Viral Ice Facial Hack is Ruining Skin Health – Complete Guide to Skin Icing
Skin icing is all the rage, with cute products on the market promising healthy, glowing skin, but is this all hype with no facts? Is there a reason we are rubbing ice cubes on our faces?
So many articles are pro icing the skin, but is there science to back up this trend? Let’s find out. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about skin icing. Learn what people claim about the benefits and find out if there are any serious risks associated with doing this skincare trend regularly.
What is Skin Icing
So, what’s up with putting ice on your skin and calling it an ice facial? Skin icing is simply taking an ice cube and running it along your face, directly applying the ice to your skin. Other ice facials involve getting a bowl of water, placing ice in it, and then dipping your face into that bowl. This exposes the skin to extremely cold temperatures and is said to have many benefits.
Potential Benefits of Ice Cubes to the Skin
Some of the potential benefits that people claim to experience include smoother skin, smaller pores, and a tighter and more elastic surface. Others claim that icing the skin can help reduce wrinkles and fine lines while decreasing puffiness and dark circles. On top of that, people claim that it helps to reduce acne and can even boost circulation. So, are any of these claims true?
Ice Facial Misconceptions
It’s time to clear up fact from fiction. Here are some misconceptions about skin icing and Ice facials that we need to clarify immediately!
Icing Won’t Shrink Pores
That’s right, one of the biggest selling points of ice facials is, in fact, a myth. You’re not going to magically shrink your pores by rubbing ice on your face. Ice may temporarily minimize the appearance of large pores, but that is only due to the change in temperature your skin experiences. This result won’t last.
Icing Does Not Reduce Wrinkles
Ice is not going to magically get rid of fine lines and wrinkles. The tightening effect that you feel after an ice facial is not due to an increase in collagen. The tightness is due to your skin’s reaction to extremely cold temperatures. In the same breath, this extreme cold strips the skin of natural moisture and oils, which may also lead to this tight feeling. This can cause sensitivity and irritation.
Icing Will Not Boost Circulation
Some claim that icing may help increase circulation. The problem with that is that ice constricts blood vessels which reduces blood flow, decreasing oxygenation and the supply of nutrients to the skin.
Risks of Ice Facials
In reality, ice facials may do more harm than good. Intense cold temperatures on the face can damage the small capillaries that we have. In worst case scenarios, these capillaries may burst and leave your face full of marks that can only be removed by laser treatments. Aside from that, cold temperatures tend to dehydrate the skin. Think about how the skin feels in the winter. It can become dry, flaky, red, and itchy due to the cold temperature. Putting pure ice on the skin will not help to moisturize the skin. It actually strips the skin of natural oils and moisture. This can disrupt the skin barrier, causing more problems, such as sensitivity, redness, irritation, and acne breakouts.
Actual Benefits of Skin Icing
So, what’s a potential benefit that is backed by some sort of scientific basis? Icing may help to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin, which can cause exfoliation. Aside from that, a bit of coolness may help reduce swelling.
If you’re going to ice your skin, do it for a very short time. Try to place the ice cube in a paper towel or something of the sort to prevent the ice from directly touching your skin. This decreases the likelihood of damage.
Why Protect the Skin
Our skin is the largest organ in our body. Its purpose is to protect our insides from the outside world so much so that our skin even has its own microbiome. There are many functions of the skin, ranging from temperature regulation and touch sensation to insulation and immune defense. It’s important for us to support our skin’s health because of its many different purposes.
Healthy, smooth, and glowing skin isn’t just about looking good; it’s about supporting the skin barrier so it can do its job. This means having a skin care routine filled with science-backed ingredients that support the function of the skin barrier. Something like icing your skin is not going to support a healthy skin barrier. However, the good news is that there are many other skin care tips that you can use, such as those found here, in order to create healthy, pretty, glowing skin.
Safe Alternatives to Icing
So, what should you do instead of icing? Ice is a temporarily harmful solution and it’s important for us to look for long-term answers. Instead, look for skin care products with active ingredients that can help treat skin concerns. For example, niacinamide is a science-backed ingredient that can help reduce redness and inflammation and manage oil production. Vitamin C has been clinically studied and has a good effect on hyperpigmentation and dark spots. Retinoids are the most studied skincare ingredient and have a good impact on reducing fine lines and wrinkles. We need to choose ingredients that have research behind them for us to know that they are effective.
The Takeaway
There you have it. Skin icing isn’t going to magically change your skin. It can do more harm than good. It’s important for us to distinguish fact from fiction, and learning about misconceptions is a good place to start. Skip icing your skin and start creating a skincare routine that supports the skin barrier today.
Remember that health comes from within. Eat nutritious food, exercise when you can, and take care of your mental health. The small daily habits you cultivate become the basis for overall wellness. Don’t forget about microbiota health, too! Gut microbiota affects the entire body, from the skin to muscles to immune and mental health! Get all the resources you need about microbiota health for free here!
