TikTok loves ice rollers, those devices that massage the face with a chilled surface in hopes of reducing inflammation and puffiness, soothing rosacea, and tightening pores. Even Coors Light fashioned a roller that holds a cold can of beer, which they promoted as a post–Super Bowl treatment. Maybe for the Chiefs. Are ice rollers all they’re cracked up to be? Javon Ford is here to throw some cold water on the trend.
Ice rollers feel good, no question. And they aren’t necessarily harmful. But they don’t do much for the skin other than draw blood to the surface and produce that temporary sensation of waking you up.
Like gua shas, these rollers don’t make skin brighter or more taut. But they can stimulate the blood circulation. I just had a facial with one, and it felt great. There’s nothing wrong with feeling nice, but I don’t want to raise anyone’s expectations of long-term benefits. Ice rollers or gua shas don’t act on bioreceptors in the skin, and they don’t encourage lymphatic drainage, as many claim. If they don’t do that, then they aren’t doing much.
It’s possible that they may temporarily reduce puffiness the same way slices of cucumber reduce puffiness when placed on the eyes. There’s nothing in the cucumber itself that’s magical. It’s just the cucumber’s cold temperature that helps. In that case, yes, they could reduce puffiness just by cooling down the skin.
It won’t last long. Your body’s going to go back to its original temperature, and the puffiness will return. The same thing happens with undereye masks. They’ll temporarily depuff the area, but at the end of the day our skin has a set temperature, which is your body temperature, and it always returns to that.
The deflating effect might last until you go out at night. It might last until you get in the shower. And then, poof, the inflammation returns like clockwork.
Javon Ford is a Los Angeles–based cosmetic chemist. He posts highly informative lessons, reviews, and myth-busting content on TikTok and Instagram @javonford16
