The benefits of gua sha, plus our wellbeing editor's favourite tools
The benefits of gua sha have been extolled by wellness fanatics and beauty gurus alike – of course, it's Goop-approved, too. However, there's a lot to consider with this practice, from the efficacy of your tool to what it's made from and your technique.
Gua sha, a practice with its origins in TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), uses gentle pressure and sweeping movements across the skin to help tone, tighten and promote better circulation and lymphatic drainage.
Some practitioners also recommend gua sha for issues like tension in the face and neck. Pressure can be applied to help with migraines, facial tension and the effects of teeth grinding, as well as trapped nerves and pain from stress headaches or strained vision.
Gua sha is also intended to move energy around the body, targeting stagnant chi and easing inflammation in the process. But, whether or not you believe the more mystical claims, the practice has plenty of tangible benefits. Our wellbeing editor put a range of gua sha tools to the test and these are the results.
How I tested
First I looked at the weight, hand-feel and materials of each tool. Gua sha are typically made of stone as this offers the ideal pressure against the skin. Natural minerals are an important element of TCM practices and certain precious stones supposedly lend your gua sha routine different properties – you'll find that many tools are made from materials like jade and quartz. I also looked at shape and grip and, while most gua sha have a distinctive long heart shape, several new generation tools offer different angles for facial sculpting. I also tested the effects over time, including de-puffing, skin texture and sculpting.
The best gua sha tools for 2025 are:
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
15 hours ago
- The Independent
Five stretches you should be doing every day according to a flexibility expert
If you want to add some mood-boosting movement into your day but, for whatever reason, you don't always manage to get a workout in, you don't necessarily need to commit to a long run or sweaty HIIT session. Stretching can be a welcome alternative, helping soothe sore muscles and providing a welcome break from the stresses of a busy schedule. Everyone can benefit from stretching, and the good news is that it's easy to do. If you're wondering where to start, try this seven-minute routine from flexibility expert Tom Merrick – better known to his one million YouTube subscribers as the Bodyweight Warrior. 'For most people, the biggest benefit they're going to get from [stretching to develop] flexibility is that feeling of losing restriction and gaining freedom to be able to move, even if that's just bending over to pick up something or play with the kids,' he says. Below, Merrick has shared five stretches he does every day and recommends for everyone to ease tight hips, improve shoulder health and improve flexibility in knees, hips and ankles. The five stretches you should be doing every day 1. The 90/90 'The 90/90 is one of my favourite general stretches for the hips,' Merrick says. 'It hits every single angle you're going to require, covering both internal and external rotation of the joint, with the focus of bringing more movement and more awareness into the hips.' He says that most people he sees are 'very locked up around the hips'. As a result, 'their back then ends up doing a lot of the movement for them'. 'Also, if you're sitting a lot in the day, you're going to get some compression and tightness of the glutes, and they then have an impact on other lower body positions like the squat,' Merrick adds. 'If we get more movement into the hips, I've found that's one of the best ways to help people feel more free and move better.' How to do it Sit upright with your right thigh perpendicular to your torso and your left thigh directly out in front of you. Your knees should both form a right angle, and your hands can be placed on the ground behind you for support. From here, lift both knees so they point at the ceiling, then allow them to fall in the opposite direction so your left thigh is perpendicular to your torso and your right thigh is extended in front of you. Continue to transition between these two positions, holding each side for a few deep breaths, for 90 seconds to two minutes. In this video, Merrick demonstrates some methods you can use to elevate this stretch or target specific muscles and movements. 2. The couch stretch This is another stretch that targets the hip flexors – the muscles around the pelvis, responsible for bringing your knees towards your chest – as well as the quadriceps on the front of the thigh. 'If you're doing sports like running and cycling, or you're doing a lot of sitting, it can cause this tightening up of the quad and hip flexors,' Merrick says. 'The nature of these activities means you're encouraging that flexed forward, tightened position [of the hips]. The couch stretch provides more of an extended position – the opposite experience to the stuff you would normally do day to day. 'It's also a really nice one because a lot of hip stretches won't include knee flexion [bending], which is going to stretch our rectus femoris – part of the quad muscle.' How to do it Place your left knee on the floor against a wall so your shin extends vertically upwards. Step your right foot forward so you're in a lunge position, with your left thigh and torso forming a straight line. Think about tucking your hips by squeezing your glutes (buttock muscles), and trying to pull your rear knee forward to contract the hip flexors. Place your hands on the floor inside your right foot, beneath your shoulders, for support. Hold this position for 60 to 90 seconds on each side. You can deepen this stretch by moving your torso more upright. Merrick says the couch stretch can be scaled to suit most fitness levels too. If you're new to flexibility training, you can start by keeping your hands on the floor for support and leaning forward over your front leg. As your flexibility increases, you can sit more upright to increase extension at the hip and flexion of the knee. 3. The squat This one might sound more like a strength-building exercise than a stretch, but Merrick says being able to hold a solid squat position 'demonstrates a reasonable flexibility at several joints including the ankle, knee and hips'. 