Gua Sha Routine: A 5-Minute Step-by-Step for Morning or Night

A gua sha routine is a short facial massage in which you glide a smooth, flat-edged tool over oiled skin in a set order: neck first, then jawline, cheeks, under-eyes and forehead, always moving outward. Five minutes is enough. In an 8-week randomized trial, women followed a very similar 10-minute sequence five times a week (Ahn et al., 2025).

Below: the stroke map with timings, a morning and an evening version, pressure, oil, frequency and common mistakes. Every stroke also works with our GlowLift™ Infinity face sculpting device, which adds warm, cold and EMS modes to a stainless-steel gua sha edge. If you want the research verdict first, our guide to whether gua sha works covers it.

What does a gua sha routine involve?

A gua sha routine involves three things: slip, sequence and gentle pressure. You apply a facial oil or serum, then glide a flat-edged tool in slow, outward strokes from the neck up to the forehead, repeating each stroke a few times per area. A full face takes about five minutes, most days of the week.

The order is not arbitrary. The 2025 trial protocol began on the neck and shoulders, swept from the chin to the ears and down the neck, then worked from the cheeks to the temples and outward along the brows, ending with gentle pressure at the temples (Ahn et al., 2025). Anatomy explains the outward direction around the eyes: in a cadaver study with imaging in five volunteers, lymph from the lower eyelid drained sideways toward nodes in front of the ear and inward toward nodes under the jaw (Shoukath et al., 2017).

One honest caveat: lymphatic networks in the skin of the head and neck differ between people, and even between the two sides of the same face (Pan et al., 2008). Treat the stroke map as a sensible convention, not a precise drainage chart.

Area	Stroke direction	Passes per side	Time	Pressure
Neck	Below the ear down to the collarbone	5	45 sec	Light
Jawline	Center of the chin along the jaw to below the earlobe	5	1 min	Medium
Cheeks	Beside the nose, under the cheekbone, out to the ear	5	1 min	Medium
Under-eyes	Inner corner along the bone out to the temple	3–5	30 sec	Lightest
Forehead and brows	Brow up to the hairline, then along the brow to the temple	5	45 sec	Light to medium
Temples (finish)	Hold, no stroke	1	5 sec each	Gentle press

When does gua sha fit into your skincare routine?

Gua sha fits after cleansing and after your serum, once a few drops of facial oil give the tool slip, and before moisturizer. In the morning, sunscreen comes last. Gliding over dry skin makes the tool drag, while a rich cream tends to absorb before you finish the map, so oil or a slippy serum works best.

If you prefer fewer layers, a serum alone works as long as the tool glides without tugging. GlowLift™ is designed to glide over serum, oil or cream, so it fits the same slot.

How do you do gua sha step by step?

Do gua sha in five zones, from the bottom up: neck, jawline, cheeks, under-eyes and forehead. Glide each stroke slowly outward, about five passes per area on each side, and lift the tool at the end of every stroke before you return to the start. The whole face takes about five minutes, plus two to three with a powered tool.

1. Prep your skin (30 seconds). Cleanse, apply serum, then press three to four drops of facial oil over the face and neck. Hold the tool almost flat, long edge against the skin.
2. Open the neck (45 seconds). Starting just below the ear, glide down the side of the neck to the collarbone, five passes per side. Keep your touch featherlight over the front of the throat.
3. Sculpt the jawline (1 minute). Fit the notched edge along the jaw and glide from the center of the chin to just below the earlobe, then sweep briefly down the neck.
4. Sweep the cheeks (1 minute). Glide from beside the nose, under the cheekbone, out toward the ear. Add a second line from the corner of the mouth to the ear.
5. Refresh the under-eyes (30 seconds). Use the rounded edge with your lightest pressure. Trace the bone beneath the eye from the inner corner out to the temple, three to five passes, never over the eyelid itself.
6. Smooth the forehead and brows (45 seconds). Glide from the brow up to the hairline, then along the brow line out to the temple. Finish with a gentle five-second press at each temple.
7. Add a GlowLift™ pass (2–3 minutes). Trace the same map with GlowLift™ Infinity, starting on Level 1. Mornings: a short warm pass along the neck, jaw and cheeks, then cold mode under the eyes and over the cheeks for a refreshed, de-puffed look. Evenings: warm mode along the neck, jaw and cheeks helps your serum spread and settle, EMS can follow the jawline and under the cheekbones (never the eyelids), and cold mode finishes. Cold always comes after warm; that switch is the contrast therapy. On its own, cold mode is for depuffing under the eyes. Then moisturizer, plus sunscreen in the morning.

