Ice Rolling Could Completely Change Your Skin

Late nights, early mornings, dousing your dinner in soy sauce, transatlantic flights, that extra glass of red wine, or just because your face insists on inflating like a balloon while you sleep — there are lots of reasons for puffiness and blotchy, red skin. As a skin-care-addicted celebrity and editorial makeup artist, I’ve tried all kinds of topical solutions. But, at the end of the day, the most effective thing has always been the old cold-spoon trick. Until recently, when my go-to aesthetician, Kerry Benjamin, turned me on to a new beauty tool — the ice roller. Full disclosure: Now, the first thing I do when I check into a hotel room is pop my trusty ice roller into the mini fridge.

Ice rollers are very popular in Asia and parts of Europe, but are only just taking off stateside. They're simple gadgets — handheld devices filled with water and gel. All you do is roll one across your face for a refreshing massage that instantly (no, really) reduces puffiness, calms redness, and firms the skin. They are amazing for prepping clients before red carpets, photo shoots, or even when I'm doing makeup backstage at New York Fashion Week. Men can even use them after a close shave to eliminate burn, reduce redness, and tighten skin.

"Basically, they can instantly reduce the look of fatigue, puffiness, and redness on the face as well as around the eyes," says Benjamin. She instructed me to use mine daily to help prevent wrinkle formation and create a lifting effect on the face, neck, and décolletage. She uses the tool after her facials, extractions, and peels to calm redness — and many medical spas also have it in their rotation. Apparently, you can also use it on minor injuries like bruises, and it's been known to work wonders for quelling headaches.

So, if you'd like to bring a little bit of the spa into your morning routine, you can do it with this baby — without breaking the bank. A word of caution, though: The sensation is addictive!

Hansderma SkinCool Ice Roller, $30, available at Hansderma.