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I love skincare, it’s something I am very passionate about. I joke with my sister that I am chasing the fountain of youth! But seriously there are so many amazing “secret” weapons out there that can help us to stay looking radiant and youthful.
My mom taught me early on to take care of my skin. Who else got started with Clean and Clear? So when I hear about anything new or special I am all ears. How something as simple as icing your face could offer me so many benefits. I was immediately intrigued and starting researching and testing.
Come to find out there are so many benefits to icing your face! Lucky for you, I have put some of these techniques to the test.
THE ICE CUBE
Simple enough right?! I started each morning with one ice cube. Just rubbed it all over my face – under eyes, cheeks, forehead, around and over my lips. Not for very long just until the cold hits. Then with my hands just rubbed the excess water over my neck and chest. My ice cube allowed me about 3 passes. Dab your face off and add your favorite serum or oil. The icing helps ingredients penetrate the skin deeper. And honestly this is so refreshing. Kinda feels like someone slapped you in the face. But in a good way! 😉 You immediately have a glow.
Benefits:
Circulation
Healthy Glow
Jet Lag
Early Morning Wake Up Time
Redness
Cheekbone Sculpting
Breakouts
Under-Eye Bags
Is redness your problem? Just bring a frozen cube to the roof of your mouth, where receptors for your face’s blood vessels live. And for flare ups, ice cubes also act as spot-on treatments for breakouts. I have personally tried this and it works. I wish I would have known about this in my adolescent years!
MILK + ICE
I was very excited to try this next technique. After filling a bowl up a third of the way with whole milk, which contains cell-regenerative Vitamin A and naturally exfoliating lactic acid, add ice cubes before drenching a face cloth in this chilly blend. Hold it across your entire face for 15 seconds and repeat up to five times. Wow! This feels so chilly and amazing. I have never used milk on my face, let alone ice cold. My skin immediately looked refreshed and almost plump and very soft.
This milk + ice combo also works for face sculpting. Instead of using a roller or even your fingers try working a frozen milk cube from the center of the chin along the jawline to the earlobe, then upward towards the highs of the cheekbones, under eye region, and across the forehead. Repeat the massage for 5 minutes to get the firming, contouring effect. Bye bye contour makeup!
BREAKOUTS, REDNESS OR ROSACEA
While usually the cause of blemishes and acne is bacteria, a dose of chill can help relieve pain and decrease inflammation by constricting the blood vessels. The trick is to alternate ice cube application with a warm compress on the flare-ups for about six cycles. This stimulates circulation, allowing the body’s immune system to calm down and clear out blemishes and cysts. To do this kind of spot treatment, dissolves an aspirin into warm water before freezing, as the acetylsalicylic acid helps to dry up breakouts.
UNDER-EYE BAGS
Ice cubes can be used as an eye treatment in one of two ways. You can use a cold compress made out of cotton and chamomile tea and rest it on your eyes for a few minutes. Or wrap ice cubes in gauze and slide the cubes from the inner eye corners up towards the brow in a circular motion. Either way, the drainage of excess fluid will dramatically improve the appearance of tired-looking under-eyes. Another trick? Freeze iced coffee squares as the caffeine’s constrictive properties help with swelling.
For as long as he’s been performing transformative facials, celebrity facialist Ole Henriksen has incorporated ice cubes into his treatments. “They dramatically improve circulation in the skin for that healthy glow we all want,” he says. To boost results, he’ll brew and freeze rosehip seed tea, which is high in Vitamin C, as well as antioxidant-packed green tea. For application, Henriksen suggests wrapping an ice cube in a thin cotton handkerchief and massaging it across the skin.
Cindy Crawford is also a fan of this icy skincare regimen. Her go to is Golden Ice Globes. She freezes them in ice water and then uses them to roll around her upper and lower eyes. It creates redness at first but then gets rid of any puffiness.
Well I hope you give one or all of these ice cold skincare methods a try this week. I would love to hear about your results and experience. Send me a comment below.
For more skincare methods and regimens, check out my Homemade Masks and Scrubs.
Stay icy my friends!
XOXO, Ivy
