Hands up if you have woken up with a puffy face or if, at the slightest whiff of salt, your body is screaming at you to stop. Unfortunately for most of us, it’s likely to be water retention, unless you have allergies or a medical condition – in which case, please seek guidance from a doctor. That irritating bloat or puffiness is often triggered by food, alcohol, allergies, late nights and can also be a symptom of PMS. While experts recommend treatments like lymphatic drainage, when it comes to quick at-home remedies to treat your puffy, bloated face (if it’s not a serious medical condition), cryotherapy beauty tools simulate the same process. And it seems Molly-Mae Hague is a fan of the cooling treatment.
In her latest vlog uploaded to YouTube, which has already amassed over 622K views and is currently trending on the app, Hague reaches for The Skinny Confidential's The Mint Roller, £79, to kickstart a day dedicated to self-care. In a very relatable tug of war between mother and baby, she grapples with daughter Bambi over the mini ice roller, using it in turns only to be relieved by its cooling effects. Double ended with a v-shaped side for contouring and a smooth side for de-puffing, the nifty two-in-one gadget promises to stay cool while boosting circulation, restoring radiance and firming up the skin.
A step up from your usual jade roller or gua sha stone, the growing roster of cryorthrapy tools from ice rollers to cryo orbs, ice globes, frozen masks and gels can soothe your skin all from the comfort of your own home. Effectively a luxury version of a cold compress, the cool temperatures of cryotherapy facial tools can have some serious benefits. Just ask Lady Gaga or Victoria Beckham, another pair just as obsessed with the remedy.
What Is Cryotherapy Treatment?
Cryotherapy treatments can have benefits for a wide range of medical conditions including: rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, fibromyalgia, tendonitis, muscle and ligament strains, back and neck pain, as well as possible relief from inflammation of the skin such as eczema and psoriasis, according to 111SKIN.
According to Healthline, 'the intense cold causes your blood vessels to contract and your pores to tighten [which results in] an increase in the flow of blood and oxygen to the face, which can make skin glowy and more vibrant.'
A 111SKIN cryotherapy facial, where electronically cooled purified air at minus 30 degrees is blasted on your skin, claims to increase microcirculation, reduce inflammation, oxygenate and detoxify, reduce overproduction of oil and harmful bacteria, lift and firm by improving muscular tone, improve epidermal firmness and reduces open pores, as well as promoting collagen and elastin production.
Natalie Corner, Grazia’s commercial deputy editor, reviewed 111SKIN’s Whole Body Cryotherapy treatment at its Harvey Nichols London location to test out the effects. It is a gas-free cryotherapy chamber that uses extremely low temperatures (minus 80 degrees to be exact), inciting vasoconstriction and leading to a vast array of physical and mental benefits.
'After changing into 111SKIN’s own sports bra, shorts, padded slippers, ski gloves, donning a face mask and wrapping up my ears in a headband, I hopped into the chamber after direction from Isaac, 111SKIN’s host. He explained that I’d spend three minutes (almost the length of the Beyonce song I’d chosen to listen to) standing in the chamber with the freezing air blasting my skin.
'This was much better than my attempts at standing under a cold shower in the morning as I didn’t have to contend with water, instead the blasts of cold air was invigorating. I even practised my Wim Hof breathing method taking shallow breaths to manage the biting temperature that hit the back of my throat, then exhaling and keeping my lungs as empty as possible. Once you manage your breathing, the chamber really wakes you up! I could get used to a session every week.'
If you haven't got the time for a weekly cryotherapy session, why not see which tools can help you replicate that freezing sensation at home...
Shop: The Best Cryotherapy Beauty Tools To Use At Home
What the brand says: 'Tap into the power of cold therapy with the compact, dual-ended Mint Roller – one side for ice rolling, the other for contouring. It stays cold longer than any other mini roller, helps tighten the skin, saves time, and goes wherever you do.'
What we know: There is good reason why Molly Mae and her daughter Bambie are fans of this nifty tool. With two sides to play with, it features a v-shaped end for contouring and sculpting, while the smooth end is ideal depuffing around the eyebrow and eye areas. Together the dual ended gadget promises to stay cool while boosting circulation, restoring radiance and firming up the skin.
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'If you're new to the world of cryotherapy like I was, this tool is a great place to start. Its compact size and dual-ended feature means its pretty fool-proof and all encompassing once you get the technique down to a tee: roll up the face, then down the neck to drain the lymph nodes. Don't forget to keep it in the fridge between sessions. My skin always feels and looks more revived with a few strokes of its cooling effects.'
Pros
- Dual-ended
Cons
- Might take a bit longer to clean in comparison to other tools
www.cultbeauty.co.uk
What the brand says: 'Transform a puffy, dull complexion with this fast-acting mask that energises even the most lacklustre skin. The stimulating, refreshing Sub-Zero De-Puffing Energy Facial Mask is inspired by the science behind cryotherapy, and like cold on the skin, effectively de-puffs your morning face. The two piece, full face Hydrogel mask is infused with potent ingredients, like Caffeine to increase blood microcirculation, and Dr. Yannis’ multi-functional formula with a powerful Tetrapeptide, that depuffs and tightens while simultaneously inhibiting collagen breakdown, thus minimising the appearance of ageing.'
