Jade Rollers: Are They Worth the Hype??

I had heard of jade rollers for the face years ago but couldn’t imagine they were that helpful.

But recently my ex-husband accidentally received a jade roller and gua set from Amazon and they told him to keep it, and I became the recipient. 

As soon as I tried it out I realized…’this is a blood and lymph mover,’ and I got really excited. I was also really excited about the immediate reduction puffiness and depth of lines!

Read on to discover the benefits and how-to’s of jade rolling, and why I’m now very excited to learn about the various facial tools out there!

History of Jade Rollers

“Yushi gunlun, as they’re known in Chinese, are small handheld wands made of jade used to massage one’s face and undereye.” (source)

Jade stone has a history in Mayan, Egyptian and Chinese cultures. The rollers themselves are said to have originated in early 17th century China amongst the Qing dynasty elite. (source)

Jade is said to bring harmony, luck and healing. But whether you believe in the energetic power of stones or not, there are some physical benefits you can read about below. (source)

Benefits of Jade Rollers

According to this blog, jade rollers may be better for calming and depuffing in the AM, while rose quartz may be better for wrinkles and a sense of self-love to use at night. 

The pressure of the roller moves lymph and blood. It’s simple but it works. The cool stone can constrict blood vessels to decrease inflammation.

“In reality, explains Suzanne Friedler, a Manhattan-based dermatologist, jade rollers are about as effective as any form of facial massage when done correctly. “Any time you massage any of the tissues, you’re increasing circulation. Your skin may look brighter, more luminous, maybe more contoured and less puffy,” she says. “But if you’re looking for substantive change, that’s not going to happen with the jade roller.”(source)

A 2016 study found on gua sha therapy and vaccine administration found that:

“Blood vessel expansion, erythrocyte extravasation, and increased ratios of immune active cells were observed in the skin tissue following the treatment.”

And:

“Gua Sha treatment can up-regulate the innate and adaptive immune functions of the skin and boost the response against intradermal antigens.” (source)

A 2020 analysis of 1164 persons with plaque psoriasis showed efficacy with moving cupping therapy.(source)

Similar Devices and Options

Gua Sha

In my jade roller set is also a jade gua sha tool. When I was an acupuncturist, I did a lot of gua sha. I mostly did it in an aggressive way to break up fascia and address pain , but when you use it on the face and upper body it’s more of a gentle stroke. (source)

This is the exact jade roller set I have:

Amazon link- only $7.99! From what I’ve read though, at this price point it is likely not real jade. So if you want the real thing, shop around and pay more. 

Mini Cup

I have bought this yet but I’m excited to try. I also did a lot of aggressive cupping to move blood and break up fascia as an acupuncturist. This mini cup set is truly mini- it just covers a wrinkle to plump it up by increasing blood flow and promoting collagen production. Plus it’s so cute!

Dry Brush

You know I love dry brushing; you can read all about it here. Besides supporting detox, it supports skin health and lymph movement. It can decrease puffiness and cellulite too! Our dry brush kit comes with a tiny brush for small areas.

Red light Therapy

Red light can promote collagen production. Sunlighten sells one and I also own a very pricey one by Perfectio. (source)

How To Use a Jade Roller 

One important factor is to keep your equipment clean. This is pretty easy at-home with soap and water or an alcohol wipe. 

At a salon, make sure they are doing the same because there is risk of spreading skin infections. (source)

Wash and dry your face. Use a toner and a serum if you like. You generally want to use a lubricating oil such as Citrus Illuminating Raw Beauty Oil by Araza Beauty (see below) for lubrication before beginning. Any product you use will have the added benefit of being driven deeper into the skin.

A facial lymph treatment starts low- around the collarbones, neck and shoulders. This releases tension and creates some flow of lymph before you move on the face.

On the face, you generally want to roll away from the center of the face, such as:

• Up from eyebrows to top of forehead for forehead wrinkles

• Up and away along cheekbone

• I personally love to roll back and forth across the sinus area- feels divine!

• I do the same in my smile lines- mine are quite deep

I am still a newbie at this, so feel free to look into other sources such as Patricia San Pedro, author of Face Fitness.

Your jade roller kit should come with instructions as well.

Don’t Forget the Bigger Picture!

Preserving your beauty over time, in my opinion, comes from a combination of elements.

• Are you joy-filled and fulfilled?

• Do you interact with nature?

• With good people who love you?

And….

• Do you get good quality sleep?

• Drink plenty of water?

• Avoid sugar, processed foods and alcohol?

• Perform daily detox?

• Work out and eat plenty of protein? 

• Feed you microbiome fibers?

• Consume colorful foods?

• Take your foundational supplements? 

• Support your hormones?

And…

• Exfoliate, tone and moisturize your skin?

• Use antioxidants inside and out? 

• Practice facial massage, light therapies, lymphatic drainage, etc?

In fairness, this seems like a lot of things! But for me it’s pretty easy to do it all at least most of the time.

For more lymphatic drainage techniques, read my blog on 25 Ways to Move Lymph here.

Two clean skincare brand I like are:

• Beautycounter (I use their shampoo, conditioner, body wash, body lotion, mascara & brow gel)

• Araza Beauty (I use their face oil, foundation, concealer and cheek color. Save 15% on Araza Beauty with code: (BRIDGIT15.)

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Bridgit Danner, LAc, FDNP, is trained in functional health coaching and has worked with thousands of clients over her career since 2004. She is the founder Functional Detox Products, a supplement line for detox plus everyday support.

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