When it comes to self-care rituals, TikTok is one of the first places to look. The app is full of videos from users trying out the latest viral beauty trends, and the results are usually pretty entertaining.
One of the latest trends to take TikTok by storm is the Glow Cube Ice Facial Roller. This simple beauty hack involves using this fancy ice roller to massage your face for a few minutes.
Some people swear by the gadget, claiming that it helps reduce puffiness and brighten the skin. But does it really work?
In this article, I will review the effects of the Glow Cube Ice Facial Roller on the skin and also discuss the benefits and potential side effects of applying ice to your skin.
What is The Glow Cube Ice Facial Roller?
The GlowCube is a refillable silicone mold that forms a stick of ice used to massage the face.
The silicone mold is filled with distilled or bottled water and then placed in the freezer overnight. In the morning, you can remove the lid part of the mold to reveal a popsicle-like stick of ice.
The ice roller is meant to help reduce swelling, redness, and inflammation. It can also help to tighten the pores and brighten the overall complexion.
What is Facial Icing?
Although these fancy-looking gadgets have been blowing up in popularity on social media platforms like TikTok, facial icing isn’t a new concept in skincare.
Facial icing is pretty much self-explanatory. It consists of grabbing an ice cube and massaging it all over the face in order to help reduce swelling, redness, and inflammation.
And the reason why it’s so popular is that it’s definitely efficient when it comes to providing the benefits it claims. At least temporarily.
The reason facial icing works is that when you massage ice on the skin’s surface, the blood vessels underneath constrict. This helps to instantly reduce swelling and inflammation.
It’s also claimed to help reduce the size of pores, and while this is true, the effect is only temporary.
Pores don’t open and close on demand. Pores can appear larger when they are filled with excess oil and dead skin cells stuck inside; therefore, a good way to maintain the appearance of smaller pores is to keep them clean and exfoliated by using exfoliating acids and retinoids.
Pair these up with facial icing, and you will probably like the results, but don’t expect icing to do all the work.
Does Facial Icing Help With Acne?
Yes! Facial icing can help with acne, but it won’t get rid of acne.
When it comes to the formation of acne, we know that there are four main contributing factors:
- Excess oil production.
- Hormonal changes.
- Bacteria overgrowth.
- Inflammation.
So, while facial icing can soothe some of the redness and inflammation and make the pimples appear less red and irritated, it won’t do anything to fix the underlying causes of acne.
To get rid of acne, you need to target all four of these factors with a good skincare routine, lifestyle changes, and medication (in some cases.)
But if you’re looking for a quick fix to make your pimples less noticeable, then facial icing can help with that.
Just remember that it’s only a temporary fix and that you shouldn’t rely on it as your only acne-fighting method.
Benefits of Facial Icing
As I already mentioned above, facial icing can provide temporary relief from multiple skin concerns.
Some benefits of facial icing include:
- Reduced puffiness: If you wake up with puffy eyes, facial icing can help temporarily reduce the swelling.
- Reduced redness and inflammation: Due to constricting the blood vessels and reducing the amount of blood flow to the skin, facial icing can help minimize redness and inflammation.
- Temporary pore-minimizing effect: By constricting the blood vessels underneath the skin, facial icing can give you a temporary “poreless” appearance.
- Brightened complexion: The cold temperature of the ice can help instantly pick up and brighten a dull complexion.
- Toned and tightened skin: The cold temperature can also help temporarily tighten and tone the skin.
What Are The Side Effects of Facial Icing?
Facial icing is generally considered safe in most cases; however, as with anything else, there is always the possibility of the skin reacting negatively to it.
Some possible side effects of facial icing include:
- Broken capillaries: If you massage the ice too hard on the skin, you can cause the tiny blood vessels underneath to rupture, which leads to increased redness and inflammation.
- Irritation: If you have sensitive skin, you may see your skin becoming easily irritated by the cold temperature of the ice.
- Ice burns: If you leave the ice in one spot of the skin for too long, it can cause an ice burn, which is similar to a regular burn, with symptoms ranging from red, blotchy skin that is painful to the touch to change of color, tingly feeling, and blisters.
If you experience any of these side effects, it’s best to pause facial icing for some time and focus on soothing the skin and repairing your skin barrier by using gentle, hydrating products.
How to Use The Glow Cube Ice Facial Roller For Acne
The Glow Cube Facial Ice Roller is very easy to use. All you need to do is fill the mold with bottled or distilled water, pop it in the freezer, and wait for a few hours.
Before applying it to your skin, it’s best to place it under water for a couple of seconds to soften the ice for a smoother glide.
The best time to use it is definitely in the morning, after cleansing your face and before applying your morning serums, moisturizer, and sunscreen.
Avoid using the ice roller more than once a day, as this can irritate the skin. And if you have sensitive skin, start by using it only every other day and gradually increase frequency as your skin gets used to it.
Another thing you should avoid doing is putting anything else in the mold other than water.
I’ve seen videos of TikTok creators adding cucumbers, strawberries, and even gold flakes, and while this makes for a fun and interesting content to watch, it won’t offer any additional benefits for the skin, and you will just end up wasting fruits that you can eat, instead.
Where to Buy the GlowCube Facial Ice Roller?
The GlowCube Facial Ice Roller is currently only available on Amazon.
My name is Simone and I am a certified skin specialist. I created this website to teach my readers how to take great care of their skin and I also like to occasionally share my honest opinions on skincare products I’ve tried. You can learn more about me here.
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