Even if you don’t make an effort to keep up with the latest beauty trends, there’s still a good chance that you’ve heard of skin icing. Loved by the likes of Hailey Bieber, Kate Moss, Bella Hadid, and so many other famous faces, this skincare trend promises to leave the skin looking significantly smoother, tighter, and brighter.

Does it really work? Read on as Vivo Per Lei dives into this skincare trend to find out if it’s one worth following.

What’s the Skin Icing Skincare Trend All About?

Although it’s considered to be a hot (or rather, cold!) new skincare trend thanks to so many modern-day celebrities raving about its benefits, skin icing is actually nothing new. From Ayurvedic practices to 18th-century Russia, the concept of icing the skin has been around for a while. It was even loved by several Old Hollywood stars, such as Marilyn Monroe.

So, what exactly is it?

This trend is essentially a form of ice therapy, albeit one that you can easily do at home. It involves applying ice, or some sort of frozen tool, to your face, exposing your skin to extremely cold temperatures.

Does Skin Icing Really Work?

Is skin icing really all that it’s cracked up to be? 

Let’s take a look at the purported benefits of this skincare trend, along with whether or not icing your skin actually provides those promised results:

Reduces the Look of Redness, Swelling, and Inflammation

Cold temperatures cause the blood vessels to temporarily constrict in an attempt to conserve heat. This has the effect of reducing the look of redness, flushing, and swelling in the skin. It’s known as vasoconstriction, with science backing up that this really does happen.

The anti-inflammatory effects of cold water can also be a godsend for anyone dealing with inflammatory skin conditions, such as acne. 

Soothes Under-Eye Puffiness

A cold compress has long since been a popular DIY remedy for puffy eyes. Skin icing takes things a step further, exposing the skin to even chillier temperatures.

Focus your efforts on the skin around your eyes and this skincare trend will quickly soothe the look of puffiness, giving your eye area a smoother and more even finish.

Makes the Pores Look Smaller

Although you can’t change the size of your pores, there are several things that you can do to make your pores look smaller, and skin icing is one of them.

Cold temperatures act like an astringent, causing pore openings to shrink in appearance. The cold will also temporarily slow down sebum production. With your pores releasing less oil, they won’t need to stretch open quite as much. Again, this makes them look smaller and less noticeable.

Stimulates Circulation to Give the Skin a Glow

Exposing your skin to cold temperatures is a great way to stimulate circulation. This means that you’ll be speeding up the rate at which blood flows through your skin. With that blood carrying a buffet of nutrients and oxygen for your skin cells, more access to these vital compounds means healthier-looking skin.

Of course, a boost in circulation also immediately leaves the skin looking rosy. This instant glow is partly why so many people love the skin icing skincare trend, even if they don’t have a complexion plagued with inflammation and puffiness.

Are There Any Reasons to Avoid This Skincare Trend?

We’ve talked about the benefits, but what about the downsides to skin icing?

Generally, this skincare trend doesn’t come with any issues. However, if you have eczema, rosacea, or sensitive skin, you may want to be careful with it. Sure, cold temperatures are great for lowering the feeling of inflammation and irritation but the freezing temperature of ice may be too extreme for your skin. By all means, give this skincare trend a try but approach it with more caution.

How to Ice Your Skin

Wondering if you can simply grab a few ice cubes and rub them over your skin?

Definitely not. For starters, ice should never be applied directly to the skin. Ice cubes can be a great tool but they need to be used in the correct way. Skin icing also needs to be carried out with the right preparation and aftercare techniques if you want to see the benefits detailed above:

Preparing Your Skin

Before you begin to ice your skin, you need to first prepare it for what’s to come. This starts with a thorough cleanse. You’ll need to remove all of the impurities that have built up on your skin’s surface over the course of the day, as well as any makeup you may be wearing. Even if you’re icing your skin in the morning, your face will still be covered with a light layer of sweat and sebum. You don’t want to end up rubbing this all over your face, so clean it off first.

