The Infamous Ice Cube Facial

Did you know that one of the best tools to get your skin glowing is hiding in your refrigerator?

As summer has hit, and the heat wave is in, there’s no better time than now to pamper your skin and what better way than something cooling, right? Humidity makes it easy for the face and the skin to look sticky and often even dull. And while everyone around will ask you to drink plenty of water which you should, there’s one thing that a lot of us tend to miss out on almost all the time - Skin Icing! In the past, if you’ve observed your mothers doing their own home facial, you’d know how magical this trick is. It is in fact still is a trusted technique in salons for a relaxing face massage and in clinics post any skin treatment. One of the many reasons behind doing this was to improve blood circulation on the face and for the product to penetrate better. Over the course of time, this technique has proved its worth and is a must-do in skincare routines.

Skin icing as a process is known to have multiple benefits for the skin that do not go unnoticed. It’s a skin treatment that’s easy to do at home, cost-effective, and one to have definite results. One of the most known benefits is to reduce puffiness under your eyes or your face. But did you know that there are some more benefits that might help your skin? Skin icing can easily be one of the initial steps in your skin regime and here’s how it helps the skin gradually.

Bid adieu to skin inflammation - If you experience acne, cyst acne, or bumps on your skin due to many reasons, these chilly ice cubes could help right away. Just grab a handkerchief or a soft muslin cloth, keep an ice cube or two on it and dab it onto your face slowly. Make sure to go easy as these angry inflammations do not like being triggered. Do this for not more than 5 minutes on your face, once a day daily to see maximum effects. Don’t forget to apply a moisturizer or sunscreen depending on what time of the day it is.

Blood circulation all the way - Like we said, rubbing an ice cube onto your face in a downward to upward manner helps in improving blood circulation. Your cheeks will look flushed and fresh in just a few minutes of this application. However, take it easy and understand what your skin prefers. Start easy and increase the pace only if needed.

Balances the oil content and naturally exfoliates - If you’re part of the oily skin club like many others out there, an ice cube for at least 3-4 times a week may be the best thing to do. An ice cube a day also works as a natural exfoliant and helps in eliminating all the dead skin cells. Not only that, but it also helps in the equal distribution of new cells.

Ice cubes formula with an update: Additionally, instead of just using regular ice cubes, adding a few extra ingredients in water and then freezing it could have better results. As per a New York-based cosmetic dermatologist Michele Green, "The concept of cold therapy or applying ice to the skin is not a new one, in fact, ice therapy has been around for centuries. There are many benefits to applying ice water to the skin such as decreasing inflammation and reducing puffiness, also improving the appearance of the skin tone, minimizing the appearance of enlarged pores and improving superficial wrinkles."
A lot of you use rose water as a toner because of its soothing properties, but using plain organic or concentrated rose water ice cubes has benefits of its own. By gently rubbing these rosewater ice cubes on your face, you don’t just control oil secretion but also reduce the appearance of acne. And yes, this is DIY is dermatologist approved.

Other than rose water ice cubes, green tea ice cubes too, have a lot of healing properties. It slowly helps in warding off zits, eliminates dark circles and under eye bags. Yes, it’s not just a weight loss formula, it’s also a superfood for skin that’s dull and tired. If you’ve been experiencing some soreness on the face, or acne that’s inflamed, rubbing green tea ice cubes will not only calm the affected area but also work towards shrinking the pores around.

Full justice to your skincare products - If you’re someone who uses a fair bit of skincare products, this tip might be very useful for you. Rubbing your preferred DIY-appropriate ice cubes on your face before you apply any product will prove beneficial as it reaches the deeper layers of skin and repairs skin cells thoroughly. Now that’s a double treat, right?

Your pores, now reduced - As we said earlier, open pores usually leave a mark and live on the surface of the skin rent-free! You may think that these may disappear after a while but these pores are often enlarged if not treated on time and tend to settle permanently. This eventually leads to them being clogged with dirt, pollutants in the air, and so on. Rubbing some green tea ice cubes on these pores as a regular practice helps reduce the size significantly. 

Green Tea Ice Cubes -

• Start off by brewing a cup of strong green tea with clean water. Let it cool for a few minutes and then pour the tea into an ice tray and freeze until solid.
• As part of your morning or nighttime routine, pull out an ice cube and wrap it in a soft cloth, and dab gently all over your face.

Rosewater Ice Cubes -

• Get your hands on organic rose or concentrated rose water and pour it into your ice tray.
• Let it sit for 4-5 hours and use regularly and be gentle while using these. 

Founders Beauty Tip: With so many benefits, it is equally important to use it correctly. Here are some things for you to keep in mind -

• Always wash your face thoroughly before icing your face.
• Do not rub the ice cube on your face directly as it can damage the capillaries.
• Make sure to pat it evenly all over your face and not just one area in particular for a long time.
• Lastly, while icing your skin can be fun and very relaxing, make sure to not do it more than once a day. Patience is the key to the best skin.
• Post skin icing, do apply a generous layer of moisturizer on your face.

Information source: https://www.insider.com/easy-ways-to-get-better-skin-2018-7