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Dunking your face in a bowl of ice water isn’t just a great way to wake yourself up. Ice facials, in which you apply ice or chilly implements to your face, may also help improve your skin.
During an ice facial, also known as cold therapy, the chill from ice or a facial massager restricts the blood vessels in your face, which can help reduce redness, puffiness and the appearance of pores, as well as potentially help with lymphatic drainage. When the blood and oxygen that were restricted during the ice facial application come back as your skin temperature returns to normal, your skin may feel tighter and look more glowy, reports Town & Country Magazine.
Doing an at-home ice facial is as easy as sticking a sheet mask in the fridge or chilling down a facial massager to roll all over your face.
Some beauty experts say that adding a serum or skin care product before icing your face can increase the benefits of the technique.
“If you apply a serum to the skin and put ice on it afterward, the capillaries restrict and it creates a pulling effect that helps ingredients penetrate deeper,” aesthetician Renée Rouleau tells Vogue.
One thing that experts don’t recommend with an ice facial is applying ice directly to your skin. Wrap ice in a cloth or some sort of barrier to keep it from directly touching your skin. A “freezer burn” on your face is never a good look.
There are also many at-home products you can use for an ice facial.
I tried the affordable Esarora Beauty Ice Roller with good results. Here are some more top-rated ice facial products you could try:
Spa Sciences ISLA, Sonic Ice and Heat Roller for Face, Neck, and Decolletage (Walmart, $27.99)
The Spa Science ISLA Sonic Ice and Heat Roller retails at Walmart for $27.99 and has a rating of 4.6 out of 5 stars from 185 reviews.
This roller has detachable heads that you can heat or cool, is rechargeable and has high and low speed settings.
“ISLA pairs perfectly with my favorite serum or moisturizer and can also be used with a sheet mask,” a Walmart reviewer named Hendrika wrote. “I love using the ISLA for my eye area to depuff the skin and on my jaw area to release muscle tension that usually causes me to get tension headaches. As soon as I put the ISLA on my jawline it releases the tension and relaxes my whole jaw.”
MonétBeauty Ice Globes for Facials (Amazon, $22.99)
The MonétBeauty Ice Globes for Facials are $22.99 on Amazon and you can choose between three colors: purple, pink and blue.
These ice globes are made from durable borosilicate glass and filled with a non-toxic antifreeze liquid. They have 4.5 out of 5 stars among 1,989 ratings.
Amazon reviewer GSilver ordered these globes after experiencing them during a professional facial.
“I did a lymphatic drainage massage with them for about 10 minutes and can already feel a difference,” GSilver wrote. “Face feels less puffy and sinus feels drained. Such an amazing tool! So far very impressed.”
Pfefe Stainless Steel Cryo Sticks with Storage Case (Amazon, $17.99)
These Pfefe stainless steel cryo sticks come with a storage case and retail on Amazon for $17.99.
They’re filled with a liquid gel that helps cool them. Put them in the freezer for three to four hours and they are ready to use.
The Pfefe ice facial implements have 4.7 out of 5 stars with 693 ratings.
Amazon reviewer Caroline Pvong said she likes these because, “the curves fit perfectly to the face, cheeks, nose, eyes.”
As a side benefit, another Amazon reviewer named Dr. Jo said, “I use (them) for headaches and sinus pressure and — they just are nice massage tools for my face and neck!”
Have you tried an ice facial before?
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