As we dig into more truths and myths of skincare, I wanted to try and look at the practice of icing faces. Is this simply a fad or is there true benefits to applying ice to your face as part of your skincare routine?
The truth is that icing your face can provide some temporary benefits, such as reducing inflammation, improving circulation, and tightening pores. This is a big bonus for those struggling with breakouts. These benefits together are likely to help reduce the redness and swelling that occurs with acne, at least temporarily, while stimulating blood flow to increase healing rates. Icing your face before applying face care products, like makeup, will help minimize your pores for a short window of time, reducing the chance of clogging them further.
However, there are definitely some myths that should be debunked! Red flag number one: the current trend usually portrays rubbing ice directly on the face. However, ice should never be applied directly to the skin, especially sensitive skin like on the face. This can cause damage to capillaries as well as ice burns. Instead, you should wrap the ice in something to create a barrier. Red flag number two: the current trend recommends this as a daily, sometimes twice a day, routine where you spend upwards of five or more minutes massaging your skin with ice. Moderation is an important part of icing - a few times a week AT MOST is ideal, and only for one to two minutes at a time.
Furthermore, face icing is not for everyone. It should be avoided if your skin is already damaged or sensitive. If you’re recovering from sunburn or chemical peel, or if you’re prone to rosacea or have overly sensitive skin then icing will further irritate your skin. If you’ve been icing your skin and it begins to feel tight, dry, or extra sensitive, then your skin is telling you to take a break and reduce the frequency of your icing routine.
The bottom line is that safely icing your face can benefit the skin in very select circumstances, however outcomes such as reduced puffiness are going to be temporary and not a long-term solution.