Everything You Need to Know About Cryotherapy
From frozen facial rollers to icy plunges, cold therapy is so hot right now.
Remember the age-old trick of holding frozen spoons over your eyes to reduce puffiness and undereye bags after a late night out (that is, before storing facial rollers next to ice cube trays became the norm)? That’s cryotherapy at work.
The super-cooling of the face and body has a range of benefits and applications. “Both cryo ice globes, which are used on the face, and immersive ice baths, which we see popping up at wellness spas, can be considered cryotherapy,” says Dr. Leah Smith, founder of and medical director at My Beauty Doctor in Toronto.
For the skin, ice-facial diehards swear that the treatment can reduce the appearance of fine lines, decrease undereye puffiness and even banish breakouts. For the body, the effects of cold include a decrease in inflammation, swelling and pain. “That’s why you’ve always been told to ice a sore joint or muscle,” says Smith. “Like full-body cryotherapy, it helps decrease inflammation by constricting blood vessels,” explains Dr. MaryBeth DeRocher, who performs cryo facials at The Freeze Clinic in Toronto. “Medical literature shows that cold application is both a safe and effective tool in aesthetic practice.”
In a dermatologist’s office or medi-spa setting, a cryo facial could involve the use of liquid nitrogen, an ice wand or a cooling compress. For people with acne or rosacea, the anti-inflammatory benefits, which translate to a reduction in redness and swelling, are visible almost instantly, says DeRocher, adding that there are also long-term benefits: “Cryotherapy facials stimulate collagen production within the deeper layers of the skin,” resulting in a plumped, more taut appearance.
At home, an easy way to reap the benefits of cold is to add a frozen tool to your facial massage routine to help soothe and de-puff skin. Store a clean, disinfected facial roller in your freezer. When you’re ready to use it, run it under room-temperature water to take the frost off and let it sit out for a few minutes while you apply a layer of moisturizer to your skin to help the roller glide. Then, move the tool across your face and neck in upward and outward motions to promote lymphatic drainage.
If decreased puffiness and inflammation aren’t enough to sell you on subjecting your face and/or body to an icy-cold treatment, research shows that cryotherapy may also reduce stress, boost your mood and support better immunity. How’s that for chilling out?
These cryotherapy-inspired products will give your skin an instant boost.
Skin Proud Frozen Over Fel-to-Ice Hydrator
Use this either at room temperature or straight from the freezer to soothe puffy skin.
Quo Beauty cooling facial roller
Refresh and de-puff with a mini massage as part of your morning skincare ritual. For extra cooling, store your roller in the fridge.
Charlotte Tilbury Cryo-Recovery Depuffing Eye Serum
The combo of a caffeine complex and a cold metal applicator is like a shot of espresso for tired eyes.
Nyx Face Freezie Reusable Cooling Undereye Patches
Go ahead and give dark circles the cold shoulder! Bonus: These patches can be used over and over again.
Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask
This mask lifts and firms. Heads-up: A menthol-derived ingredient creates a cooling, tingling feeling that will definitely wake you up.
This article first appeared in FASHION’s September 2024 issue. Find out more here.
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