What are jade rollers?
While jade rollers are getting a lot of attention now, they've actually been a staple of Chinese skin care routines since the 7th century. You can think of them as handheld mini facial massagers. They can be made of beautiful green jade or pink quartz and are believed to have healing and protective properties for the skin, including improving circulation, reducing swelling and allowing skin care products to penetrate more deeply. Jade rollers look like the one pictured above: they are made of a gorgeous jade-green stone and have a rolling piece with a handle at the top. Some jade rollers also have a smaller roller at the bottom of the handle, perfect for use on smaller areas of the face.
How should I use it?
I like to keep my jade roller in the fridge so that it is cold and refreshing when I use it. I use mine at night after I wash my face and apply my night facial oil (this and this are my recent favorites). I just wash my face, apply the oil, and roll it over my skin. This is said to not only help with circulation, but also helps your oils or serums to penetrate deeper into the skin, allowing the product to really penetrate and work. Jade rolling works best if you think of it as a massage tool: rolling back and forth, up and down and side to side, around the contours of your face and adding a little pressure as you move upward. I've also read that jade rolling can help with lymphatic drainage if you start at your nose and roll outward to the sides of your face; start in the middle of your chin and roll toward your ears; start at the top of your neck and roll down to your chest. This rolling path is said to help detoxify your skin.
What are the benefits of using one?
The most widely known benefits of using a jade roller include reducing skin inflammation and puffiness, reducing dark circles under the eyes (especially if the roller is cold), stimulating the lymphatic system and blood circulation, brightening the skin tone, tightening pores, helping to reduce the appearance of fine lines, and allowing skin care products to penetrate more deeply. In addition to these benefits, I find it's a great way to relax and get into "bedtime mode" after completing my evening skincare routine. After using my jade roller, my skin always feels cool and calm enough to go to bed.