Remember – always use a cleanser that’s suitable for your skin type. If your skin is oily, go with a foaming cleanser, just like the Vivo Per Lei Collagen Foaming Cleanser. It will clear away the excess sebum that your skin is producing, leaving you with a fresh and matte complexion. Meanwhile, for dry skin, the Vivo Per Lei Hyaluronic Acid Daily Facial Wash never fails to impress. It’s gentle and exceptionally hydrating, leaving the skin looking supple and dewy.

If your skin is sensitive, it could be useful to follow up with a moisturizer, depending on the icing method that you choose. This will provide an extra barrier between your skin and the cold temperatures, which will help to prevent the feeling of irritation.

Choosing a Skin Icing Tool

There are a few ways to jump in on the skin icing skincare trend. Here are some of the most effective:

Ice Cubes

Inexpensive and easily accessible, ice cubes are a great way to dip your toes into this skincare trend to see how your skin responds to the cold. However, as mentioned, never apply ice cubes directly to your skin. This will only damage your skin’s natural protective barrier.

Instead, wrap a few ice cubes in either a clean cotton cloth, a paper towel, or even a ziploc bag. The downside to using ice cubes is that things can get quite messy when they melt. Wrapping them carefully helps to prevent this.

Then, gently massage your wrapped ice cubes over your face in circular motions. Concentrate on specific areas of your face at a time, such as your cheeks, eye area, jawline, etc. 

To begin with, don’t ice your skin for more than five minutes. Overdoing it will only subject your skin to excessive cold exposure. However, once your skin has gotten used to this technique, you can extend your icing sessions to up to 10-15 minutes.

Although not confirmed by science, anecdotal evidence shows that using liquids other than water to make your ice cubes could help to better tailor your skin icing session to your skin’s needs. For example, green tea ice cubes could work to reduce the appearance of aging while aloe vera ice cubes would theoretically be fantastic for soothing the look of inflammation.

Frozen Tools

There are several tools out there that can be used for skin icing. Some of the most popular are facial rollers and ice globes, but you don’t necessarily need to fork out for a new product if you want to give this skincare trend a try without using ice cubes. Instead, even a metal spoon from your kitchen would work.

Whichever you choose, place your tool in your freezer for a while. The tools mentioned above are all designed to not get dangerously cold. A spoon would be the same since it will heat up very quickly once removed from the freezer.

When you’re ready to ice your skin, take your frozen tool and apply this to your face. Again, focus on specific areas at a time. Some parts of your face, where the skin is thicker, will take longer to cool down than thinner areas. The middle of the cheeks, for example, is thicker than the skin around the eyes, so will need more time with your icing tool.

Aftercare

Once you’re done icing your skin – what happens next?

This is where the rest of your skincare routine comes in. At this stage, your skin will be feeling super-receptive to any skincare products that you apply, so make the most of this. Use this as an opportunity to give your skin a selection of powerful actives.

The Vivo Per Lei 24K Gold Caviar Serum would be a great product to use after icing your skin. These pearlescent capsules contain a powerful blend of antioxidants, one of which is retinol. This much-loved vitamin A derivative is revered for how it can help with the appearance of everything from wrinkles to hyperpigmentation to roughness.

If you’re battling with the appearance of hyperpigmentation, another product that would be fantastic to use after skin icing is the Vivo Per Lei Dark Spot Corrector Serum. It’s filled with a number of complexion-lightening ingredients, from niacinamide to kojic acid to glycolic acid. Use this serum regularly and your dark spots will soon look significantly lighter.

As usual, once you’re done applying your serums, finish up with a moisturizer. The Vivo Per Lei Anti-Aging Face Cream, which can be used by all skin types, would be a good choice. It’s lightweight, hydrating, and will soothe your complexion, highlighting the visible results provided by your skin icing session. 

Summary

It always pays to do some research before diving in on any skincare trend. After all, there have been so many fads over the years that have ended up causing more harm than good.

Fortunately, when it comes to skin icing, this is a skincare trend that you don’t need to worry about. Experts have approved it, so long as precautions are taken by those with sensitive skin. When it comes down to it, this skincare trend is a quick and inexpensive way to tackle so many visible skin concerns, making it hardly surprising that so many celebrities have been raving about it!

Click here to check out more bestselling skincare products from Vivo Per Lei.