March 4 | 3 minute read
Words by Sherine Youssef
We can trace the origin of these handheld tools back thousands of years to China, where a face massage roller has been used for centuries as part of ancient Eastern Medicine rituals. Jade was the most precious stone in ancient China, and the cool green stone was believed to have energy-healing properties – it's why you'll find lots of face rollers today are still made in jade or another crystal, like rose quartz.
The dual-ended tools feature a polished, rounded crystal on one end, and a similarly rounded and polished crystal on the other end, but in a slightly smaller size. The idea is to use the larger roller on larger areas of the face, including the forehead, cheeks, along the jawline and neck, and under the ears, and the smaller end on smaller areas, like around the eyes.
When it comes to what a face roller can actually do for skin, there are two ways to look at it.
There's the immediate cooling sensation that can help calm down any inflammation and soothe uneven skin tone in the skin, and the relaxation that can only come from a face massage (never, ever underestimate the wonderful results of a face massage – it's our favourite part of a professional facial!).
Feel-good factor aside, the action of rolling the stone over the skin and the massage delivered to skin is said to help in a number of ways, like stimulating the lymphatic system and enhancing drainage, which can help with puffiness by shifting pooling fluid, reducing tension and stress (the impact of stress on skin is huge, and can leave it looking dull, sensitised and dry), and boosting blood flow, which is essential for glow. Plus, if you use your face roller immediately after applying your skincare, it can also help to evenly distribute the product over your entire face.
First, obviously, you need a face roller, which you can find here (along with all our other skincare tools). You can choose your stone based on your personal colour preference and what will match your bathroom (no judgement here, we often do the same), or on the particular properties associated with each crystal: jade (calming), rose quartz (emotionally healing), amethyst (anti-inflammatory), or black obsidian (balancing).
And that's it, really. The beauty of a face roller is that it can be done anywhere, anytime, whether that's on clean and dry skin, straight after your skincare session, or over a full face of makeup, first thing in the morning, last thing at night, or right before you head out on date night.
The only must-do is to make sure you clean your face roller after each and every single use (especially if you like to roll over your makeup).
Store your roller in the fridge so it’s extra cool – this is excellent for depuffing and waking skin up, and prepping your face for makeup.
At night, focus on relaxation to unwind and get ready for bed.
