Ask an Esthetician: Is This Jade Roller Doing Anything?
Skin-care pros with the real deal on gua sha and other current skin care questions.
Is your jade roller … doing anything? Photograph via efetova/Getty Images
Ever wonder what your facialist really thinks about trendy at-home treatments and social media? We went ahead and asked some Philly estheticians three of our biggest questions.
Do all those jade rollers and gua sha tools actually do anything?
Both of these affordable, newly popular at-home tools can help improve circulation, release facial tension and reduce puffiness. Adrienne Schultz, esthetician at Skin House, loves them — as long as they’re being used correctly. Lubricate your face with an oil or serum before you start, and always use the tools to push out from the center of the face, up through the forehead and down through the chin. A word of caution: The gua sha tools dig in deeper than the jade rollers, so anyone with cystic acne or highly sensitive skin may want to avoid them.
Is it okay for me to talk to my facialist during a treatment?
Yes. “We would rather our clients know what we’re doing and why, and not just because it helps them understand. It helps us — they’re going to go home and do what we say, and then they’re going to understand the value of the appointments,” says Heyday skin therapist Lynn Gallagher. That said, during some of the more physical parts of the treatment — like, say, the massage — sit back and enjoy, and save your questions for later.
I see everyone live-streaming their facials on Instagram. It’s okay to do that?
Some spas, like Rescue Spa, have a no-phones rule, says Kim Zimmerman, Rescue’s director of e-commerce and marketing. For one thing, the spa doesn’t want you filming proprietary methods. But also, you’re paying for the experience and results, not to brag on social media. Zimmerman recommends sharing before-and-after glow photos instead. If you must film, reach out to the spa ahead of time — some facialists will be more game for cameos than others.
Published as “Ask an Esthetician!” in the February 2020 issue of Philadelphia magazine.