'This is a fundamental human position, and it's a useful one to be able to get into,' he adds. 'If you're going to do any form of resistance training, you're probably going to come across a squat, and if you have kids or want to pick something up from the ground, you're going to want to be able to access this low position.' How to do it Stand with your feet roughly hip-width apart and your toes pointed slightly outwards. Keeping your chest up and your spine long, sink your hips down into a deep squat position. If you find yourself falling backwards, or you're unable to keep your chest up and your spine long in the bottom of the squat, hold onto a sturdy anchor point in front of you for extra support. Hold this position for 60 to 120 seconds, or watch Merricks' video for some variations to try. Most people will find they fall backwards when they try to get into a deep squat position, Merrick says. This is due to a lack of flexibility at either the ankles or hips, which forces the spine to round and more weight to be placed towards the back of the squat. To remedy this, he recommends practising sitting in a deep squat position while holding a sturdy anchor point in front of you, focusing on keeping your chest up and maintaining good positions. 'This comes down to the SAID [specific adaptation to imposed demand] principle,' says Merrick. 'If you want to get better at X, do X more, so find a way you can sit in a squat comfortably, then you can spend some time wiggling about, moving, and trying to get a good stretch.' 4. The hang Like the squat before it, Merrick says the hang covers a lot of bases. It can aid overhead flexibility for improved shoulder health, stretch a range of muscles around the shoulder joint including the latissimus dorsi in the back and pectorals in the chest, and it provides decompression of the spine too. 'During the day we might get a lot of compression in the spine just from being on our feet, moving around, sitting down,' he explains. 'Hanging allows gravity to pull that spine down and lengthen it.' How to do it Grab a pull-up bar with an overhand grip and your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. Take your feet off the ground to support your weight through your grip. Think about pulling your chest in to create a straighter body position. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. If you are unable to support your bodyweight, use a lower pull-up bar and keep your feet on the ground to support some of your weight. Slowly reduce the weight taken by your feet over time to progress this move. Hanging can also develop your grip strength, which has been identified as an 'indispensable biomarker' for older adults in a review published in the Clinical Interventions in Aging journal. This is because it indicates good generalised strength, bone density and other important health markers. 'We know that grip strength is a really important factor, one for sports but also for longevity,' Merrick says. 'From hanging, we're going to naturally build some strength in the grip – being able to hang for between 30 and 60 seconds would be a good target for most people.' 5. The elephant walk into pike hold The hamstrings are the large muscles that run down the back of the thigh. In his time working with people to improve their flexibility, Merrick says tightness in this area is one of the main things that hampers clients' freedom of movement. 'If you want to work on more advanced flexibility, the hamstrings are almost like a key. If you unlock them, it lets the hips tilt and move more freely, which then is going to make you feel more flexible in general for things like squatting. So stretching the hamstrings in one form or another is great.' He says the elephant walk, where you reach towards the ground and straighten one leg at a time to stretch your hamstrings and shift your hips, is his favourite position for achieving this. How to do it Stand upright with a slight bend in your knees, then reach your hands towards the ground in front of you. With your hands on the ground for support, straighten your left leg while keeping your right knee slightly bent. Hold this position for a second, then switch sides. Continue to do this for 60 seconds, then straighten both legs and try to place your hands on the back of your lower legs, using them to pull you deeper into the stretch. Hold this position for 30 to 60 seconds. Should you try stretching? Stretching shouldn't be your only form of exercise – strength training and raising your heart rate with some form of cardio are key ingredients when cooking up a fit, functional body. But stretching can be a great way to enjoy a more relaxed form of movement while enjoying the many benefits listed above. 'It's universal, everyone can benefit from stretching,' Merrick says. 'The benefits really come down to the application. If you lift weights or do most other sports, the ability to put your arms overhead and squat down are two pretty crucial elements.' 'And we're all going to have to pick something off the floor at some point, so you would want to be able to touch the floor at the bare minimum – ideally, you would be able to get your palms down with straight legs. If you can do those three then you're going to have more than adequate flexibility to take anything that life throws at you.'
