When it comes to anti-aging skin care products, you've probably seen it all before. Anti-wrinkle creams, moisturizing masks, vitamin C serums and retinol-based products may already have a place in your daily routine.
Just like your muscles feel more relaxed after a massage, the skin on your face will experience the same release of tension after receiving the massage technique of a jade roller - at least, that's the Instagram side of the skincare obsession claim.
A jade roller is a small beauty tool that looks a lot like a mini paint roller for your face - except it's made of stone and looks even better on a dresser. Take a look at the 30,000 posts on Instagram tagged #jaderoller and you'll find countless women who regularly use the tool to massage their faces after applying a mask or after a serum.
But what exactly does the jade roller do for your skin - if anything? Can it really make your complexion look younger? We asked skin professionals to weigh in on how jade rollers work, whether their benefits are legitimate, and if you'd like to try out how to use a jade roller for yourself.
Rooted in ancient Chinese medicine, a jade roller is a handheld massage tool that you can roll back and forth across your face for a few minutes at a time. Most companies that offer jade rollers promise that they help remove puffiness, tighten skin, improve circulation and reduce inflammation.
The use of gemstone jade plays a crucial role here, as it maintains a cool temperature despite exposure to body heat. In fact, one of the first ways to tell if it is really jade is to hold the stone in the palm of your hand. If it warms up, it's not jade.
So, do jade rollers work?
While there are no scientific studies to support the benefits of using a jade roller, most dermatologists agree that it certainly does not cause harm and can be very good at improving the health and appearance of the skin - at least temporarily.
In fact, even before jade rollers became super popular on social media, Dr. Elias told her patients to massage excess fluid into their skin with their fingers, but jade rollers may be more effective. "Even when it touches our skin, the jade stone stays cool, which will limit the expansion of blood vessels in the skin because the sliding motion of the stone creates firm and constant pressure," she explains.
