My introduction to guasha was at one of Tyler Tolman’s workshops in right here in Perth. He shared this ancient wisdom of how Egyptians cleansed and healed their skin using just 2 ingredients!
Now it’s common knowledge that skin is the body’s largest organ, however, I personally never really gave too much thought into what I put onto this organ. I was guilty of not knowing the ingredients of products I used on a daily basis to clean this organ and to be quite frank didn’t even think of my skin as an organ that needed to function properly. Needless to say, after the workshop I knew I had to make some changes and dug a little deeper…
After googling guasha extensively, I seem to find a whole lot of information about the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice of guasha or scraping. To be honest the images I found looked like something out of a horror movie! It reminded me of the bruise like dots that result from cupping (another TCM practice) which is essentially toxins being pulled to the surface of the skin. I figured guasha was somewhat similar to cupping and the visual probably looked a lot worse than the actual practice. I also came across a great post about this woman’s experience with TCM guasha and how she went back for more. After using guasha for nearly 7 months now, I’m assured Tyler Tolman’s guasha is quite different from my findings on google. I now use it 3-4 times per week and absolutely LOVE it!
How to make and use Guasha?
- Buy the cheapest bottle of triple distiller VODKA and some aluminium free BI-CARB SODA mix the 2 in a Jar with a lid till its a putty consistency.
- Personally, I like to put a few drops of LEMON essential oil in my guasha as lemon is a great detoxifier and also smells delicious.
- You use it in the same way you use body scrubs from head to toe. Initially you may get certian spots that are particularly itchy and Tyler recommends focusing on theses spots.
- Rinse off and dry
- Lather up with coconut oil. It’s medium chain fatty acid is antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal!
- Tyler recommends getting out in the sun after the guasha process, personally I spend at least 10 minutes out in the sunshine everyday and don’t feel the need to do it stright after guasha. But of course, feel free to do so.
How it Works?
“As the bicarbonate soda is highly alkaline it kills acidic bacteria that build up in the skin. The skin is seven layers of dermis and epidermis and a lot of stuff can accumulate in the skin. Fungus, yeasts, petrochemicals, parasites and moulds that can come out as rashes and infections.
A lot of times petrochemicals that happen to be in the air around us get into the skin and really block it up, resulting in pimples and irritations. When you use the bicarb soda and the vodka it opens the pores of the skin as well as alkalising everything. The guasha mix cleans absolutely everything out and allows more oxygen to enter creating beautiful fresh skin.
I recommend doing this every day for the first 1-2 weeks then 2-3 times per week indefinitely and of course in conjunction with eating well, regular cleansing and drinking lots of water and getting out in the sun.” – Tyler Tolman
My Experience
After the first 7 days or so of using guasha my skin became incredibly dry and itchy. My skin felt like it was on fire and I felt like screaming. I knew this form me was a form of detoxification and that everything would be ok. I can assure you it was and I am grateful to have stumbled upon guasha. It is now very much apart of my life and has been so for the past 7 months.
Interesting Facts About the Skin
(Image Credit: http://visual.ly/50-incredible-facts-about-skin)