Gua Sha With Tallow Balm: An Honest Look

Yes, gua sha needs an oil or balm underneath it. Used dry, the stone drags and can pull at the skin instead of gliding over it. Tallow balm works well for this because its fatty acid profile sits close to your skin's own sebum, so it absorbs as you scrape instead of sitting on top like petroleum jelly. What gua sha will not do is reshape your face. Here is an honest, source-backed look at what the practice actually does, and how to do it properly with a balm.

What does gua sha actually do for your skin?

Gua sha mainly moves fluid, not muscle. Licensed esthetician Ali Tobia explains it to Byrdie as a lymphatic drainage process: interstitial fluid trapped under the skin gets pushed toward the lymphatic system, where it is filtered and returned to the bloodstream. That movement is what reduces the puffy, "bloated" look in the face after a session.

Beyond drainage, the research is thinner than the marketing suggests. One pilot study cited by Byrdie found that gua sha can stimulate circulation in the treated area, and WebMD notes the scraping motion may release chemicals that ease inflammation and support healing. But both outlets are clear that most claims around collagen production, skin brightening and muscle "sculpting" are anecdotal rather than clinically proven. Treat gua sha as a circulation and de-puffing tool, not a face-lift in a stone.

Do you need an oil for gua sha, or can you use it dry?

You need a slip. Byrdie's how-to guide lists "use an oil or lubricant to avoid pulling on the skin" as a core step, right after choosing your tool shape. WebMD says the same thing from the other direction: a face oil applied before gua sha helps the stone or roller glide more easily, and people with acne-prone or sensitive skin should reach for an oil-free lotion or serum instead so the tool doesn't drag on reactive skin.

Skipping the oil is the most common mistake people make with an at-home gua sha tool. Dry strokes need more pressure to move at all, and more pressure on thin facial skin means more risk of redness, bruising or irritation that has nothing to do with the technique and everything to do with the missing slip.

Why tallow balm works as a gua sha slip

Tallow balm sits in a useful middle ground between a thin facial oil and a heavy occlusive like petroleum jelly. Its fatty acid profile is close to the composition of human sebum, so it spreads thinly, warms with the strokes, and absorbs gradually rather than evaporating in the first minute or sitting on the surface for hours. That gives the stone several minutes of consistent glide per area without needing to stop and reapply halfway through a stroke.

Slip option	Glide	Absorption	Best for	Worth knowing
Tallow balm	Long, consistent	Gradual, sebum-like	Dry, normal and combination skin	Richer feel; less ideal on very oily skin
Jojoba oil	Medium	Fast	Oily or acne-prone skin	Thinner slip, often needs reapplying mid-routine
Rosehip oil	Medium	Fast to medium	Mature or scarred skin	Light cushion; pricier per use
Plain face lotion	Short	Very fast	Those avoiding oils altogether	Can absorb before the stroke finishes, causing drag
Petroleum jelly	Very long	Doesn't absorb	Nothing specific to skincare	Sits on top rather than feeding the skin anything

None of these is wrong. The point of the table is simply that the slip you choose changes how the tool behaves on your face, and a balm built on a fat close to your own skin chemistry tends to need fewer top-ups than a fast-absorbing lotion.

How to do a gua sha routine with tallow balm

Skincare expert David Peters and esthetician Ali Tobia both told Byrdie that the fundamentals matter more than the exact tool shape. Here is a routine that combines their steps with a tallow balm slip.

1. Start with clean, slightly damp skin. A rinse or a few sips of water beforehand helps the balm and the strokes move lymph more effectively.
2. Warm a small amount of tallow balm between your fingers and apply it to your neck, jaw and cheeks before picking up the tool.
3. Hold the gua sha tool at a 35-45 degree angle against the skin, using light to medium pressure only.
4. Starting at the collarbone, stroke upward to the earlobe. Repeat three to five times, then switch sides.
5. Move to the jawline: glide from the chin out to the ear, then repeat on the other side.
6. Work the cheekbone to the ear, then the area under the eye outward toward the ear, always moving in the direction of lymphatic flow, never back and forth.
7. Finish at the brow, dragging gently from the centre of the forehead out to the hairline on each side.

On frequency, Tobia's advice to Byrdie is to start at two to three times a week while you learn the angles and pressure, then build up to daily once it feels comfortable. The INSHA Gua Sha tool pairs with most balm thicknesses, and our TALLOW GLOW Skin Balm is whipped to a softer texture specifically so it spreads easily before a routine like this one. If you want the fuller walk-through on using the balm itself, day to day, that's covered in our guide to using a tallow balm.

In a dry, air-conditioned climate like the UAE, skin loses surface moisture indoors faster than it does outdoors, which means the tool can drag more than expected even with a balm applied. A slightly more generous layer, or doing the routine straight after a shower while skin is still a little damp, tends to fix this.

Who should skip gua sha, even with a gentle oil

WebMD advises avoiding gua sha altogether if you have diabetes, circulation problems, take blood thinners, or are pregnant or think you may be. On the face specifically, skip it if you have an active flare of a skin condition such as rosacea or psoriasis, a sunburn, or broken or infected skin.

Byrdie adds a timing rule worth knowing if you have had cosmetic injectables: wait three to four weeks after botulinum toxin or facial fillers before starting gua sha, and avoid it entirely in the four weeks following any new injection. None of this is specific to tallow balm or any other slip; it applies to gua sha as a technique, oil or no oil.

Does it actually work, or is it mostly placebo?

Somewhere in between, honestly. The lymphatic drainage mechanism is real and reasonably well supported, which explains the same-day de-puffing many people notice. What is far less supported is the idea that gua sha permanently sculpts or reshapes the face. WebMD states plainly that research on the cosmetic benefits is limited, and that some of what people feel may be a placebo effect, since expecting an improvement makes you more likely to perceive one. Byrdie's experts agree the visible benefits are mostly temporary, which is why consistency, not a single dramatic session, is what produces a noticeable difference over weeks.

That honesty cuts both ways. It also means a cheap stone and a basic oil will get you most of the same lymphatic benefit as an expensive kit, provided the technique and the slip are right. The balm is there to protect your skin and feed it something while you do it, not to make the lymphatic mechanism work harder than it already does.

Frequently asked questions

Does gua sha actually change your face shape?

No. It can temporarily reduce puffiness and relax tense facial muscles, which looks like more definition, but it does not move bone or fat and the effect fades without regular use.

Can you use gua sha every day?

Eventually, yes. Experts recommend starting at two to three times a week and building up to daily once your technique and pressure feel comfortable.

What's the best oil for gua sha?

It depends on your skin. A richer balm like tallow suits dry or normal skin well; thinner oils such as jojoba suit oily or acne-prone skin better. The main requirement is that it provides enough slip to avoid pulling.

Does gua sha hurt?

It shouldn't. Done with light to medium pressure, it should feel like a firm massage, not pain. If it hurts, you're pressing too hard.

How long until you see results?

Some de-puffing is visible the same day. A noticeable, more lasting difference in skin tone and tension generally takes several weeks of regular practice.

Can you do gua sha if you have rosacea or sensitive skin?

Skip it during an active flare-up. Outside of a flare, introduce it gently and watch how your skin responds, since rosacea-prone skin can react to friction.

Is tallow balm safe to use on the face for gua sha?

Yes, for most people. Patch test a small area first, as with any new skincare product, and stop if you notice redness, itching or stinging.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you are pregnant, take blood thinners, have a circulation condition, or have an active skin flare-up, speak to a doctor before trying gua sha.