Home LivingWellnessBeautyI iced my face every day for three weeks – my skin has never looked betterFace icing: here’s what I learned from dunking my face in ice water every morningWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Home LivingWellnessBeautyI iced my face every day for three weeks – my skin has never looked betterFace icing: here’s what I learned from dunking my face in ice water every morningWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
Face icing: here’s what I learned from dunking my face in ice water every morning
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Vitoria Santos / Pexels)
(Image credit: Vitoria Santos / Pexels)
Whether it’s for your face or tospeed up workout recovery, cold water therapy has become increasingly popular over the years. Athletes, celebrities and health experts have championed immersing yourself in ice cold water to reduce muscle soreness, help the immune system and improve your mood (seeeverything you need to know about ice bathsfor more information).
In the beauty industry, face icing has been dubbed thebest skin secret everso I decided to give it a try. I’m fairly low maintenance when it comes to my skin. I always remove my make-up before bed, clean my face with a good face wash and use theTheraFace Proa couple times a week to give my skin some TLC. But about a month ago, I started to notice more spots and redness on my face than normal.
After seeing a few ice water face dipping videos pop up on my Instagram, I wanted to see if face icing would actually make a difference to my skin. After three weeks of submerging my face in freezing cold water every morning, I can honestly say it’s one of the best things I’ve found for my skin and mood. Here’s what happened when I iced my face every day for three weeks.
What is face icing and what does it do?
Depending on your method of choice, face icing involves submerging your face into ice in cold water for a short period of time. Other methods include putting a face roller,gua shaor eye mask in the freezer and applying it to the face in specific motions.
Why would you want to put your face in cold water, I hear you ask. According to doctors and dermatologists, icing your skin has been found to reduce redness and inflammation, tighten the skin, eliminate puffiness, ease acne and give a healthy glow. While the results aren’t permanent, icing your face does deliver instant results and it’s easy (and cheap!) to do.
Sign up to the T3 newsletter for smarter living straight to your inbox
Get all the latest news, reviews, deals and buying guides on gorgeous tech, home and active products from the T3 experts
(Image credit: Engin Akyurt / Unsplash)
(Image credit: Engin Akyurt / Unsplash)
Face icing: experience
For my face icing experience, I decided to leave the fancy skincare tools to the professionals. While I don’t have a face roller or gua sha, what I do have is a big bowl and an always-full ice tray in my freezer. This is one thing I love about face icing, as it’s so accessible and easy to do.
As soon as I got up in the morning, I headed downstairs, filled a bowl with a tray of ice cubes before pouring cold water over it. I let it sit for a minute before I dunked my face three times in the water, making sure to cover my entire face. I stayed in the cold water for 10-15 seconds at a time before coming up for a breath. Afterwards, I’d dry my face with a kitchen paper towel before jumping in the shower and cleaning my face with a sensitive face wash and applying thebest moisturiser.
As someone who absolutely hates being cold, the first week of face icing was filled with a lot of dread. Looking into a bowl of watery ice cubes and feeling the residual heat of my bed on my pyjamas wasn’t the best feeling in the world and when starting off, I could only last three seconds at a time.
After persevering for a few days, I found that slowing down the process rather than quickly dunking my face in was a lot easier to manage. Slowly lowering my face into the ice water meant I lasted in the water for longer and surprisingly, I found that the first dunk was the easiest, and the third was the worse!
(Image credit: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels)
(Image credit: Pavel Danilyuk / Pexels)
Three weeks later: the results
I decided to try face icing because my skin was looking red and spotty. But within a couple of days, my skin had completely cleared up. Spots that were hidden under the surface had disappeared and any redness subsided quickly.
Face icing is said to improve circulation and I definitely noticed a difference in how my skin looked and felt. After having a quick ice water dip, my face looked glowy and felt silky smooth. Puffiness, particularly around the eyes, also reduced and my skin felt much tighter than before.
As someone who can be late to rise when working from home, I wanted to try face icing to see if it woke me up and made me feel more alert after a night’s sleep. Every time I iced my face (even those days that I really didn’t want to) I felt so awake and alive afterwards. On days I was in a rush, I made time to have a quick dip and my morning grogginess immediately went away. It might sound strange but I found dunking my face in ice water quite relaxing. Having my face in a cold bowl with nothing but my thoughts to calm me down definitely showed me that I can get past my brain screaming at me to get away from the cold!
After three weeks, I’ve seen and felt a noticeable and remarkable difference in my skin and mood. It’s a simple, cheap and effective treatment that I definitely plan on continuing. For more skincare advice, take a look at thefour-day skin cycling trend.
Today’s best Skincare deals$4ViewLow Stock$6.28$4.61View$6ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Skincare deals$4ViewLow Stock$6.28$4.61View$6ViewShow More DealsWe check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
Today’s best Skincare deals
$4ViewLow Stock$6.28$4.61View$6View
$4View
$4View
$4View
$4
$4
Low Stock$6.28$4.61View
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
$6.28$4.61View
$6.28$4.61View
$6.28$4.61
$4.61
$6View
$6View
$6View
$6
$6
Show More Deals
Show More Deals
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices
The biggest Samsung Galaxy S25 leak yet reveals specs, Galaxy AI features and a lot moreThere are going to be some big changes with the new Samsung phones
There are going to be some big changes with the new Samsung phones
I tried the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro gimbal and it’s the ultimate tool for creators who want cinematic resultsNext-level AI tracking and pro features make this gimbal a must-have for serious iPhone filmmakers
Next-level AI tracking and pro features make this gimbal a must-have for serious iPhone filmmakers
Best Christmas gifts 2024: wellness, fragrances, grooming and moreIf you’re struggling to find the perfect gift, you’ve come to the right place
If you’re struggling to find the perfect gift, you’ve come to the right place
7 fruits and vegetables to help your skin glow this autumnFrustrated with tired, dehydrated skin? These fruits and veg will help you out
Frustrated with tired, dehydrated skin? These fruits and veg will help you out
CurrentBody vs TheraFace: which skincare tech brand should you choose?Both beauty gadget pioneers deliver amazing results. But which one is better for your skincare needs?
Both beauty gadget pioneers deliver amazing results. But which one is better for your skincare needs?
Beurer FC 52 Laguna Facial Brush review: 2-in-1 skincare that cleanses, massages and won’t break the bankIs this the best facial cleansing brush under £50?
Is this the best facial cleansing brush under £50?
CurrentBody Skin RF Radio Frequency Skin Tightening Device review: get a firmer face without the faceliftTurn your frown upside down with this impressive wrinkle-reducing gadget
Turn your frown upside down with this impressive wrinkle-reducing gadget
7 tips to help you sleep better with a sunburnFrom soft pyjamas to cold compresses, here’s how to get a good night’s sleep with a sunburn
From soft pyjamas to cold compresses, here’s how to get a good night’s sleep with a sunburn
How to clean an LED face mask: quick tutorials and hygiene tipsKeep your LED skin mask working like new with these easy cleaning tips
Keep your LED skin mask working like new with these easy cleaning tips
I took collagen everyday for two months — here are 3 things that happenedAfter hearing a lot of good things, it was time for me to try collagen for myself
After hearing a lot of good things, it was time for me to try collagen for myself
