As the head of the Wellness group here at Find It Health, I always ensure you get the latest information on the health and wellness of your body.

At Find It Health, we go to great lengths to ensure that all the information we give is accurate, reliable, and based on solid research.

In this article, I’ll describe how to clean your Gua Sha tools and rollers. Apart from mentioning the different rollers, I’ll also explain how often you should clean them and how to store them safely afterward.

How To Clean Your Gua Sha Tools

Here is a quick process.

1. Collect your Gua Sha tools and soak them in a bowl with warm water. If you’re using a sink, put a clean towel to provide some padding. The main reason is to prevent your tools from breaking or chipping if they slip through your fingers.
2. Add some antibacterial soap or your favorite facial cleanser.
3. Use a small brush or an unused toothbrush if your Gua Sha tools have prongs like a comb or tight ridges. The brush helps clean between the ridges to remove oil and debris buildup.
4. Rinse the tools with warm water.
5. Let the tools dry.
6. Once completely dry, spray a bit of isopropyl alcohol on them to eliminate any residual bacteria.
7. Keep them in a clean, dry place, or put them in an airtight bag and a skincare fridge or a beauty cabinet.

If you’re pressed for time, washing your Gua Sha tools with your hands without first soaking will be quicker. Simply wet your hands, and apply some soap. Make a lather from the soap and apply it on your Gua Sha tools and wait 30 seconds before rinsing them.

Dry with a soft microfiber cloth.

The only challenge with this method is the risk of your polished Gua stone slipping from your hands and breaking.

Did you know you can use the same process to clean your cupping tools? Well! Now you do.

Gua Sha tools are rooted in traditional Chinese medicine and increase circulation in the treated area. You can compare it with cupping vs acupuncture.

The Gua Sha tools are more known for their facial lifting benefits, but you can also use them on your body. However, there is a significant difference in the tools for face, body, and medical Gua.

• Facial Gua Sha: They have a more gentle technique, and you can safely use the tools at home. It’s less complicated than qigong techniques and exercises.
• Medical or body Gua Sha: They are a bit more complicated, and you should seek a professional or a licensed Chinese medical practitioner.

The Gua Sha comb is an excellent head massage tool but won’t stop hair loss. Acupuncture for hair loss is a solution to the problem, though.

How To Clean Your Gua Sha Roller

After each usage, clean your Gua Sha roller to preserve its efficiency and structure.

I highlight the quickest process to follow below:

1. Wipe the stone part of the roller with a dry cloth or tissue, and remove all the visible dirt particles.
2. Use wet wipes, that you’ve applied a cleanser or a gentle soap, to clean the Gua Sha roller.
3. Let it dry, then put it in a plastic storage bag.
4. Avoid cleaning the roller handle with water or wiping the roller with hot water. Don’t soak the roller in water, either.

After cleaning your Gua Sha roller, you can recharge it before storage.

Use seawater or mix dry salt and tap water to remove negative energies from the Gua Sha facial rollers.

You can leave your Gua Sha roller on a window sill or porch when there is a full moon overnight. The tool takes on some energy from the moon. Talking about tapping from energy, you can also learn more about types of qigong. You can leave your jade tools under the sun, but not too long to avoid bleaching.

After recharge, why not use your Gua Sha tools to remove cellulite? Does cupping help with cellulite? You’ll be glad to know that it does.

Different Rollers

Gua Sha facial rollers come in various natural materials, as highlighted below.

• Rose quartz is known for its calming properties and is ideal for sensitive skin.
• Black obsidian is made from molten lava, which has microscopic materials and helps to reduce inflammations. You can use black obsidian to relieve inflammation if cupping for neck pain is impractical.
• Jade roller is the most common, and it’s naturally cool. Use the jade roller to massage your lips since repeated lip cupping can result in scarring and numb lips.
• The Bian stone is known for its healing properties.
• Amethyst is a vivid purple crystal believed to reduce stress and negative energy. Just like you can use acupuncture for stress management, using Gua Sha tools is one of the natural forms of stress management.
• Metallic rollers, but it doesn’t have many traditional healing properties. It’s super cooling and can help you with puffiness and hay fever.

Unfortunately, Gua Sha leaves marks that resemble cupping marks. You can get a massage with Gua Sha tools and gain similar benefits of qigong.

How Often Should I Clean My Gua Sha Tools?

The kind of material that your Gua Sha is made of determines how often to clean them. You should clean your Gua Sha tools daily or after every two days if their material is porous.

If your Gua Sha tools are made from good quality, non-porous stones, such as jade and rose quartz, cleaning them once or twice a week is okay.

Gua Sha wooden tools might be more challenging to clean as they are very porous.

Don’t soak them to avoid molding, breaking, or expanding. However, clean them often and oil them after each wash to avoid cracking.

Remember that your Gua Sha tools can harbor bacteria and dirt, which can cause sensitivity and various skin conditions. Some people also recommend washing the tools before and after use with gentle hand soap.

Combining cupping for athletes and Gua Sha massages ensures you clean your tools daily and thoroughly.

Can I Clean My Gua Sha With Alcohol?

Yes, you can. After cleaning your Gua Sha tools and thoroughly drying them, you can use a bit of alcohol to disinfect them.

Add 1-2 drops of alcohol on a cotton ball and rub it all over the tool.

When medical professionals use Gua Sha to massage patients with kidney stones, cleaning the tools with alcohol is an excellent way to sterilize them. Coupled with acupuncture for kidney stones, the Gua Sha massage is very effective.

You should perform cupping for scoliosis sparingly.

As a result, using Gua Sha tools to massage painful areas can help the patient relax.

Always consult a medical professional before using Gua Sha tools if you have any of the above-mentioned conditions.

How To Store Gua Sha

Store your Gua Sha facial tools in a cool, dry place, whether it’s a drawer or a cabinet. Wrap the tools in a soft towel to protect them.

If you don’t use them regularly, consider storing them in their case.

Before storing the Gua Sha tools, ensure they are clean and completely dry. Avoid keeping your Gua Sha tools in the bathroom. The bathroom’s humid environment can make the metallic parts of your Gua Sha tools heat up, corrode, or rust.

Find It Health: Frequently Asked Questions

How should I clean my Gua Sha tools?

Clean your Gua Sha skin care tools with lukewarm water and disinfectant soap/cleanser. You can soak them for a few minutes unless they are wooden. Ensure they dry off completely before storing them.

How often should I clean my Gua Sha?

As often as possible. The non-porous Gua Sha tools may not collect the skin care products you apply on your face. However, they will collect dirt and grime if you don’t clean them regularly.

If you don’t have time for a deep clean, use a damp microfiber cloth to clean the tools before and after use. When your Gua Sha tools are clean, you can take care of your severe stagnation.

Do you need to clean your Gua Sha tools?

You should clean your Gua Sha tools to ensure that the bacteria from your products residual in combination with dirt does not grow. The build-up of bacteria and dirt on the tools can lead to cross-contamination.

The above should apply even if you don’t share your Gua Sha tools with anyone. You can use Gua Sha tools again, but not before cleaning them, unlike a natural moxa stick, which smolders and burns entirely when using them for healing.

Do Gua Sha tools hold bacteria?

Yes, Gua Sha tools do hold bacteria. After all, the tools come into contact with oils and other cosmetics on your face or body. These products leave some residuals on Gua Sha tools which eventually get exposed to dirt.

Conclusion

The researchers at Find It Health suggest that Gua Sha tools are the way to go if you want a natural and not excessively expensive home-care massage routine. However, just like your makeup brushes, regular cleaning is critical. Use antibacterial soap and alcohol to kill bacteria and ensure the tools dry off completely.