►Best Gua Sha Oil

What Oil to Use for Gua Sha

Body Gua Sha is applied primarily on the back, neck, shoulders, buttocks and limbs.

Before treating the desired area, a thin application of oil or talcum powder will ensure smooth contact. The lubricant is applied to the surface, not to the instrument.

In Asia sesame oil, peanut oil or almond oil have been used traditionally.

Some doctors in China have created oil mixes using blood-moving herbs.

In your practice, you can do with any commercial massage oil or olive oil.
However, a thickish oil is preferred for its viscosity.

A coconut oil is a good choice.

Gua Sha (IASTM) Simple Choice #1 – Albolene - neutral

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This is a simple make-up remover.

It's a nice oily-based substance, almost like a petroleum jelly-type base.

But it's better than petroleum jelly. Petroleum jelly is just Vaseline. It's just too thick. Albolene is a little bit more oily and a little bit more slick.
Some don’t prefer Albolene because it’s a petroleum product.

This is also a good choice for other IASTM therapies (Graston, ASTYM, etc.).

Simple Choice #2 - Vicks VapoRub

It features the viscosity and the damp-resolving penetration of camphor.

However, menthol and camphor containing oils can cause complications such as burn marks.
Vicks VapoRub is made from Vaseline, which is a petroleum product.

Best Choice #3 – Badger Balm - Organic

This company prepares oils, beeswax and organic essential oils in various combinations: warming, pungent, cooling, and mild.

These preparations serve as more environmentally friendly lubricants and are available in many health food stores, sports and camp shops, and even some pharmacies.

Free-of artificial ingredients, fragrances, dyes, parabens, synthetics, or harsh ingredients.

They are USDA Certified Organic, and petrolatum-free.

Start with one of those:

Badger Balm – Sore Muscle Rub Cooling

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Badger Balm – Sore Muscle Rub

Badger Balm – Unscented

Essential Oils

Essential oils have been used therapeutically throughout history, therapists recognizing the therapeutic values of flowers and plants and using them regularly for treatment purposes. They have been particularly successful in the treatment of aching muscles and joints, and of stress-related conditions.

Gua Sha should be applied before the aromatherapy session begins.

This way you move and stimulate the Qi and Blood first and finish off the treatment with the soothing action of aromatherapy.

After Gua Sha

When Gua sha is complete, wipe the oils off the skin with paper towels.

Facial Gua Sha Oil

A word from Radha Thambirajah – TCM practitioner and acupuncturist.

"Use some oil on the skin surface that you are about to treat. I use red oil (St John’s wort oil), which is suitable for almost all patients.

If the patient has very thin and sensitive skin, they may react to this oil with some red wheals, especially if they go in the sun after treatment.

It would be better to use ordinary baby oil on these patients.

Also, I find Bio Oil to be extremely good. It is important that no cooling oils, such as oils with mint, aloe vera or tea tree oil, are used with this treatment."

Keep in mind, that this recommendations refer to facial gua sha.

What Oil to Use for Gua Sha and IASTM

Choosing the Best Lubricant for Gua Sha and Other Types of Massage

Lubricant (oil, or balm) allows minimal to unrestricted glide over the patient’s body, depending on the tissue being worked on. Some factors to consider when picking lubricant include how long it lasts, the amount of glide it has, its price, whether it will leave stains on clothing, if it has medicinal properties, if it nourishes the skin, and if it could cause allergy.

For connective tissue and to address trigger points, pick a lubricant that is rather tacky and provides very little glide, such as cocoa butter. For general treatment of the muscles, use something that allows more glide over the tissues, such as oil, lotion, or cream.

When deciding how much lubricant to use, consider factors such as how emollient the lubricant is, whether the patient has dry skin, the amount of the body hair, and the goal of the massage.

A rule of thumb: start with less lubricant and add more if necessary. (50)