Today, the global health and beauty industry is developing rapidly. However, gua sha has the functions of promoting blood circulation, relieving muscle tension, and improving skin luster, which has been favored by more and more consumers. As a physiotherapy tool derived from Chinese medicine culture, gua sha board has become a popular product in the field of beauty care and health and wellness.
However, if you want to launch your own brand gua sha tools, then you should choose a suitable gua sha manufacturer. So how should the brand make the best choice between OEM and ODM gua sha manufacturers? Today, we will deeply analyze the differences between OEM and ODM gua sha manufacturers.
Analysis of OEM gua sha manufacturers
What is OEM gua sha manufacturer?
OEM, or “original equipment manufacturer”, refers to the gua sha manufacturer producing according to the design provided by the brand. The brand is solely responsible for the gua sha design, material selection, function definition and packaging, while the manufacturer is only responsible for manufacturing gua sha tool according to the requirements.
For example, a beauty brand wants to launch a high-end natural jade gua sha board. They need to design the curvature, thickness, edge polishing process of the gua sha board by themselves, and specify the raw materials (such as white jade or green jade). The OEM gua sha factory will produce according to these design requirements, but will not actively propose product improvement suggestions.
Characteristics of the OEM model
Customer-led design: The gua sha brand has complete product intellectual property rights. The manufacturer has no right to modify the gua sha product design.
High customization: The brand can freely choose gua sha materials (such as horns, jade, stainless steel) and product details (such as anti-slip handle design, surface polishing, etc.).
Low flexibility: Gua sha Manufacturers usually do not actively provide optimization suggestions. If the design plan has defects (such as not ergonomic), the brand must bear the responsibility for adjustment.
Suitable for mature brands: OEM is suitable for brands that have clear product positioning and mature design capabilities.
Who is Suitable for the OEM model
Brands with existing market influence: You hope to build competitive barriers through unique gua sha product design.
Companies with professional R&D teams: You can independently innovate and optimize products.
Companies have a high demand for control over the supply chain: You need to strictly control gua sha quality and raw material selection.
Analysis of ODM gua sha manufacturers
What is ODM Gua sha manufacturer?
ODM, or “original design manufacturer”, means that the manufacturer is not only responsible for production, but also provides one-stop custom gua sha services from product design, raw material procurement to packaging. The brand only needs to put forward basic requirements, such as “I hope to launch a gua sha tool suitable for sensitive skin”, and the ODM gua sha manufacturer can provide multiple design solutions for the brand to choose from.
For example, an emerging health brand wants to develop a portable gua sha instrument, but lacks design experience. ODM gua sha manufacturers can recommend ceramic gua sha instruments with vibration massage functions based on market demand. In addition, gua sha devices can integrate other hot-selling elements, such as microcurrent technology or heating functions, to enhance product competitiveness.
Characteristics of the ODM model
Manufacturer-led design: Gua sha Manufacturers usually have a mature product library and R&D team, which can provide market-proven optimization solutions.
Reduce brand costs: Brands do not need to bear the design, proofing and trial and error costs. You directly adopt the mature solutions provided by manufacturers.
Intellectual property risks: Some ODM designs may be shared by multiple brands, resulting in product homogeneity risks.
Suitable for start-up brands: ODM helps companies that lack R&D resources quickly enter the market and reduce trial and error costs.
Who is suitable for the ODM model
Start-up brands hope to quickly launch products and enter the market.
E-commerce platform sellers need to quickly expand their product lines through ODM solutions to improve market response speed.
Companies with limited funds hope to reduce R&D investment and reduce initial costs.
Five core differences between OEM and ODM gua sha manufacturers
Difference 1: Ownership of design dominance
Under the OEM model, brands need to form a professional team to complete the entire process from market research to product design. For example, a brand requires the gua sha board to adopt an ergonomic 15° arc and a non-slip silicone coating, and the OEM factory must strictly follow this.
In the ODM model, Gua sha manufacturers provide optimization solutions based on their understanding of material properties (such as thermal conductivity of jade and durability of stainless steel) and user pain points. For example, it is recommended to add a microcurrent guide head on the back of the gua sha board to enhance the beauty effect.
