tools are becoming increasingly popular in the beauty industry, but black obsidian isn't the only mineral used to produce gua sha tools.
On this page, learn more about how black obsidian can be used to enhance the results of practicing gua sha for better skin health, anti-aging, and a slate of additional benefits.
What is Gua Sha?
Gua sha is a traditional Chinese medicinal practice meant to improve the health and appearance of the skin. Like most traditional Chinese remedies, gua sha is said to provide a number of additional benefits to the heart, mind, and body. To practice gua sha, men and women take a tool made from a mineral and scrape their skin with it.
The result of this process is the production of petechiae, small darkened spots on the skin caused by the hemorrhaging of capillaries under the skin's surface. Gua sha has been practiced in this way for hundreds of years and remains a common practice, both in the East and within the continental United States.
Gua sha tools, made from a variety of different materials, have become popular beauty products as the industry turns toward sustainable, alternative, and natural skincare solutions and away from products filled with harsh chemicals. Practicing gua sha has been associated with a number of different benefits to both the skin and the rest of the body.
Benefits of Gua Sha
Although researchers disagree on the efficacy of gua sha, some experts say that the practice can:
Dr. Butkevica, Ph.D., argues that black obsidian gua sha stones offer a wide variety of benefits to the skin, as well as overall wellness. The reduction of wrinkles, reduction of puffiness, and elimination of dark circles under the eyes are just a few of the ways that gua sha can improve a practitioner's skin, self-confidence, and youthfulness, according to the award-winning founder of AB BIOINNOVATIONS.
The AB BIO founder also spoke to the wide variety of use cases for gua sha. Practicing gua sha can treat chronic diseases, decrease muscle soreness, and even provide consumers with an alternative treatment for arthritis. Adding gua sha to your facial exercise routine, she said, is one of the best ways to improve the appearance and youthfulness of your skin.
Since gua sha can be rough on the skin, Dr. Butkevica recommends that people over 40 use gua sha stones that are very flat and solid. Aging men and women should exercise extra care when practicing gua sha, since their fragile skin is more prone to rosacea and other skin-related injuries.
Although gua sha can sometimes cause skin bruising, the bursting of small blood vessels, and a few other side effects, Dr. Butkevica believes that the careful practice of gua sha with smooth, flat stones can help keep the practice fun, safe, and healthy.
Scientific Consensus - Does Gua Sha Work?
Scientists don't quite agree on whether or not gua sha works. However, some studies have suggested that practicing gua sha can improve blood flow and circulation of the skin while reducing muscle pain. In a 2011 study, researchers compared gua sha to heating pads for the at-home treatment of chronic neck pain. This study concluded that pain decreased and mobility increased more when participants used gua sha than when they relied on heating pads.
A similar study conducted in 2017 found that gua sha may provide greater long-term anti-inflammatory benefits than comparable medicinal practices. These scientific studies demonstrate that gua sha can offer a number of potential short, medium, and long-term benefits to consumers who practice gua sha safely.
Researchers caution consumers to be careful while practicing gua sha, though. Several studies have linked gua sha with skin bruising, as well as a small amount of bleeding in the skin. To avoid experiencing side effects when practicing gua sha, practitioners should take great care to use an appropriate amount of force when pressing the gua sha tool against the skin.
The use of gua sha stones can also cause inflammation and exacerbate existing acne breakouts, experts warn. Generally, people with recurring bouts of acne breakouts should avoid using gua sha.
Popular Types of Gua Sha Stones
Many different types of stones are used for gua sha. Rose quartz, jade, amethyst, black tourmaline, black onyx, and black obsidian are some of the most popular stones used for gua sha, both in the United States and abroad.
Of all of these options, black obsidian has become one of the most sought-after gua sha materials on the market. The benefits associated with this stone make it the ideal tool for practicing gua sha, according to Dr. Alena Butkevica, Ph.D. Many of black obsidian's benefits come from its unique ability to retain warmth, the former oromaxillofacial surgeon said.
Let's take a look at what black obsidian is - and whether or not the stone is good for gua sha.
What is Black Obsidian?
Black obsidian is a stone formed from the rapid cooling of lava. While strong, the stone has a black, glass-like appearance. In alternative medicine circles, black obsidian is said to have a grounding, stabilizing effect on users. For the purposes of skincare, black obsidian's main benefit is its ability to retain heat.
Why Use Black Obsidian For Gua Sha?
Black obsidian is one of the most effective stones to use for gua sha, according to industry award-winning skincare expert Dr. Alena Butkevica, Ph.D. Dr. Butkevica believes that black obsidian's warmth retention properties make it an excellent stone to help soothe the skin, combat inflammation, and counteract the visible signs of aging in the face.
The traditional healing properties associated with both black obsidian and gua sha are numerous, and some alternative medicine advocates believe that creating gua sha tools with black obsidian can magnify the restorative, anti-aging benefits of the gua sha process.
Benefits of Black Obsidian Gua Sha
Using black obsidian for gua sha can help men and women improve the youthfulness of their skin, increase circulation, reduce puffiness, and more. Because black obsidian is formed by rapidly cooling magma, it offers some of the highest heat retention properties of any stone. For gua sha, being able to retain the heat of the skin is a massive boon that black obsidian gua sha tools take complete advantage of.
What are the main benefits of using black obsidian for gua sha? Here are a few different reasons why black obsidian is quickly becoming one of the most popular stones for gua sha all over the world:
Black Obsidian vs. Other Gua Sha Stones
Dr. Butkevica, Ph.D., founder of AB BIOINNOVATIONS, is introducing a new line of black obsidian gua sha stones to her award-winning skincare store. Dr. Butkevica's goal, she said, is to provide consumers with a wide range of tools to help them look and feel their best.
She named several reasons why black obsidian gua sha is a better option than some of the other stones on the market.
For the new AB BIO Black Obsidian Gua Sha stone, Dr. Butkevica used smooth edges, since porous materials can harbor bacteria known for causing skin flare-ups. Black obsidian is perfect for gua sha, Dr. Butkevica says, since its heat retention properties help avoid the circulation reduction associated with some other gua sha materials, such as jade.
Metal gua sha stones are also on the "do not buy" list, according to this industry expert. Some off-brand metal gua sha stones include sharp edges that may bruise or injure the skin, and other new products on the market feature "saw-like ridges" that can similarly injure the skin.
Instead, Dr. Butkevica chose to use black obsidian for AB BIOINNOVATION's new gua sha stones. In conjunction with the ABSOLUTE YOUTH toner, serum, and cream, the black obsidian gua sha stone can provide users with a comprehensive beauty solution. ABSOLUTE YOUTH's proprietary use of nanoparticles is already gaining traction in the beauty industry, and the new AB BIO Black Obsidian Gua Sha Stone is a fantastic addition to your daily beauty routine.