Skin Icing and Why You Should Add It to Your Daily Routine
Thanks to platforms like IG and TikTok, skin icing has become a viral skincare trend. While it may appear to be a new trend, skin icing in itself is actually not a new concept. It’s been used for decades as a way of helping alleviate swelling, pain, and other ailments, but in the past year, skin icing has become a much more widespread and common skincare treatment.
So what exactly is skin icing for the face? Skin icing is essentially a mini facial cryotherapy treatment where the skin is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for anywhere from one minute to several minutes. This technique causes blood to rise to the surface which soothes and tightens the skin. It’s been shown to help with dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and even acne. It can also be used to ease pain in other parts of the body by temporarily reducing nerve activity in that area.
That's just the tip of the iceberg (intentional pun there). Continue reading below to learn about more benefits of skin icing, how to properly ice the skin and tools that work well.
Benefits of Skin Icing
THE GLOWIEST COMPLEXION
Icing the skin constricts your blood vessels and brings blood to the surface. This can visibly reduce tiredness on your face and brighten your complexion. Hello glowy skin!
PUFFY EYES NO MORE
Many of us wake up with puffy eyes, which is why we love skin icing first thing in the morning. Ice reduces swelling under the eyes by shrinking dilated blood vessels.
WATCH THOSE PORES SHRINK
Pores are something everyone has, but no one wants them to be the center of attention on the face. Skin icing can help with that! It minimizes the appearance of pores, making your skin look smoother. It can also help unclog larger pores that are filled with debris and excess sebum.
SIMPLE PIMPLE REMEDY
While heat and a warm compress work well on noninflamed blind pimples to draw the bacteria closer to the skin’s surface, skin icing works better on inflamed pimples, reducing redness and inflammation. Icing the skin can also work as a preventative measure for acne. Topical creams have a difficult time penetrating swollen skin, so skin icing can assist the antibacterial agents and topical antibiotics in getting into the pores.
MAXIMIZE PRODUCT ABSORPTION
For your next skincare routine, try icing the skin before applying skincare products. This will help the products reach the deeper layers of your skin, which increases the effectiveness, absorbency of the products and also likely means you’ll have to use smaller amounts. Triple win!
REDUCE SIGNS OF AGING
Signs of aging, like wrinkles and fine lines, are inevitable. With shrunken pores from the ice, the skin appears firmer and ultimately more youthful.
SOOTHE IRRITATED AND DAMAGED SKIN
Nothing feels better than applying ice to a hot sunburn or itchy ash. Icing those areas can soothe your skin by decreasing redness and irritation.
RELAX SORE MUSCLES
Icing your body delivers a cold shock to the skin, kicking the lymph system into high gear to reduce swelling and inflammation. This also aides in pain relief and muscle recovery.
How to Skin Ice
Before beginning an icy facial, it’s important to gently cleanse the face so you start with clean, fresh skin. Massage the ice on your face and/or body for a minute or two but be careful not to hold the ice on your skin in a specific spot for too long because this can cause ice burn.
It’s best to rub the ice/icing tool in small circular motions in order to distribute the benefits. Follow with skincare serums, moisturizers, oils, etc.
Skin Icing Tools
DIY ICE STICK
In one of our recent tutorial reels on IG, we showed how you can repurpose our Henné lip tint tubes into ice sticks so your hands don’t get cold holding ice. If you haven't watched the tutorial video yet, you can find it here (click button and then scroll further down on the page): https://bit.ly/3wMA4wI
CRYO ROLLER
Cryo rollers oftentimes come in the form of naturally cooling stones such as jade or rose quartz or stainless steel. They’re simple to use, not to mention pretty to look at as well. Most cryo rollers have rollers on both ends, one larger and one smaller. The smaller one works especially well on delicate areas on the face, such as around the eyes.
ICE ROLLER
Similar to a cryo roller, an ice roller is often comprised of stone or metal. We personally think that an ice roller works better on larger parts of the face (cheeks, forehead) and décolletage, as the roller component is usually larger than the one on a cryo roller. Ice rollers can also be used on other parts of the body.
ICE GLOBE
Spherical ice globes are cooling wands that can be put in the freezer overnight and used to give your morning skin some relief (and glow). They also look like beautiful ice lollipops and look great on camera (just sayin).
CRYO BALL
Cryo balls are usually made of surgical-grade steel and contain fluids that stay freezing cold while you roll the ball over your face and body.
ICE PACK/BAG OF PEAS
Want to start skin icing ASAP but don’t have any tools at home right now?
You probably already have some icing tools at your disposal in the freezer! It doesn’t have to be a bag of peas, but aim to use a shape that is more malleable and can conform to the shape of your face. This method is more ideal for the body compared to the skin on your face, but it’s a great temporary option that you can try before investing in some more precise icing tools.
