This Dermatologist Hack Is A Game-Changer If You Wake Up With Puffy Skin

Dunking your face in ice water for tighter pores and brighter, less puffy skin is one of the oldest beauty “tricks” in the book. Mommie Dearest made the practice part of cinema history in 1981; Bella Hadid films herself doing it for Instagram four decades later, and suddenly a whole new generation is inspired to do the same. The appeal of the hack is clear: it’s easy, costs £0, and is such a violent shock to the constitution, you figure it has to be doing something. Plus, countless wellness practitioners (not to mention Wim Hof) extol the full-body benefits of cold plunges, so the exposure alone must have some benefit, right? Unfortunately, there’s no evidence to suggest that sticking your face in ice water — or massaging it with a cold metal roller — is going to result in any long-term improvements where pores and puffiness are concerned.

"Think about when you go outside on a cold day,” explains Shereene Idriss, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and founder of Pillowtalk Derm. “When you're exposed to anything cold, the superficial vasculature that's usually causing inflammation is shrinking and tightening up, reducing the look of swelling and puffiness." You're not shrinking the pores, says Dr Idriss, who says that's a myth, but you are tightening them up temporarily. "If that tightening process helps to dispel any excess fluid, that's great. But chances are it will come back once you come into a warmer environment." 

However, there are certain topical ingredients that, when combined with cold temperatures, can help extend the life of its anti-swelling effects. Arnica is one good example. Of course, the herb is not a novel skincare ingredient; The New York Times talked about arnica’s applicability in skincare back in 2011, and it’s long been used in homeopathic practices as both a topical (gel or ointment) and ingestible remedy (at very low, diluted concentrations) to help with bruising and muscle inflammation.

If you’ve ever had a medical surgery or procedure that left you with swelling, it’s possible that your doctor or surgeon recommended arnica ointment to help reduce the resulting inflammation. Dr Idriss says this is common in her dermatological practice. “Every cosmetic doctor talks about arnica post-procedure,” she says. For example, an arnica gel might be prescribed to help take down swelling post-rhinoplasty. That said, it’s unlikely you’ll find arnica alone highlighted as a star ingredient in a daily skincare product. That’s because it’s a tricky ingredient to work with. When used at high concentrations or by an inexperienced formulator, it can actually be irritating to the skin. Mount Sinai regards it as “generally safe,” but it may cause irritation, like an eczema or rosacea flare, when used improperly. 

When utilised wisely, however, there is a strong case to be made for arnica in daily skincare — especially for those who are looking to “depuff” in the morning, with more sustainable results than what you get with a cold shower or ice roller. Dr Idriss wanted to address this challenge with a specific product. “I thought, how can I take arnica as an ingredient and marry it to other ingredients that are in line with what arnica does: reduces redness, swelling, and inflammation?” In her newest product launch, The Depuffer Arnica Sculpting Serum Roller, Dr Idriss teamed arnica with niacinamide, ash bark extract, and glycerin to hydrate and soothe the skin.

Happily, a number of beauty editor-approved skincare products also enlist arnica. Medik8's Ultimate Recovery, £39, is a favourite among those whose skin often becomes inflamed and irritated thanks to arnica as well as highly moisturising glycerin and squalane. Then there's Dermalogica's Skin Smoothing Cream, £69. This reduces trans-epidermal water loss, meaning moisture is kept under lock and key in the skin. The addition of arnica soothes skin, while hyaluronic acid hydrates deeply. You'll also find the ingredient inside Alpha-H's Essential Hydration Cream, £43.99, Peter Thomas Roth's Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Hydra-Gel Eye Patches, £45, and REN Clean Skincare's Ultra Comforting Rescue Mask, £40.

Dr Idriss says that because arnica has such a rich history in homeopathic medicine, it’s easy for Western consumers to mistake the herb for something “woo-woo” — but she has science to back up her claims. Prior to launching the serum roller, she performed an independent clinical study of 26 participants who used it for five minutes a day for four weeks. 92% reported skin feeling “refreshed” and less irritated, while over 85% reported their skin as “less puffy” and less red.

The latter point shows that the arnica in the serum is not irritating the skin but helping address what Dr Idriss calls “transient redness”, which is the cause of many skin concerns that play into the look of tiredness. “There are two types of discolouration: brown discolouration (sun spots, brown spots) and the other is redness,” explains Dr Idriss. Once you calm that brown discolouration, chances are you'll start to notice redness that the brown was masking. "Not many people have homogenous redness that looks like blush," Dr Idriss adds. "Most people have redness on their face that looks like enlarged blood vessels, open capillaries. The second part is addressing that.”

In my personal experience, having never used arnica on my face before, I’m pleasantly surprised by the results. My skin certainly feels less puffy and looks surprising less red (I find ice rollers usually cause temporary redness) immediately after use. I follow it with a moisturiser and sunscreen. I’ve noticed a marginal reduction in under-eye swelling and pillow marks since I started using it two weeks ago.