Daily Mail
18 hours ago
- Daily Mail
The cult-classic scalp scrub that's flying off shelves for its deep-clean MAGIC - users 'can't get enough' and it's 25% off right now
Your scalp is calling, and it is begging you for this game-changing beauty buy that users hail as 'the absolute best' for a deep clean and removing product buildup. Summer is finally almost here, but that means sweaty, sun-soaked days are ahead — which, sad to say, is not a scalp booster. But not to fear because there is one cult-classic hair product that we believe will be the Holy Grail of summer. See the difference! The Christophe Robin Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt revitalizes your scalp and hair with every wash Christophe Robin's viral Sea Salt Cleansing Purifying Scrub has consistently been flying off the shelves, with shoppers claiming they 'can't get enough!' The naturally sourced scrub is typically $54, but right now, you can snag it for just $40.50 (aka 25 percent off!). If you have ever found yourself with a dry, itchy, flakey scalp — the Christophe Robin's Sea Salt Cleansing Purifying Scrub is for you. The bestseller is made from a unique formula that combines natural sea salt crystals, a natural Carbohydrate Complex, and Bisabolol (a soothing oil). Together, these ingredients detoxify, cleanse, and exfoliate the scalp via scrubbing in the gentle, grainy scrub while showering. By using a tablespoon-sized amount of this scrub once a week, users saw a noticeable difference in scalp build-up. According to the clinical trials, 9 out of 10 users felt the scrub effectively removed daily build-up. Users of the cult-classic Sea Salt Cleansing Purifying Scrub are singing their praises, with one saying: 'My hair is so incredibly soft, like straight out of salon soft, that I can not stop touching it for the whole day!' The results are uncanny, with salon-like hair after each use! To sweeten the deal, the scrub is especially suitable for anyone who has recently had any color treatment, as it gently removes excess residue. Users of all ages are finding themselves mystified, with one saying: 'This scalp scrub wildly exceeded my highest expectations... I use it once a week followed by conditioner; while silver hair tends to be a bit courser than when I was younger, my hair is left feeling full, lustrous, and silky smooth.' Whether you are new to scalp scrubs or not, you are going to fall in love with the feeling of this one. Unlike many other brands, the Christophe Robin's Sea Salt Cleansing Purifying Scrub actually acts as a shampoo as well! This means less time, less money spent, and less stress. Ready to give your scalp the summer refresh it deserves? Snag the viral Christophe Robin's Sea Salt Cleansing Purifying Scrub while you still can get it for 25 percent off!
