Glow Sha For Glowing Skin During Your Cycle

If you see jade rollers and gua sha tools flooding your Instagram and newsfeed, it’s for good reason. These Traditional Chinese Medicine facial tools are often recommended in conjunction with cosmetic acupuncture and have become popular as a natural way to maintain a healthy glow, reducing puffiness by encouraging lymphatic drainage and reducing fine lines and wrinkles. There’s a technique called Glow Sha which is essentially a more gentle gua sha massage for your face. When it is used in synchronicity with your menstrual cycle it can help you get the most out of your skin + have a healthier cycle and period. In TCM there are five phases in your cycle because of subtle and important changes to your skin and body. Your cycle starts on day 1 of your period. Find out how many days your regular cycle is by tracking your period start day. It could be anywhere from 26 to 36 days long.

Phase 1: Your Period

If you find that your face looks completely dry and dull during your period, there’s a good reason for it. Oestrogen levels are low, which means lines, pores, wrinkles, dark spots and acne will be more visible. Progesterone levels are low as well, reducing the production of sebum (aka making your skin dryer).

It’s important to avoid any excessive Glow Sha during your ‘red days’ as your skin is more tender and you’re more sensitive to pain. Your body needs to be treated gently and allowed to rest and release. Focus instead on self care; foot baths, hot compress on the lower belly, and tea.

Phase 2: Pre-Ovulation

This is the phase in your menstrual cycle where you will literally have your best face. You’re high on oestrogen, girl! Full, soft skin. Bright, tight, and clear! Your skin will be able to handle (almost) anything that you throw at it (it’s also the best time to get any other cosmetic work done). Make sure you are always scraping your Glow Sha into the hairline and working with those scalp muscles which is where a lot of facial tightness and lines can be worked on.

If you have PCOS or hormonal outbreak at this time avoid the little suckers to prevent encouraging them to take up a postal code on your face and moving in long term. Do this by placing your finger tip over them and using the Glow Sha on all other areas of your face.

Phase 3: Ovulation

If your hormones are imbalanced, you will notice tiny pimples with a lot of ‘pop’ and puss around your lower mouth and chin area. Graphic, we know. Use this time to really build collagen and work on any lines and wrinkles. With wrinkles we say to work on the ‘valley’ not the ‘peak’. Stretch out the area of skin where the lines and wrinkles are, then use your Glow Sha tool to glide it back and forth to essentially ‘flood the valley’ with collagen. Always making sure to sweep any debris from the midline of the face out and down the side or back of the neck, so that it is flushed out through the lymphatic system.

Phase 4: Post-Ovulation

Directly after ovulation, hormone levels fall before rising again. Do you feel like a see-saw yet? In TCM we say if you have a Xue (Blood) or Qi deficiency you will likely find a ‘build up’ on your face as well. Think grease, blackheads and clogged pores. Blind pimples can be frustrating so resist the temptation to squeeze and dig at them. Your skin is still really nice and plump but be careful of your forehead. Go gently with your Glow Sha in this area to avoid any red marks or ‘Sha’ on your face. Instead, work on lymphatic drainage, anything with a downward movement on the side and back of the neck.

Phase 5: Pre-Menstrual

For this phase we count approximately 4-5 days before the first day of your period. Ok, prepare for nearly all hormones to descend to their lowest point before your period begins. You may feel cold during the day and have hot flushes during the evening, this could be due to a Yin deficiency. If hormones are imbalanced, you’ll find ‘red hot’ pimples, especially around your chin. Time of the month use your Glow Sha to ‘lift’ everything up rather than building collagen. You may find that during this phase you are more tired and feeling a bit deficient, so you don’t want to be pushing and moving too much Qi. We just want nice, firm strokes that lift the face and encourage softening of facial and scalp muscles to relax into your period.

Final Tips

Use an oil or serum to help the Glow Sha glide over your skin. Natural oils are fabulous for some skin, but for others a serum may be better.
There are a lot of different crystal tools on the market. Whatever you choose, make sure you don’t share your beauty tools with other people as they are personal and will carry some bacteria. In TCM we use jade beauty tools because they are auspicious and also antibacterial.
Use your Glow Sha tool to relieve any muscle tension from clenching your jaw due to stress.
Bone broth is great for your skin and collagen production, it’s also a fluid which helps to keep your skin hydrated and to build healthy blood volume especially pre-period.

When you feel good, it shows. When you feel good, you look good.

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Glow Sha For Glowing Skin During Your Cycle