Difference 2: Risk control of intellectual property rights
In the OEM model, the brand has all design drawings and patents to prevent technology outflow.
The ODM model needs to be wary of “public model risk” – if the gua sha factory sells the same design to multiple brands, it may lead to highly similar products on the market. Therefore, high-quality ODM gua sha manufacturers will provide a “special project exclusive” option to constrain the exclusive use of the design through contracts.
Difference 3: Control over the supply chain
OEM gua sha manufacturers usually require the brand to provide or specify raw material suppliers on their own, such as requiring the use of Burmese jade or medical-grade stainless steel.
ODM gua sha manufacturers can reduce material costs by virtue of their large-scale procurement advantages. For example, an ODM gua sha factory can purchase raw materials at a price 20% lower than the market price due to its long-term cooperation with jade mines.
Difference 4: Market response speed
The OEM model has a long cycle from design to mass production (usually 3-6 months), which is suitable for classic products that do not require high timeliness.
The ODM model can complete proofing within 30 days at the fastest with ready-made solutions, which is suitable for brands that need to quickly seize hot spots (such as the “V-face gua sha” trend brought by a certain star).
Difference 5: Flexibility of long-term cooperation
OEM is more suitable for companies that want to establish a unique brand moat and differentiate themselves through continuous product iteration.
ODM can continue to obtain new product support through the “solution subscription system”, such as providing 3 new designs that meet the trend every quarter.
| Dimension | OEM | ODM |
|---|---|---|
| Design Dominance | Brand fully controls the design | Manufacturer provides the design solution |
| Intellectual Property Ownership | Brand owns all intellectual property rights | Design patents may belong to the manufacturer |
| R&D Capability Requirements | Brand needs to independently bear R&D costs | Manufacturer has mature solutions that can be directly adapted |
| Cooperation Mode | “Contract manufacturing” mode, emphasizing precise execution | “Co-creation” mode, focusing on resource integration |
| Cost and Cycle | High initial investment but long-term controllability | Low upfront cost but requires payment of solution usage fees |
Why choose us as your customized gua sha manufacturer?
At a time when the boundaries between OEM and ODM are gradually blurring. As a leading gua sha manufacturer, we have a complete industrial chain layout and diversified cooperation models. By breaking the traditional barriers through the “hybrid model”, we can provide brands with more flexible cooperation solutions:
Dual-track parallel service
We can not only accept high-precision OEM orders (error rate <0.1mm), but also provide ODM hot product solution library (including 20+ patent designs).
Case: Customized magnetic therapy gua sha board (OEM) for a North American brand, and provided a “gua sha + moxibustion” two-in-one ODM solution for a Southeast Asian customer.
Intellectual property protection system
Through NDA agreement and independent production line, ensure that customer design is not leaked.
ODM solution can sign an exclusive licensing agreement to ensure market uniqueness.
Vertically integrated supply chain
We have owned jade processing plant, stainless steel casting workshop and environmentally friendly packaging production line, shortening the delivery cycle to 15 days.
We can achieve 100% finished product inspection pass rate through AI testing equipment.
Data-driven innovation support
Based on global e-commerce platform sales data, regularly provide customers with trend reports (such as “Demand for mini gua sha instruments will increase by 300% in 2025”).
Jointly developed the “Meridian Intelligent Identification Gua Sha device” with Chinese medicine experts and obtained FDA certification.
Conclusion
OEM and ODM have their own advantages and disadvantages. How to choose? It depends on your brand’s own positioning, financial strength and market demand. If your goal is to establish a unique brand and fully control product design, we recommend choosing the OEM model; if you want to launch products faster and reduce R&D costs, we recommend choosing the ODM model.
Whether it is refined customization or a one-stop gua sha solution. How to find the right supplier is the key. We are committed to providing high-quality wholesale Gua Sha tools to global brands, helping brands to move forward steadily in the health and beauty industry. If you need customized Gua Sha, please feel free to contact us.