Note: Please confer with a skincare professional prior to starting to skin ice to make sure that it’s right for your skin.
So what exactly is skin icing for the face? Skin icing is essentially a mini facial cryotherapy treatment where the skin is exposed to extremely cold temperatures for anywhere from one minute to several minutes. This technique causes blood to rise to the surface which soothes and tightens the skin. It’s been shown to help with dark circles, puffiness, fine lines and even acne. It can also be used to ease pain in other parts of the body by temporarily reducing nerve activity in that area.
That's just the tip of the iceberg (intentional pun there). Continue reading below to learn about more benefits of skin icing, how to properly ice the skin and tools that work well.
Benefits of Skin Icing
THE GLOWIEST COMPLEXION
Icing the skin constricts your blood vessels and brings blood to the surface. This can visibly reduce tiredness on your face and brighten your complexion. Hello glowy skin!
PUFFY EYES NO MORE
Many of us wake up with puffy eyes, which is why we love skin icing first thing in the morning. Ice reduces swelling under the eyes by shrinking dilated blood vessels.
WATCH THOSE PORES SHRINK
Pores are something everyone has, but no one wants them to be the center of attention on the face. Skin icing can help with that! It minimizes the appearance of pores, making your skin look smoother. It can also help unclog larger pores that are filled with debris and excess sebum.
SIMPLE PIMPLE REMEDY
While heat and a warm compress work well on noninflamed blind pimples to draw the bacteria closer to the skin’s surface, skin icing works better on inflamed pimples, reducing redness and inflammation. Icing the skin can also work as a preventative measure for acne. Topical creams have a difficult time penetrating swollen skin, so skin icing can assist the antibacterial agents and topical antibiotics in getting into the pores.
MAXIMIZE PRODUCT ABSORPTION
For your next skincare routine, try icing the skin before applying skincare products. This will help the products reach the deeper layers of your skin, which increases the effectiveness, absorbency of the products and also likely means you’ll have to use smaller amounts. Triple win!
REDUCE SIGNS OF AGING
Signs of aging, like wrinkles and fine lines, are inevitable. With shrunken pores from the ice, the skin appears firmer and ultimately more youthful.
SOOTHE IRRITATED AND DAMAGED SKIN
Nothing feels better than applying ice to a hot sunburn or itchy ash. Icing those areas can soothe your skin by decreasing redness and irritation.
RELAX SORE MUSCLES
Icing your body delivers a cold shock to the skin, kicking the lymph system into high gear to reduce swelling and inflammation. This also aides in pain relief and muscle recovery.
How to Skin Ice
Before beginning an icy facial, it’s important to gently cleanse the face so you start with clean, fresh skin. Massage the ice on your face and/or body for a minute or two but be careful not to hold the ice on your skin in a specific spot for too long because this can cause ice burn.
It’s best to rub the ice/icing tool in small circular motions in order to distribute the benefits. Follow with skincare serums, moisturizers, oils, etc.
Skin Icing Tools
DIY ICE STICK
In one of our recent tutorial reels on IG, we showed how you can repurpose our Henné lip tint tubes into ice sticks so your hands don’t get cold holding ice. If you haven't watched the tutorial video yet, you can find it here (click button and then scroll further down on the page): https://bit.ly/3wMA4wI
CRYO ROLLER
Cryo rollers oftentimes come in the form of naturally cooling stones such as jade or rose quartz or stainless steel. They’re simple to use, not to mention pretty to look at as well. Most cryo rollers have rollers on both ends, one larger and one smaller. The smaller one works especially well on delicate areas on the face, such as around the eyes.
ICE ROLLER
Similar to a cryo roller, an ice roller is often comprised of stone or metal. We personally think that an ice roller works better on larger parts of the face (cheeks, forehead) and décolletage, as the roller component is usually larger than the one on a cryo roller. Ice rollers can also be used on other parts of the body.
ICE GLOBE
Spherical ice globes are cooling wands that can be put in the freezer overnight and used to give your morning skin some relief (and glow). They also look like beautiful ice lollipops and look great on camera (just sayin).
CRYO BALL
Cryo balls are usually made of surgical-grade steel and contain fluids that stay freezing cold while you roll the ball over your face and body.
ICE PACK/BAG OF PEAS
Want to start skin icing ASAP but don’t have any tools at home right now?
You probably already have some icing tools at your disposal in the freezer! It doesn’t have to be a bag of peas, but aim to use a shape that is more malleable and can conform to the shape of your face. This method is more ideal for the body compared to the skin on your face, but it’s a great temporary option that you can try before investing in some more precise icing tools.
Note: Please confer with a skincare professional prior to starting to skin ice to make sure that it’s right for your skin.
