Face Rollers

You’ve probably seen a face roller on social media or maybe even at a friend’s house.

The little gadget is most commonly made from jade or rose quartz. Some have two roller balls, and some look like a tiny rolling pin with rollers of varying sizes fixed to both ends of the handle.

They also claim to offer major skin benefits.

So why exactly are people massaging their faces with a face roller? And is this trend here to stay?

The simple act of massaging your face with a face roller has a ton of benefits for your skin. It may even reduce stress and release tension, just like a body massage would.

Some of the benefits may potentially be real. Here’s what the science says about it so far, though there’s much we don’t know yet:

• Improves blood circulation in your face. Using a face roller can stimulate blood flow to your face, which may help make your skin look brighter.
• Decreases puffiness. Rolling may also decrease puffiness (like under-eye bags) by stimulating lymphatic drainage. Some studiesTrusted Source have generally linked this type of massage to decreases in swelling. But more research is needed to make the link between facial rollers and any improvements in puffiness in your face.
• Facial massage can improve your mood. An older 2008 study suggested that facial massage reduces anxiety for some people.
• Facial massage may enhance the look of skin. A 2017 studyTrusted Source of facial massage showed some anti-aging effects, especially when combined with an anti-aging cream. However, it was not done with facial rollers specifically.
• Cools and soothes your skin. If you store your roller in the refrigerator or use a naturally cold stone like jade, it’ll cool your skin on contact. The benefits of this are still to be determined, but some people may enjoy how it feels.
• Distributes skin care product. Rollers are typically used with an oil or moisturizer to help the tool glide across your skin. This process may deliver the product deeper into your skin, though no research proves this yet.

Follow these steps when using a facial roller:

1. Apply a facial oil, serum, or moisturizer that’s slippery enough. If you don’t have lubrication, the tool can pull or tug your skin, which may actually contribute to wrinkles.
2. Start at your neck and roll upward. For best results, roll up, not back and forth.
3. Roll from your jawline to your ear on both sides using gentle pressure. You can continue this motion all the way from your jaw to your cheekbone.
4. Roll from your forehead up toward your hairline, only in the upward direction. It’s the same gentle pull you would use if you were pulling your skin taut and wrinkle-free with your hands.
5. Roll flat over your eyebrows horizontally, which may feel relieving if you have a headache.

There are many big claims about facial rollers, but there’s not a lot of evidence yet that they do much. Let’s discuss some myths about facial rollers.

• Using a roller can slim your face: False. The only way to truly lose weight from any part of your body, including your face, is through nutrition and exercise. However, the de-puffing potential of the facial roller may make your face look slimmer temporarily.
• A facial roller can cure a condition: False. Though there are claims that crystals or other materials can help cure disease, there isn’t any evidence.
• Facial rollers can have permanent effects: False. While you may see some improvement in certain elements of your skin, the changes likely won’t be permanent. Consistent use is probably your best bet in seeing benefits over time.

Keep your face roller in the refrigerator. While most crystal face rollers stay cold naturally, using an extra-chilled tool tightens pores and wakes up a weary face at the end of a long day (or early in the morning), making it particularly good to use before an event. It’s also great to use for headaches. “Use it two to three times a week, for at least five minutes, and you’ll see the difference to your face in a couple of weeks,” says Czech.