What we know: Jennifer Aniston, Lady Gaga and Victoria Beckham pick this mask as their choice of pre-red carpet prep and it's not hard to see why. Inspired by the science behind cryotherapy, and like cold on the skin, it effectively de-puffs your morning face. So if you've had a bad night's sleep, feel overheated or just want an overall de-puffing, this will help soothe your skin.
Hannah Banks-Walker, Grazia's head of fashion commerce, says: 'I can't get enough of these skin-saviours. Over the winter, I amassed a stack of them so that I could use them at least twice at week or just when I felt like my face needed some TLC. I've nearly finished said stack now, which is alarming because I just don't want to be without them. They're that good.'
Pros
- Instantly chilling without the need for refrigeration
Cons
- Single-use
www.spacenk.com
What the brand says: 'Our intensely hydrating, innovative two-step moisturising treatment mask for dry skin. Dr.Jart+ combines a highly concentrated hyaluronic acid ampoule with a cooling, moisture locking Cryo Rubber™ mask to help boost the absorption of the potent gel-like serum.'
What we know: A cult skincare brand, Dr Jart+ pairs Korean skincare technology with clever design. The brand is famous for its rubber masks, including the Cryo Rubber with Moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid mask which is designed to flood your skin with hydration. The two-step mask sets contain an ampoule of serum that is applied to the skin with the mask placed on top, for a better cooling experience place both steps in the fridge beforehand.
Natalie Corner, Grazia's commercial deputy editor, says: 'The best thing about this mask is how utterly bonkers you look wearing it, but at least you're the only one to see it. Putting it in the fridge beforehand was a godsend in the hot weather recently and really helped to cool my puffy face down. It did slip around a bit thanks to the generous amount of serum, but as long as you lie still and relax it is a nice soothing treat.'
Pros
- Two-part treatment ensures maximum ampole absorption
Cons
- Mask comes in two sections so can take longer to apply
What the brand says: 'Elevate your skincare ritual with the Super-Cryo Massaging Orb – Mini—a compact, stainless steel beauty tool designed to refresh and revitalise your skin. Utilising cold therapy, this orb helps to temporarily increase localised circulation, reduce puffiness, and soothe inflammation, promoting a more radiant complexion. Its handle-free design allows for seamless rolling action, making it perfect for both facial and body use.'
What we know: Nurse Jamie, AKA Jamie Sherrill, is the celebrity skin expert responsible for the covetable glows we frequently see on Hollywood's finest, including Reese Witherspoon, Jessica Alba, and Kate Hudson. Her range of tools promise to bring those same A-list quality results to your home with innovative designs and advanced cooling technology.
Sameeha Shaikh, beauty writer, says: 'This may be one of the most fool-proof cryo tools I've used to date. The handleless design allows for fuss-free, smooth rolling and the stainless steel ball stays cool for six hours, though impressively it can be used to warm, too, so you can really customise your experience. Plus, it's sensitive skin friendly, so I can rest assured my acne-prone, reactive skin won't be triggered.'
Pros
- Can be used warm or cold
Cons
- Is less focused on contouring and sculpting
How To Use Cryotherapy Beauty Tools At Home
If you want to level up from rubbing ice cubes on your face, which does work a treat, try out the above products. And if you’ve ever had a facial or massage these DIY tips from Claire Williams, founder of Wow Facial, will help you to emulate lymphatic drainage with tools or your hands on your face during your self-care session.
• Start by taking your thumb and forefinger of both hands and lightly grab the sides of your chin and jawline, then in long sweeping strokes slide them up towards your lymph glands repeat this about 20 times. This is great at lifting the lower face too.
• Next, do long sweeping strokes down from the glands towards your collar bone. This aids the flow of the lymph towards the heart. Again repeat 20 times.
• Next, place the index and middle finger together and place them on your cheeks. Make sure you have made contact with the gland that sits just under the cheek. You should be able to feel a sensitive area. Stoke out and upwards towards the lower temple and repeat about 20 times.
• Move up towards the eyebrows and starting from the centre of your brows with your 2 fingers add slight pressure and stroke outwards towards your temples. Repeat 10-20 times.
• For the under-eye area, you’ll need to take care as we do not want to drag the skin here as it’s very delicate, so using your middle fingers add a little more oil or your favourite eye cream to aid the slip and go from the corner of your eye and out all the way to the temple in one long sweep but with gentle pressure. Only repeat this 5-10 times so you don’t damage the delicate eye area.
• We now need to move the lymph we have massaged out towards the temples and we do this with your 2 fingers, add slight pressure and stroke down towards your glands under the jawline. Again repeat 20 times.
• To finalise the drainage repeat the first step again of massaging along the jawline then doing long sweeping strokes down towards your collar bone.
Should I Keep My Beauty Tools And Products Cold?
The main function of keeping your beauty tools and products cold is to help with de-puffing. So your ice rollers, jade rollers and any masks that require refrigeration will work best when chilled.
Products like facial mists, gel and serums don't have to be in the fridge, but during the summer months, it certainly helps soothe puffy, blotchy hot skin. Although not a necessity, a beauty fridge will help you organise your tools and products, especially if you don't have space in your own fridge or freezer.
Main image: Instagram @mollymae
Natalie Corner is a commercial content editor at Bauer Media. In her role she works with Specialist brands such as What’s The Best, Take A Break Pets, Modern Gardens, and A Modern Kitchen, reviewing products, planning content strategy, as well as working with other brands across the Content Commerce portfolio.
