Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Close Banner
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

PSA: This Is How To Gua Sha Around The Eye Area, According To Experts & Dermatologists

Alexandra Engler
Author:
September 26, 2024
Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
By Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Woman Using a Rose Quartz Gua Sha on Her Face
Image by Brat Co. / Stocksy
September 26, 2024
We carefully vet all products and services featured on mindbodygreen using our commerce guidelines. Our selections are never influenced by the commissions earned from our links.

The place I struggle with the most is around my eyes. On any given day, I deal with everything from morning-time puffy eyelids to dark undereye circles to crow's feet to sagging. So I am always looking for solutions to keep my eyes looking lifted, smooth, and bright.

On the other hand, the eye area is famously delicate and fragile, so it's important to treat the area appropriately. This puts me in a tough position: I want effective solutions but need them to be gentle so as not to incur damage in the process. 

Given my frustration with my own eye area, I actually asked holistic beauty expert Katey Kristabelle, founder of Mindful Beauty, to give me tips on how to gua sha around the eye. Kristabelle is an esthetician, certified nutrition coach, and integrative massage therapist—making her uniquely qualified to discuss the intricacies of skin health. She's also a top expert in facial stones and gua sha. Needless to say, she's a great person to have in your back pocket for skin care advice. 

I was thrilled when she sent me this TikTok to help guide me. "We want bright, lifted eyes, so let's talk about it," she says in the video. I also gathered info from other gua sha experts—so read on for intel on how to lift and tone the eye area.

Know the basics 

Kristabelle starts with a little anatomy lesson. "The orbicularis muscle has an outer orbital part and an inner part. When we're doing our gua sha routine, we don't want to be right up in the fat pad area of the eye," she says, pointing to the area just under the inner corner of the eye. "And we also have to consider that the eye and the skin around the eye is a lot more delicate than the skin on the rest of the face. So we always want to maintain gentle pressure." 

But thin, delicate skin is not the only thing that makes the eye area unique and prone to signs of aging. The eye muscles also require special attention: "If you look at the shape of the muscle [around the eye], it's kinda like a scrunchie. Over time the muscles can restrict, condense, and shrink. So we want to elongate and open those muscles," she says. "[With gua sha we can] open this area and lift it up."

In the video (to the left), she shows us how to do that in one simple move. 

"I'm going to take my gua sha stone," she says, using a jade stone (if you're looking for a great beginner stone, this Lanshin Intro Gua Sha Tool is similar to the one she uses in the video). She places the stone flat against her face, under the eye. And with a finger from the other hand, she places it gently on the skin, near the tear duct. She then starts sliding the stone toward the temple with the finger in place. 

"I'm going to have [the stone] resting more so on the orbital bone; I'm going to use a supportive finger so I get a nice fascia stretch," she says. "I'm going to take it all the way to the temple because all the muscles are connected." 

Use extra oil

Eastern medicine and skin care expert Debbie Kung, DAOM, LAc, also notes that the eye area is uniquely sensitive and fragile. This means it requires extra product for lubrication. 

"For eyes, it's one of the first signs of aging as it's a very delicate area. You'll want to put more oil on it—as well as on the neck—so you don't pull too hard," she says, noting that pulling too hard on mature or sensitive skin is one of the biggest mistakes she sees. 

Keep the stone cool

For puffy eyes, the old-school trick of using a cold tool (be that chilled spoons or a gua sha stone kept in the fridge) really does work. Here''s how: Cool temperatures constrict your blood vessels (a process known as vasoconstriction), which can help reduce swelling. 

"The applicator is cooling on the skin, which helps to reduce puffiness as it causes the blood vessels to constrict, and the pressure of the jade roller [or stone] helps to push fluid away from the under-eye area," says board-certified dermatologist Marisa Garshick, M.D., FAAD, about tricks to reduce puffy eyes

The takeaway

While it's important to be extra cautious around the eye area, there's still a lot you can do to help lift and tone the area. That includes these tips from skin care experts on gua sha and facial massage.

Looking for a good eye cream to pair your gua sha routine with? Check out these editor-tested eye creams for addressing dark circles, puffiness, and fine lines.

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

Watch Next

Enjoy some of our favorite clips from classes

What Is Meditation?

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Light Watkins

Box Breathing

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

What Breathwork Can Address

Mindfulness/Spirituality | Gwen Dittmar

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

Yoga | Caley Alyssa

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

Nutrition | Rich Roll

What to Eat Before a Workout

Nutrition | Rich Roll

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Nutrition | Sahara Rose

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Love Languages

Love & Relationships | Esther Perel

Related Videos (10)

What Is Meditation?

Box Breathing

What Breathwork Can Address

The 8 Limbs of Yoga - What is Asana?

Two Standing Postures to Open Up Tight Hips

How Plants Can Optimize Athletic Performance

What to Eat Before a Workout

How Ayurveda Helps Us Navigate Modern Life

Messages About Love & Relationships

Love Languages

Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.

More On This Topic

more Lifestyle
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.
Advertisement
This ad is displayed using third party content and we do not control its accessibility features.