It’s been three months now since I started using a jade roller; one of the biggest beauty hypes of 2018. I noticed women were using this captivating device on Instagram and beauty blogs a while ago now, and it intrigued me. I looked up its use and the claims that are made about its benefits, but I wasn’t convinced enough to go out and purchase one for myself. Mainly because I tend to be super lazy about my skin care anyway, and this seemed to be an extra step I wasn’t sure I’d be willing to add to my routine.
Imagine my surprise when I found a beautiful jade roller and facial scraper (gua sha tool) set under the Christmas tree later that year! They turned out to be a gift from my crystal-loving grandma. I wonder how aware she is of the massive hype surrounding these, haha! The gift provided a great opportunity for me to test these tools though, and now that I had them, I was really excited to incorporate them into my beauty routine after all and give them a try.
So, what is a jade roller and what does it do? The jade roller has been used in China for centuries as part of a lady’s beauty ritual. You roll the jade across your skin, which provides a gentle massage. Doing so regularly is said by some to help reduce the appearance of pores and fine lines, to boost collagen production, or to heal skin conditions. I personally don’t really buy into these claims, but I do believe a facial massage like this can stimulate blood flow, reduce puffiness, and help with the absorption of skin care products.
The scraper is used as a tool in Gua Sha, a practice in traditional Chinese medicine where the skin is massaged vigorously with a scraper, causing bruising. The facial massage using the tool is supposed to be much gentler though, and aid in lymphatic drainage. The tools recently gained popularity in the West along with jade rollers, and I think it’s safe to say most people over here don’t use it the way it’s intended to (me as well, I’ll admit). I did found this video on YouTube which shows the proper technique beautifully:
I’ve been using it this way ever since, although I don’t usually take the time to go through all the steps five times. The experience is much more pleasant when the tool is used like this, as opposed to just dragging it across the skin at a 90° angle, haha!
So, it’s been three months. I haven’t noticed any change in the quality of my skin. That being said, I absolutely love the experience of using both of these tools. I use them almost daily and they’ve become an integral part of my beauty routine. Rolling the cool stone across the face is incredibly relaxing, and it’s a great way to reduce puffiness in the morning. My face can be quite swollen when I wake up so it’s nice to have a way to deal with that if I have a meeting or plan to film/take photos early in the day. Using the jade roller adds an almost ritualistic element to my skin care routine which makes me enjoy it so much more and has helped me commit to actually going through my skin care routine daily.
I really like using the jade roller for a gentle, daily facial massage and to work in my moisturizer, and the gua sha tool for a firmer one when I’m using a facial oil.
Is it worth the money? I guess it depends on the expectations you have. I still don’t believe the jade tools have benefits for the skin that any other facial massage doesn’t provide. Using them does make said facial massage a lot more readily available to many, though, and in a way that’s really easy, quick, and aesthetically pleasing. I also do believe that massaging an area regularly can have positive effects in the long run, as it does stimulate blood circulation. I definitely plan to continue using my jade roller in the foreseeable future, at least!
Thank you for this! I always wondered what those things are for.