If you’re looking to level up your skin care regime without spending a fortune, you may want to grab a cuppa and get ready to take some notes. We’re all in this together: the quest to look like a million bucks without actually having to fork it over.
Good news for us all! When it comes to looking good, beauty school is out, beauty cool is in. Cryotherapy has been making waves in anti-aging circles. Cool temperature, it seems, boosts cell rejuvenation and collagen in our skin. In fact, if you do a cursory search of top skin wellness and facial centres worldwide, you will likely see cryotherapy or ice facial as one of the treatments offered.
Don’t worry, you don’t need to go broke to get the cold treatment. A very inexpensive way to get almost the same results can be found in every household: ice cubes. However, ice cubes can be a little messy to work with, and you can only do limited beauty hacks with it.
Fortunately for us all, there’s a beauty tool that works just like a cryotherapy facial at home: the Face Ice Mask.
Beauty bloggers can’t get enough of it, and we don’t blame them. This cooling face mask is made with a proprietary gel that gives long-lasting cold temperature without the chilly bite. It’s also flexible; with it shaped to contour around the face, the cooling face mask is the perfect choice as part of your everyday skin care regimen.
We’ve done the research and also tested these methods ourselves enough to know that they actually work, and it really made a difference in our skin care game. We bet on our cold hard cash that these will work for everyone as well.
5 ways to use a face ice mask in your skin care regime
1. Morning skin care routine: De-puff!
Most of us have that puffy face syndrome first thing in the morning when we wake up. This naturally subsides as we go on with our day, but if you add a face ice mask to your morning skin care routine, the de-puffing will occur instantaneously. You also get a great, rosy glow as a bonus.
Put your face ice mask in the chiller the night before, and then take it out when you wake up just before you wash your face. After washing your face as usual, gently pat your face dry. Wear the cooling face ice mask for 15 minutes. During this time, you can do other things such as prepare your breakfast, meditate (highly recommended), take a quick shower, etc.
Remove the mask after 15 minutes and carry on with your usual A.M. skin care routine: moisturiser, SPF and so on.
Your face should be noticeably slimmer and rosier. It’s an excellent start to the day!
2. Last step in your evening skin care routine
Cold water or ice is known to make facial pores smaller. So exposing your skin to cold temperature as the last part of your skin care routine at night is a great way to seal all the other products in. Almost everyone’s evening skin care routine consists of more product layering after cleansing, such as toner, serum, essence, moisturiser and eye cream. Heighten these products’ effectiveness by putting on a chilled face ice mask as the last part of your regimen.
The cold temperature (but not wet like ice cubes) will ensure that the products you layered are “sealed in” and will do its job. As an added bonus, you’re guaranteed to sleep better with the mask on. You can actually sleep the whole night through with it as the cold holds for up to 20 minutes, so there’s no danger in overexposing your skin to cold temperatures. You get better sleep and wake up with better skin—if this isn’t a good deal, then we absolutely don’t know what is.
3. Use it as a makeup primer
Many makeup artists use this cold trick before they apply makeup on their clients. When you expose your skin to cold temperature, not only will your face de-puff (refer to tip number 1), but your facial skin will also be smoother because pores will contract. Wear the facial ice mask for 10-15 minutes prior wearing makeup. This could be in the morning, or anytime you need to put on makeup for an event. Your skin will be smoother, making it a better canvas for makeup products to glide on. This is a better option than most makeup primers because their job is to fill in the gaps and pores in the skin so that the foundation sits better. We’ll take contracted pores over clogged pores anytime.
4. Use it with facial sheet masks
Facial sheet masks are the equivalent of sliced bread in the world of skin care. They feel good, inexpensive and, most of all, they work. It’s a quick fix whenever you need a complexion perk-up. Many beauty gurus suggest placing sheet masks in the fridge before wearing them. Sure, that’s a good trick.
But don’t settle for good, as we’ve got an even greater hack. Chill both sheet mask and the facial ice mask before using. Wear the sheet mask as usual, then place the facial ice mask on top of the sheet mask. Play relaxing music, lie down and enjoy. You can thank us later.
5. Beyond beauty
Warning: cliché statements ahead. The facial ice mask will no doubt make you look and feel younger. But as we all know, beauty is only skin deep, and we really will only look good when we feel good inside. For days that find you suffering from headache or migraine symptoms, don’t forget the facial ice mask. It provides benefits beyond beauty. The cold temperature from the mask can constrict blood vessels and help reduce the neurotransmission of pain to the brain.
In sickness and in health; in skin care and in hangover headaches—the face ice mask proves absolutely indispensable. We rest our cold case.
Have you tried using a face ice mask before? How was your experience? We’d love to hear from you, whether it’s a question or sharing an experience. Send us a message!