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The Facial Roller
By now, you've probably come across these nifty tools everywhere. From your local drug store to the little boutique shop you adore. These crystal facial rollers are said to be an ancient holistic Chinese beauty tradition, although there is no clear history regarding dating of their use. Speaking from personal experience, they look and feel great. But, are they actually worth all the hype and cost?
Fact vs Fiction
Facial rolling, along with any type of facial massage, will positively affect your mood. As an act of self-care, you can be left feeling revitalized and relaxed.
You may have a temporary increase in skin brightening and reduction in skin puffiness thanks to the modest benefits of facial lymphatic drainage, vasodilation and an increased blood flow. As lymph fluids continues to circulate and the effects of vasodilation wear off over a minutes to hours your skin will return to normal. (Miyaji, Kaori Sugimori, Naoyuki Hayashi, 2018).
You likely won't see visible changes to your facial structure, such as wrinkle reduction, slimming or higher cheekbones, if you do the results will only be temporary.
The benefits of relieving muscle tension in the jaw and forehead can reduce stress and alleviate tension based headaches
The cold of the crystal will cool and soothe your skin (especially if you put it in the fridge for a few hours) while additionally reducing puffiness, however it will not help with inflammatory conditions of the skin such as psoriasis or acne
It might reduce in sinus congestion caused by seasonal allergies or colds
It can be a luxurious tool to distribute your skin care products and may theoretically even help with absorption of oils and creams
The facial roller can actually cause acne and skin irritation if used too vigorously. You should generally avoid using one if you have any skin rashes, cold sores or severe acne due to the chance of worsening these conditions.
All in all, the facial roller doesn’t have any well studied proven cosmetological benefits and the results are really comparable to any massaged based therapy. There are however the benefits of relaxation and improved mood, along with it being a generally ornate tool to up your skin care routine with.
Alternatives to The Facial Roller
If the cost of a facial roller just isn’t in the budget right now consider using cucumber slices, metal spoons or chilled black tea backs over the eyes and skin to reduce puffiness
Reducing excess intake of sodium and drinking approximately 2 L of water (the recommended daily intake) can also have positive properties on the skin. * discuss this with your primary care provider due to the potential risk of excess water and low sodium on some health conditions*
How to Choose a Facial Roller
While Jade crystal has been the most traditional material used, there are a variety of other crystal based facial rollers on the market. While there is currently no scientific evidence on the benefits of crystal healing, there are reported anecdotal experiences. You can choose your new facial roller based off of what you are most drawn to.
Jade: has been used in alternative Chinese medicine for its grounding and balancing properties, with symbolism surrounding nourishment and purification. If you are in search of crystal healing properties, be aware, there are several fake jade rollers. Differentiate between real and fake jade by feeling the stone: real jade will be cool to touch. If you are spending less than $20 on a roller it is likely not Jade.
Rose Quartz: This infamous pink colored crystal is known as the "love stone" and is used by some for its calming, supportive nature.
Obsidian: This volcanic glass is said to be beneficial for cleansing and grounding.
Amethyst: By far one of the most popular crystals is all the rage among celebrity for use as a facial roller. Amethysts is said to be an ultra-calming crystal with properties to support sleep and stress.
How To Use & Care for your Facial Roller
Wash your face! Cleansing your face prior to facial rolling will reduce the potential spread of bacteria
Choose a moisturizer or facial oil and apply it to your face
Begin rolling! You do not need a lot of pressure here, and use long sweeping motions. You can roll anywhere from 5-10 minutes for full benefits. Stop if you experience pain.
Always start with a sweeping up and down motion along your neck, you will likely not have as many benefits if you don't start by moving the lymph in the larger nodes around your neck and jawline
Roll from your chin, upwards along your cheek bones towards your ears on both sides
Roll along the bridge of your nose up towards your forehead
Next, start between your eyebrows, rolling upward the top of your hair line. Then roll from the centre of your forehead towards the tops of your ears
Roll along the bridge of your nose up towards your forehead for your eyes, starting at the inner corner and working your way outwards along the cheekbones
Wipe off excess oil/moisturizer and wash with warm soap and water and lay on a clean towel to dry
The Consensus: Facial Rollers are unlikely to foster any long-term changes in the treatment of acne, wrinkles or facial lift. They should not be used in inflammatory conditions and severe acne due to potential spread of pathogen. However, the somewhat positive effects of lymphatic drainage to facial tissue by massage/facial roller can leave your face feeling, cool, relaxed and sculpted for a day of self-care or daily as incorporated into your beauty routine.
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.
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.
Vairo, G. L., Miller, S. J., Rier, N. C. I., & Uckley, W. I. (2009). Systematic review of efficacy for manual lymphatic drainage techniques in sports medicine and rehabilitation: an evidence-based practice approach. Journal of Manual & Manipulative Therapy, 17(3), 80E-89E.
Khanna, N., & Datta Gupta, S. (2002). Rejuvenating facial massage–a bane or boon?. International journal of dermatology, 41(7), 407-410.
Fernández, J. S., Santaolalla, F., Rey, A. S. D., Martínez-Ibargüen, A., González, A., & Iriarte, M. R. (2005). Preliminary study of the lymphatic drainage system of the nose and paranasal sinuses and its role in detection of sentinel metastatic nodes. Acta oto-laryngologica, 125(5), 566-570.
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