As summer approaches with a vigour unseen, life is about to get way harder. Already the fifteen-minute commute from my house to the metro has me dripping with enough sweat to fill a bucket. The worst part is how inflamed and bumpy my skin gets in this weather. I get acne, the sweat aggravates it even further, I get more acne and I take it to my grave. There has to be a way to break this cycle, right? Right.
Introducing ice. You already know of it, but do you know how to use it? One of the best things about the skincare industry is how ever-evolving it is. There was a point in time when people around the world from Alia Bhatt to the Kardashians were talking about how they wake up and like to dunk their entire face in a bowl of ice. But now some tools and treatments use the healing powers of frozen water to make summer slightly more bearable.
Ice Globe Rollers
These funky-looking tools are one of my newest discoveries. I know Suhana Khan uses this, so obviously this is something you need to have in your skincare routine. These globes usually have a gel inside the balls that can be frozen overnight and applied to the face in the morning to get rid of any morning puffiness or post-work inflammation.
DIY Facial Rollers
If you’re not a big fan of wrapping a bunch of ice cubes in a towel and putting that on your face first thing in the morning but still understand that your acne and skin really benefit from regular icing – this product is for you. All you have to do is fill it up with water, add a few fun ingredients (I like to experiment with mint, cucumbers, and rose petals) and put it in the freezer overnight. When you wake up, just pop the top open and you’ve got a soothing ice facial on a silver plate.
Freeze Your Face Masks
Another hack that really works for me is putting my face masks or eye masks in the fridge for a few minutes before I use them. The cooling effect helps my skin absorb the serums from the masks much better than normal and it’s such a treat to come home to a cool mask waiting for me. Almost all masks can iced, so you can just put your current favs in the fridge for a chill treat.
There are quite a few reusable face masks that were made to be frozen as well. The gel in these masks were made to be heated or frozen and once you’ve done that, just wear it on your face until it’s back to room temperature.
Cryotherapy
Now a cryotherapy facial is used to freeze your face; this sounds daunting but has a variety of benefits like brightening your complexion, tightening your pores, and even reducing the appearance of fine lines as well as age spots. It’s done by pumping liquid nitrogen all over your face for around 2-3 minutes, which gives it the same effect as icing with just a little more intensity! There are a lot of salons that offer this treatment, and a sitting costs around Rs. 4000 to Rs. 7,000.
In case you don’t want to drop so much for one sitting, there are a few tools that try to mimic the effect. One of them is the Cryo Cool Skin Tool, which cools the skin, even when stored at room temperature. It will not replicate the effect of liquid nitrogen, but the tool comes with a stainless steel base that cools the skin along with a series of targeted serums like hyaluronic, niacinamide, etc.
Freeze Your Skincare Tools
The last hack is something you all must have tried out at least once. It’s popular for a reason! Putting your skincare tools like your gua-sha, jade roller, or Kansa wand in the fridge before applying it to your face has a series of lauded benefits. Kendall Jenner swears by it, so I highly suggest you try it too!
As the summer heat intensifies, ice-based treatments and products are now an accessible form to beat the heat. By integrating these icy innovations into your daily regimen, you can not only soothe inflamed skin but also enjoy a more comfortable and acne-free summer!
Featured Image: Tira Beauty
