Have you heard? There’s a chill sweeping through the world of beauty right now, and it’s called facial icing…
Once a backstage hack reserved for models and facialists, facial icing is now gaining fresh traction due to celebrities such as Hailey Bieber sharing the secret on their social media. In fact, the technique has just been revealed as the first step in getting Bieber’s skin ready for the Met Gala red carpet.
But, unlike many celebrity-approved rituals, it doesn’t require a suitcase full of products or a private facialist on speed dial to give you glowing, refreshed skin. Here’s everything you need to know.
What Is Facial Icing?
As the name suggests, facial icing involves applying extreme cold to your skin, normally in the form of ice cubes, icy water, or cryotherapy (aka cold therapy) tools. The idea: to awaken, sculpt, and depuff your complexion.
And the science actually supports the trend.
Cold causes your blood vessels to constrict and then dilate once the skin warms up again, which can give your skin a natural glow, and an instant – if not long-lasting – smoothing effect.
Where has the trend come from?
Hailey Bieber has popularised the practice through her TikTok, but the trend isn’t new. Facial icing dates as far back as the silver screen era, when Old Hollywood actresses like Joan Crawford were known for plunging their faces into ice baths before filming.
Bieber also practices this low-maintenance face-dunking approach – and it’s been a cornerstone of pre-runway and red-carpet events for years as a quick and easy way to get an instant facial refresh.
Now though, there’s also a new generation of more travel-friendly cold therapy tools – from facial rollers to cryo globes – which means you can try the facial icing trend wherever you go on your travels, no water required.
@haileybieber how I prepped my skin at home ahead of the Met Gala 🪽
What are the benefits of facial icing?
For your skin
1. Reduces puffiness: By constricting your blood vessels and stimulating lymphatic drainage, the technique can quickly reduce puffiness, especially around tired eyes and your jawline, which is ideal after long-haul flights or late nights.
2. Soothes redness: The constriction of blood vessels and general cooling effect of ice is particularly effective for calming inflammation, redness, or post-travel irritation. (That’s where the suggestion to ice sore joints comes from). If you struggle with breakouts, it can also take out some of the inflammation, without needing to overload your skin with products.
3. Tightens pores: Cold temperatures can help tighten the skin temporarily, making pores appear smaller and smoother. Think of it like a helping hand before using a primer or applying foundation, for a smooth makeup application.
4. Boosts circulation: As your skin warms up after the chill, blood rushes to the surface, delivering oxygen and nutrients to the skin. This promotes a natural glow without the need for highlighter.
For your lifestyle
1. It’s fast: You can get quick – almost instant – results from facial icing. That makes it a useful tool before a big event or after a flight, where you don’t want – or have time – to spend ages prepping your skin in the mirror.
2. It’s DIY: There’s no need to go to a fancy clinic or even have someone else treat your skin to a facial to see the results. Even complete beauty beginners can try this easy-to-try trend.
3. It’s relatively affordable: All you need is ice or even really cold water to achieve the effect you want (so it is more or less free). Even if you want to buy specific cryo tools, they don’t have to be incredibly expensive and they are completely reuseable and durable, so can last a long time with proper care.
4. It’s a mental reset: While the initial hit of cold can require a sharp intake of breath, facial icing can be as refreshing for your mind as it is for your skin, helping wake up a groggy, jet-lagged mind.
Who is it best for?
Anyone who wants a quick skin refresh can benefit from facial icing, but it is particularly great for frequent travellers, especially as a secret weapon against jet-lagged skin. Signs of long flights, as well as late nights – or even one too many cocktail – all show up as signs that facial icing can tackle (including puffiness and dullness). Plus, an icing tool can be easily tucked into your carry-on or chilled overnight in a hotel minibar, turning your flight or room into a makeshift spa. That’s just the ticket when you want to avoid the effects of dry cabin air and timezone shifts on your skin.
How to try facial icing
The easiest way to try the trend is to wrap an ice cube in a cloth and massage it across your skin. Or to plunge your face into a bowl of icy water (like Bieber likes to do). Those approaches are simple and effective, but there are also new tools that make the process a little less… damp. Whichever method you try, keep the below advice in mind:
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Start with a cleanse: you need to make sure your skin is clean to avoid trapping dirt or bacteria in your pores as they constrict from the cold. Otherwise, you could get inflammation or breakouts.
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Cover your ice: If you’re using ice, always wrap it in a soft cloth to prevent irritation or ice burns. Equally, if you are popping metal tools in the freezer, you may want to check their temperature on the back of your hand before using them on your face, for the same reason.
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Work in upward motions: To get maximum benefits from a wrapped ice cube or cryo tool, start at your jawline and move upwards toward your forehead as this will provide a lifting, contouring effect too.
- Don’t overdo it: Limit your icing sessions to one to two minutes only. You may think more time means more benefits but too much cold can cause facial redness, sensitivity, and even damage your capillaries.
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Seal in the benefits: after using your facial icing tool, follow the technique with a hydrating serum or cream. This will make your hydrated glow last even longer.
The coolest tools for facial icing
Interested in giving facial icing a try? Here are some of our favourite tools, which are designed specifically for anyone who loves to travel.
Sleek, weighty, and satisfyingly cold, 111Skin's cryo globes hug (and lift) your cheekbones and jawline – giving you a 'just had a facial' look without needing to book an appointment. They are equally good at soothing puffy, tired eyes, and are ready to use super quickly once popped in the fridge due to them being made out of (almost instantly cold) stainless steel.
Like a LED face mask but specifically for soothing and calming your complexion in a flash, this mask is our top-pick for post-travel indulgence. Quite literally bringing the luxury of a spa day to you, the dual-sided mask can be popped in the freezer or fridge to target puffiness, irritation and to wake-up tired-looking complexions. All you have to do is lie down and enjoy it.
With one tool for the whole face and a smaller one for the under eyes to ensure a precise treatment, Pacifica's glass globes are great for sensitive skin and areas of tension, as you can massage with them thoroughly without side effects. Whatever size you are using, they are also a great quick morning fix for tired complexions, by quickly improving circulation – aka bye bye puffiness – while firming your skin over time.
Designed specifically for the delicate eye area – and widely considered a great 'hangover hack' by beauty insiders – this pair of travel-friendly tools help smooth and depuff tired eyes. The best way to use them is to roll them from near your nose out towards your ears to stimulate microcirculation, lymphatic drainage and release tension. Plus, you can use them to massage in your eye cream for even better results for dark circles too.
Is the trend worth the hype?
Effective, affordable, and travel-friendly, it’s hard not to want to try the face icing trend. And, while it won’t replace your retinol or more targeted facials when it comes to long-term results, it can help your skin look more sculpted, rested, and radiant in minutes. And that’s perfect for busy travellers looking for a quick pick-me-up after flights or before big meetings.
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