GlowLift™ Infinity is a 5-in-1 at-home face sculpting device that combines contrast therapy (warm and cold modes), EMS muscle stimulation, LED light, high-frequency vibration and gua sha-inspired sculpting to support firmer-looking, more defined skin. It is FDA-cleared, and a full session takes five to seven minutes. EMS (electrical muscle stimulation) engages the facial muscles beneath the skin: in a 12-week randomized trial of 108 women, a facial EMS device used 20 minutes a day, five days a week, was associated with an 18.6% increase in cheek-muscle thickness (Kavanagh et al., 2012). The trial tested a different device in longer sessions, so read it as evidence for the technique, not for any single product.

Do not use an EMS device if you are pregnant or have a pacemaker, implanted defibrillator or other active electronic implant, or on broken, irritated or infected skin. If you have epilepsy or a diagnosed skin condition, check with your doctor first.

How should morning and evening gua sha differ?

Morning gua sha is quicker and brisker, ending cool for a refreshed, de-puffed look under sunscreen. Evening gua sha is slower and softer, a wind-down step layered over a treatment serum before moisturizer. The stroke map stays the same in both; only the pace, the products underneath and the finish change.

	Morning version	Evening version
Goal	A refreshed, de-puffed look	A slow, relaxing ritual
Serum underneath	Vitamin C + ferulic serum	10% niacinamide serum
Pace	3–5 minutes, brisk strokes	5–7 minutes, slow strokes
GlowLift™ mode	Short warm pass, then cold finish	Warm mode, then EMS, then cold finish
Last step	Moisturizer, then sunscreen	Moisturizer

In the morning, an antioxidant serum makes sense. A dermatology review describes vitamin C as "one of the most powerful antioxidants in the skin" while noting that clinical studies on topical formulas remain limited (Al-Niaimi and Chiang, 2017). Our Radiant C-F Glow Drops vitamin C + ferulic serum fits here, under your sunscreen. For puffiness specifically, see our guide on how to depuff your face.

At night, niacinamide is a well-studied choice. In a 12-week split-face trial of 50 women, 5% niacinamide applied twice daily improved the look of fine lines, spots, red blotchiness and sallowness compared with the untreated side (Bissett et al., 2005). The study was run by an ingredient maker and did not test our formula, but it is why our Texture Refining Treatment 10% niacinamide serum sits in the evening slot. After a 45-minute facial massage, 32 women reported lower anxiety and negative-mood scores, an effect the authors called refreshing rather than sedating (Hatayama et al., 2008), so either end of the day works.

How much pressure and oil should you use?

Use enough pressure to move the skin, never enough to hurt or leave marks. The 2025 trial (Ahn et al., 2025) told participants to press "firm enough to grip and move the superficial tissue, but not so firm as to cause discomfort or bruising." Use three to four drops of oil, adding more if the tool drags.

This is where facial gua sha parts ways with the traditional body practice. Classic gua sha on the back is surface frictioning that "intentionally raises transitory petechiae and ecchymosis", small red dots and bruising (Nielsen et al., 2007). A facial routine should not. A soft pink flush that fades within minutes is normal; red dots or tenderness mean too much pressure.

Ease off over bony areas, and keep the under-eye pass at the weight of the tool itself. Any lightweight facial oil works; for breakout-prone skin, a slippy serum or non-comedogenic oil is safer.

How often should you do gua sha?

Five sessions a week is the rhythm that has been studied: the 2025 trial used 10 minutes, five times a week, for eight weeks. A five-minute daily routine fits the same pattern. Short, regular sessions matter more than long or forceful ones, and a rest day is fine whenever your skin feels sensitive.

The fresh look right after a session is real but short-lived. In a small study of 12 people, five minutes of massage with a facial roller raised blood flow in the treated cheek for at least 10 minutes, and five weeks of daily use improved how the skin's small vessels responded to warmth (Miyaji et al., 2018). That study used a roller, not a gua sha edge, and one author worked for the roller's maker. The changes in the gua sha trial came from eight weeks of repetition, not single sessions. GlowLift™ follows the same logic: five to seven minutes, five to seven times a week.

