The Jade Stone stays cool even when it's touching our skin. Read more...
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Why is a jade stone used for jade rollers?
Jade is a type of stone that most people think of as a beautiful green gemstone with luster when polished. It is known for being durable and firm and maintaining its cool temperature.
The jade stone stays cool even when it's touching our skin. The smooth firm surface of the stone allows it to effortlessly glide across the skin when in the form of a roller. By coupling the cool temperature of the jade stone which will restrict dilation of the blood vessels in the skin with firm and constant pressure from the gliding motion of the stone, there is a potential for benefit that can be seen here. It may be worth a try if you are dealing with baggy skin under the eyelids, rosacea, or the tendency to flush easily.
How can you tell if is really jade or just green plastic on a roller?
There are a lot of different versions of "jade rollers". I have come across products that look like a jade roller but the packaging states only that the product is a facial roller. There is a chance that this may just be green plastic or glass on a roller. The key to the benefits of a jade roller has a lot to do with the true qualities of jade stone- its cool and firm surface. My concern about imposters is the possibility that a seam may be apparent along the roller that can irritate the skin. And, if the product is not cool to the touch and retains its cooler temperature, it may not have the benefits you are seeking.
One of the ways to tell if something is really jade is to place it in the palm of your hand. If it warms up, then it's not jade. Jade will maintain its cool temperature in spite of your body heat.
Is there any science as to why a jade roller may help the skin?
When I started seeing these facial rollers for the skin, like most people, I was a little skeptical as to what they could possibly do. The concept behind a jade roller combines the science of massage of the lymphatics system in the skin with the cool durable quality of the jade stone to maximize the benefits of removing excess inflammation and fluid in the skin.
Although, as a disclaimer, I could not find medical studies to support the claims of jade rollers, in particular, I can see a clear benefit to the concept of using these. If you combine the science of massage with finding the right tool to use for massage, then you can potentially maximize the benefits of this delicate process.
We do know that fluid tends to accumulate in the soft tissue of the face and around the eyes. It can worsen with allergies, rosacea, high blood pressure, and hormonal changes. The longer the fluid is there, it will start to change the texture of the skin on the face. Many people will note that their skin starts to look like the peel of an orange or the bags under their eyes seem more prominent. Aside from medications, simple massage to gently work this excess fluid back into the lymphatic system can help control the effects of this swelling.
What are the benefits of using a jade roller?
The potential benefits of using jade rollers for skin care include:
Reduce puffiness in the skin. Our skin can start to look puffy for a lot of different reasons. A tendency towards rosacea which makes the skin flush or blush, hormonal changes that make us retain fluid, hot weather, a really good cry! With all of these conditions, our blood vessels dilate and fluid becomes trapped in the superficial layers of the skin. This can make our skin look ruddy, our pores seem more prominent and accentuate some fine lines and wrinkles. A Jade Roller can help ‘milk’ this excess fluid out of the skin and back into the lymphatic system. By cooling the Jade roller further by sticking it in the fridge, the cooling effect can be magnified.
Under-eye bags. The soft tissue around the eyes is like a sponge. Allergies, eye makeup irritation, rubbing our eyes, not sleeping enough- all of these can build up fluid around the eyes. Once that fluid is caught up in the soft tissues around the eyes, it can linger for a long long time. The smaller end of Jade Roller can help gently massage this fluid out of the soft tissue around the eyes without being too harsh to cause bruising or further irritation.
Relieve tension in our facial muscles. In the same way, a good massage can help your muscles release tension for the body and scalp, and so can massaging the skin on the face. The soothing effect of massaging the skin, especially around the eyes and the forehead where the muscles attach directly to the skin, can help relieve tension. I could not find any studies with Jade Rollers in particular for migraines, however lymphatic massage by varying techniques has been shown to help migraine sufferers.
Can a jade roller make you look younger?
This is a bit of a stretch. Maybe if your wrinkles were accentuated by excess fluid and the fluid is reduced, perhaps your skin will look younger. Maybe if you hold a lot of tension in the muscles of your forehead and around your eyes and this makes your face look tense or stressed, perhaps the relief of tension by the jade roller will make you look at least a little less stressed. I cannot find a possible mechanism for jade rollers to stimulate collagen production or provide any long-term anti-aging benefits.
Have you tried using a jade roller yourself?
When Jade Rollers came out and I tried one, I could see why these can work. Before (and still if they prefer) I would recommend patients use their fingers to massage out the extra fluid in their skin. If you think about this practically - the temperature of our fingers will be about the same temperature as our faces. Even if our fingers are a little cooler, once they touch our faces our fingers will quickly warm up. With this, the blood vessels in our face may dilate a bit and may counteract the benefits of massage by adding extra fluid to the skin Here is where the Jade Roller has the potential to really work if used correctly.
Is it true that it helps to use a jade roller to apply skincare products?
I have seen several social media videos that encourage people to apply various products with their Jade Rollers by leading people to believe that their skin care products will be absorbed better. I cannot say I believe this at all. The absorption of skin care products is dictated by the particle size and various qualities of the ingredients that help them to attach, adhere, and be absorbed by the skin. You cannot really “push” these products into your skin.
Chances are that if you try this method, you will just roll your products off to the side the same way your rolling pin will push the dough away when you roll it out to make cookies.
How is it best to use a jade roller?
Jade rollers can be used on their own without the need for additional products.
The key is gently rolling from the center, outward, and upward.
Start with the bottom of the face and work your way up.
Start with the center of the chin, roll outward across the jaw and up toward the ear.
Follow this same pattern to the cheek.
Start adjacent to the nose and roll outward over your cheek towards your ears.
Then use the smaller stone end of your roller to work from the inner lower eyelid over the gentle skin under the eye and outward to the temple.
Place the roller between your eyebrows, roll it out over each eyebrow, again slightly above this area, and then straight up towards the hairline.
This should not take long at all.
Jade rollers are by no stretch a ‘necessity’ or ‘must-have’ beauty product. They are a niche device that can find its place in a skincare routine for those that struggle with puffiness or extra fluid in their skin.
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