You’ve likely seen a face roller in a TikTok video or at your friend’s house. You might even have one in your bathroom cabinet. These trendy tools have been all the rage lately, but the face-rolling tradition is not recent. Ancient Chinese elites supposedly used face rollers made from precious jade. A smooth, green stone secured to a handle was rolled gently all over the face to improve circulation and provide a cooling effect. One of the most popular skincare products in the Western world might date back to the 7th century!
Today, face rollers are made mainly from jade, rose quartz, or stainless steel. Some have smooth rolling pins, others — textured numbs or double rolling balls. They also vary in size. Smaller ones might be used for the area between your eyebrows or around your eyes, for example. But what are face rollers good for, actually?
Face Rolling Benefits
While the effects of using face rollers on your skin might be exaggerated, scientific research does confirm a few of their benefits, namely:
- Just 10 minutes of face rolling improves blood circulation, which can help you get that desired glow.
- Rolling might decrease puffiness and inflammation.
- A 2017 study showed that massaging devices in combination with anti-aging creams boosted the effects of the cream; however, face rollers weren’t tested in the study.
- Another study suggested that facial massage can help reduce psychological distress and anxiety.
- Cooling your roller in a fridge or using one with a naturally cold stone (like jade) can soothe and calm your skin.
Face Roller Myths
Now, what are the things face rollers can’t do? They cannot help you slim down your face. No amount of massages will make you lose weight in just one particular area. You can, however, make your face less puffy with a face roller massage, at least for some time.
Face rolling is not a miracle remedy for any condition. It’s a relaxing and potentially helpful technique, but there is no evidence that crystals and stones used in face rollers could cure diseases.
Keep in mind that while a face roller can enhance the way your face looks, these effects are not permanent. If you do want to see a long-term improvement, your best bet would be to use a face roller consistently — and in combination with the rest of your skincare routine.
How to Choose a Face Roller
There are a couple of things to consider when shopping for a face roller. What material is it made of? Is it easy to clean? Where do you want to use it — your face, whole body? Do you need it compact for travel or to save space? With a huge variety of face rollers on the market, you should learn where to start the hunt.
Jade is the most common stone used in face rollers, but you can also find those made of rose quartz, amethyst, black obsidian, and stainless steel. Jade and steel are naturally cold. That means you don’t have to store them in the fridge if you want a cold massage; they keep the cool all on their own.
Jade rollers are not as smooth as others, but the resulting friction could help in sculpting and contouring. They are also softer than rose quartz. A quartz could be more durable and last longer, even if you drop it. Amethyst supposedly has purifying properties and can heal acne, although more research is needed to confirm that claim.
Can You Spot a Fake?
Some jade rollers aren’t made of genuine jade, but another, cheaper stone dyed to look shiny. How can you recognize a real jade?
- Touch it — it’s the easiest way to check. Real jade stone will be cool to the touch.
- Tap the roller with a stone you know it’s genuine jade — if it sounds dull, like plastic, it’s probably fake.
- Observe — real jade can have some irregularities on the surface, but it shouldn’t have air bubbles.
- Scratch it lightly with your fingernail or with a pin — real jade shouldn’t have marks.
How to Use a Face Roller
- Cleanse your face and apply some lubrication like oil or serum — otherwise, the roller might tug at your skin.
- Start from your neck and upward, or roll from the center of your face toward your ears.
- Work your way under the cheekbones and jawline, then proceed from your nose area upward toward the temple and all the way to the hairline.
- Avoid going back and forth and roll only in an upward direction.
- You want to move the roller gently in an upward sweeping motion, not rub it into your skin.
- Afterward, clean your roller with soap and water or with rubbing alcohol to prevent bacteria from building up on the stone.
Face rolling can be a relaxing point of your daily ritual. It could also provide you with some benefits like improving blood flow or even reducing stress. With so many different face rollers out there, you can easily pick one that suits your needs; just be gentle during the massage, clean your roller, and watch out for fake jade stones.
Sources:
Caberlotto, E., Ruiz, L., Miller, Z., Poletti, M., & Tadlock, L. (2017). Effects of a skin-massaging device on the ex-vivo expression of human dermis proteins and in-vivo facial wrinkles. PloS One, 12(3), e0172624. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0172624
Ezzo, J., Manheimer, E., McNeely, M. L., Howell, D. M., Weiss, R., Johansson, K. I., Bao, T., Bily, L., Tuppo, C. M., Williams, A. F., & Karadibak, D. (2015). Manual lymphatic drainage for lymphedema following breast cancer treatment. The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2015(5), CD003475. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003475.pub2
Hatayama, T., Kitamura, S., Tamura, C., Nagano, M., & Ohnuki, K. (2008). The facial massage reduced anxiety and negative mood status, and increased sympathetic nervous activity. Biomedical Research, 29(6), 317–320. https://doi.org/10.2220/biomedres.29.317
Miyaji, A., Sugimori, K., & Hayashi, N. (2018). Short- and long-term effects of using a facial massage roller on facial skin blood flow and vascular reactivity. Complementary Therapies in Medicine, 41, 271–276. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ctim.2018.09.009
