Have you tried Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif’s favourite skincare hack?

People have been using ice as a part of their skincare routine for ages (Marilyn Monroe was a fan), and with good reason too. The hack requires no prior planning, and might be the only miracle-working ‘skincare product’ that’s also totally free. Scroll ahead to find out why ice has won the celebrity vote (from both Bollywood and international stars) time and again.

Celebrities Alia Bhatt and Katrina Kaif love their icy skincare hack

Cold temperatures cause the blood vessels under the surface of your skin to constrict, leading to a shrinking effect on the appearance of your pores. By virtue of its temperature, ice is able to soothe irritation and inflammation, which is ideal for those dealing with sensitive or redness-prone skin. Alia Bhatt once told Vogue India, “If I wake up in the morning and my face is very puffy, I just dab some ice on it,” and Katrina Kaif uploaded a video of herself dunking her face in ice to re-energise herself for an early morning at work, while priming her skin for makeup application too.

Why Ice is the jack of all trades in your skincare routine:

If you’re jet-lagged, hungover or have eaten too many fries

Using an ice roller (like the ISA ice roller or the Stacked Skincare Ice Roller) or a couple of ice cubes wrapped in a linen cloth on your face will reduce puffiness and fluid retention almost instantly. Roll across the forehead and temples, around the eyes, down the cheeks, around the mouth and jaw and downwards on the neck—waking up and stimulating the lymphatic glands to drain. The skin will feel toned and calmed, and if you add it to your routine, you’ll spot a contouring effect too.

If you spent all of last night watching Netflix

If Netflix’s psychological thriller You left you too scared to sleep, or you had a long night out on the town, you know you’ll see its effects on your puffy eyes the next morning. Before applying your makeup, roll a cube of ice around the under-eye area, draining the fluid from the inside corners of the eyes. This will bring relief and help reduce inflammation.

If your skin feels just plain irritated

If your skin is stinging after a laser, peel or exfoliating treatment, brew a chamomile tea and freeze it, and then rub the calming block all over the affected area. If your eyebrows or upper lip feel raw post threading or waxing, rubbing ice will get rid of the redness and dermatitis.

If you’re feeling a massive zit coming on

While the cause of bad blemishes is usually bacteria, sometimes the inflammation is the worst pill to swallow. An angry, painful pimple is hard to cover up—even after piling on the concealer. Dermatologists suggest that ice will relieve pain and decrease inflammation as the vessels are constricted. Some swear by a warm compress to bring the pimple to a head, and then alternating with ice to calm the skin back down—this can stimulate circulation and allow for faster healing. If your eyebrows or upper lip feel raw post threading or waxing, ice can help get rid of the redness and dermatitis too.

If your hero skincare products aren’t giving you the results you expected

Sometimes skincare products sit on the surface and fail to penetrate to the layers of the skin where they can get to work. After applying a serum with active ingredients, ice it afterwards. This causes the capillaries to constrict, subsequently creating a pulling effect inwards, so the product can penetrate deeper and faster.

If you want your makeup to last all day

When in doubt, go the K-beauty route. Jamsu, which means ‘submerging’ in Korean, requires you to apply your makeup as usual, layer on a thick dusting of baby powder, and dip your face, full frontal, into a bowl of ice water. Benefits include less visible pores and sealed, long-lasting makeup.

Cryofacials and cryotherapy get to temperatures even colder than ice

Nowadays, beauty enthusiasts (Jessica Biel and Jennifer Aniston included) have taken to subjecting their bodies to below -140°C temperatures in the name of wellness—and though this may seem excessive, the results may be able to convince even the harshest sceptic. Full body cryotherapy involves standing in a freezing cold chamber for two or three minutes, after which the body feels lighter and tighter—the cold lowers tissue temperature to reduce pain and inflammation. On the other hand, a cryofacial is a non-invasive technique where skin is rapidly cooled using a beam of vaporised liquid nitrogen. This causes the tightening of the microcirculation below the skin, and the dilation of blood vessels to flush out toxins and impurities. Some say that this accelerates better oxygenation of the cells as well.

But be careful with ice if you have sensitive skin

Though people of all skin types can safely use ice to constrict their vessels, it’s important to note that ice application causes sudden vasoconstriction that cannot be controlled. If this is done over and over, it can cause broken capillaries which can show through very pale skin, though they won’t be seen in darker skin tones. If the ice roller is too cold, it can pull at delicate skin. If you’re using pure ice, make sure its filtered water, and cover it with a linen cloth to prevent quick extreme cooling. Some dermatologists suggest that if your skin is prone to rosacea or redness, applying varying temperatures to the skin can be detrimental. Use an ice cube on the roof of the mouth, as it is the receptor site that constricts blood vessels in the face. This will reduce unnatural flushing.

Also read:

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