The Sun
20 hours ago
- The Sun
World Health Organisation admits they STILL have no idea what caused Covid pandemic – but refuses to rule out lab leak
A LEADING theory that the Covid pandemic originated from a lab leak in China cannot be ruled out, the World Health Organisation said. A team of experts set up by the WHO in 2021 to investigate Covid's origins said 'all hypotheses remain on the table' - while also accusing Beijing of not giving up critical information. 7 7 7 The Scientific Advisory Group for the Origins of Novel Pathogens (Sago) said on Friday that most data suggests the idea that the virus jumped from animals to humans. This is the same conclusion the WHO came to in 2021. Watch the documentary in full on our YouTube channel here Their new report made the bombshell claim that a lab leak theory should "not be ruled out". But they added: "Nor can it be proven until more information is provided." Group chair Marietjie Venter said after three years of investigating, they were unable to come to a certain conclusion of the pandemic's origins. They blasted China for not releasing all necessary data to determine Covid's creation - despite hundreds of requests for genetic sequences and biosecurity information to the government. She Venter: "Therefore, this hypothesis could not be investigated or excluded. "It was deemed to be very speculative, based on political opinions and not backed up by science." Venter said the 27-member group could not reach a unanimous conclusion on Covid's origins, following one member's resignation earlier this week. Three other scientists also asked for their names to be removed from the new report. I was in Oval Office with Trump at start of pandemic - no one was closer to Chinese officials than me & I believe Covid was engineered in lab Covid-19 emerged just eight miles from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Scientists there had been importing and manipulating bat coronaviruses and had been filmed handling animals with inadequate protection. Venter added that there was no evidence proving Covid was created in a lab, nor was there any indication it was spreading before December 2019 anywhere outside of China. She said: "Until more scientific data becomes available, the origins of how SARS-CoV-2 entered human populations will remain inconclusive." Beijing has consistently refused to release full details about the lab in Wuhan, despite repeated requests for information from multiple countries. 7 7 7 It comes after The Sun's explosive Covid lab leak documentary laid bare the mounting evidence and disturbing questions surrounding the virus's emergence in Wuhan - home to China's most secretive bio-research facility. In April, the US unveiled a bombshell new web page on the origins of Covid, blaming the Wuhan Institute of Virology for unleashing the killer virus. And in a fresh propaganda push, Beijing insisted "substantial evidence" showed Covid "might have emerged in the United States earlier than its officially-claimed timeline, and earlier than the outbreak in China". The document - titled Covid-19 Prevention, Control and Origins Tracing: China's Actions and Stance - was released via China's official Xinhua news agency. It unashamedly accused the US of "indifference and delayed actions" during the global Covid fight - and of scapegoating China to deflect from its own "mismanaged" response. It wrote: "The US has made China the primary scapegoat for its own mismanaged COVID-19 response." The report added that America was 'spreading misinformation' and wasted 'precious time China had secured for the global fight against the pandemic". It revived Beijing's long-standing claims that it shared information with the world in a "timely manner". The paper added: 'The US should not continue to 'pretend to be deaf and dumb', but should respond to the legitimate concerns of the international community.' In May Donald Trump banned all US funding for risky virus research in China and beyond, five years after Covid-19 upended the planet. The US President said in the Oval Office last month: 'I said that right from day one it leaked out — whether it was to the girlfriend or somebody else, [a] scientist walked outside to have lunch with the girlfriend or was together with a lot of people — but that's how it leaked out in my opinion." The Sun's investigation into the origins of Covid 'Smoking gun' docs show US scientists planned to make viruses in Wuhan with SAME features of Covid year before outbreak Pentagon was told SIX times that Covid was lab leak at start of pandemic – but buried the truth, ex-intel official says US government backed shock Wuhan lab plan to collect 500,000 viruses months before Covid… and KNEW it was dangerous Wuhan Covid 'lab leak' firm given $60m US taxpayer funding for MORE virus tests Covid was 'perfectly adapted' to infect humans when virus emerged in Wuhan which 'proves' lab leak Bombshell clues that 'prove' China hid Covid lab leak in 'cover up of the century worse than Watergate' Crumbling sewers, no PPE, & filthy cages – Inside 'chaotic & crowded' Wuhan labs which may have unleashed Covid Wuhan Covid 'lab leak' scientists were 'bitten by bats & sprayed with blood' China's OWN scientists discussed 'problems' with Wuhan lab days after Covid outbreak Secret memo shows how panicked China ordered labs to destroy Covid samples Wuhan lab chief 'ordered scientists not to talk about Covid origins ' in leaked email France 'warned Wuhan lab could be turned into a 'biological arsenal' by Chinese military four years before Covid 'leak'
