Lana Condor’s wedding beauty routine involves gua sha - but what is it?

The actor got engaged to Anthony De La Torre in January

(Getty)

Lana Condor has revealed what her beauty routine looks like as she prepares for her wedding to Anthony De La Torre.

Actor Condor, 24, announced her engagement to singer De La Torre, 28, in January this year.

“Saying YES was the easiest decision I’ve ever made. I consider myself the absolute luckiest woman alive to live in your sphere,” the To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before star captioned her Instagram post announcing the engagement.

She noted that her oval-shaped diamond engagement ring was made by female-owned company, Paris Jewellers.

While Condor has yet to reveal a wedding date, she has revealed what beauty steps she’s taking as she prepares for their wedding — and it involves gua sha.

“I’m going to drink a lot of water,” Condor told People. “I actually carry around a gallon with me when I work because I really genuinely think that drinking water helps my skin not dull. I’m also going to use my gua sha. I’m definitely going to do masks because the morning of [the wedding], I want to be as relaxed as possible.”

What is gua sha?

Gua sha is the practice of scraping the skin with a tool. Like a facial roller but flat, the tool is often made from rose quartz or jade crystal and helps with lymphatic drainage and circulation. It can be used all over the body, not just the face.

Gua sha has eastern origins and it was used during folk therapy by the ancient Chinese as well as during the Ming Dynasty as a medical practice between the 14th and 17th centuries.

Present-day, the tool is loved by Gen Z beauty buffs — the #guasha hashtag has 909.7 million views on TikTok with users raving about its benefits.

Gua sha tools are usually made from rose quartz or jade (iStock)

What benefits does gua sha have?

While TikTokers claim gua sha can help give you a more defined jawline, the main benefits of gua sha include promoting blood circulation, relieving muscle tenstion and promoting lymphatic drainage, or fluid build up.

Lymphatic drainage can reduce puffiness which, if you use the gua sha along your jawline, temporarily gives the appearance of a more defined jaw.

A study from 2016 found that those with weak immune systems should try gua sha as the practice can “up-regulate the innate and adaptive immune functions of the skin and boost the response against intradermal antigens”.

How do you use a gua sha tool?

Facial gua sha should be performed in the direction of lymph flow for the best results. This means starting at your neck and working your way up.

The tool should be moved up and down your neck first before using it in an outwards direction from the centre of your face. It should be used along the jawline, in an upwards motion from the lips, along the cheekbones, along the eyebrows and in an upwards motion on the forehead.

Looking to buy a gua sha tool? IndyBest has found the best facial massage tools to sculpt and de-puff skin.