What gua sha mistakes should you avoid?

The most common gua sha mistakes are working on dry skin, pressing too hard, sawing back and forth, skipping the neck and using a tool that has not been cleaned. Each one makes the routine less comfortable or less hygienic. Slow strokes over oil, the lightest touch near the eyes and a quick wash after every session prevent most problems.

• Gliding over dry skin. Without slip, the edge tugs. Add oil whenever the tool catches, and keep it almost flat.
• Pressing for redness. Marks are a sign of too much force, not of a better result.
• Sawing back and forth. Glide in one direction, lift, and return to the start of the stroke.
• Skipping the neck. The studied protocol starts there, setting the outward, downward path for everything above.
• Working over breakouts. Glide around active blemishes, never across them.
• Forgetting to clean the tool. Wash a stone tool with mild soap and water after each session and let it dry. Wipe GlowLift™ with a soft, slightly damp cloth; never submerge it.

When should you skip gua sha or see a dermatologist?

Skip gua sha on broken, sunburned, infected or freshly treated skin, over active breakouts or a rosacea flare, and ask your doctor first if you bruise easily or take blood thinners. See a board-certified dermatologist if redness, swelling, bruising or a lump lasts, or if puffiness is new, painful or only on one side.

If you have had injectables, a peel or another in-office procedure, ask your provider when facial massage is safe again. Gua sha is cosmetic self-care for how skin looks and feels; it does not diagnose or treat any skin or lymphatic condition. Questions about whether GlowLift™ suits your skin? Reach us through our contact form.

The bottom line

A good gua sha routine is simple: oil first, then the neck, jawline, cheeks, under-eyes and forehead, every stroke gliding outward with pressure that moves the skin without marking it. Five minutes, five or more days a week, is the rhythm research has studied, and consistency counts for more than force. Start with the stroke map tomorrow morning, then add a cold or warm GlowLift™ Infinity pass when you want the powered version. At Radiant, we see this as skin longevity: small daily rituals that add up over years.

Sources

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2. Shoukath S, Taylor GI, Mendelson BC, et al. The lymphatic anatomy of the lower eyelid and conjunctiva and correlation with postoperative chemosis and edema. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2017;139(3):628e–637e. PubMed 28234825 · doi:10.1097/PRS.0000000000003094
3. Pan WR, Suami H, Taylor GI. Lymphatic drainage of the superficial tissues of the head and neck: anatomical study and clinical implications. Plast Reconstr Surg. 2008;121(5):1614–1624. PubMed 18453984 · doi:10.1097/PRS.0b013e31816aa072
4. Kavanagh S, Newell J, Hennessy M, Sadick N. Use of a neuromuscular electrical stimulation device for facial muscle toning: a randomized, controlled trial. J Cosmet Dermatol. 2012;11(4):261–266. PubMed 23174048 · doi:10.1111/jocd.12007
5. Al-Niaimi F, Chiang NYZ. Topical vitamin C and the skin: mechanisms of action and clinical applications. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017;10(7):14–17. PubMed 29104718 · PMC5605218
6. Bissett DL, Oblong JE, Berge CA. Niacinamide: a B vitamin that improves aging facial skin appearance. Dermatol Surg. 2005;31(7 Pt 2):860–865. PubMed 16029679 · doi:10.1111/j.1524-4725.2005.31732
7. Hatayama T, Kitamura S, Tamura C, Nagano M, Ohnuki K. The facial massage reduced anxiety and negative mood status, and increased sympathetic nervous activity. Biomed Res. 2008;29(6):317–320. PubMed 19129675 · doi:10.2220/biomedres.29.317
8. Nielsen A, Knoblauch NTM, Dobos GJ, Michalsen A, Kaptchuk TJ. The effect of Gua Sha treatment on the microcirculation of surface tissue: a pilot study in healthy subjects. Explore (NY). 2007;3(5):456–466. PubMed 17905355 · doi:10.1016/j.explore.2007.06.001
9. Miyaji A, Sugimori K, Hayashi N. Short- and long-term effects of using a facial massage roller on facial skin blood flow and vascular reactivity. Complement Ther Med. 2018;41:271–276. PubMed 30477852 · doi:10.1016/j.ctim.2018.09.009