Are ice globes better than jade rollers? Are Jade Rollers Better than Gua Sha? What is a facial roller, and how do you know which tool is best for your skincare needs? If you or someone you know has these questions, we’re here to help – Jade roller vs ice globes vs gua sha!
You’ve probably seen one (if not all) of these tools in an Instagram ad, on TikTok, or in one of the many celebrity skincare videos on YouTube. While jade rollers, gua sha, and ice rolling facials all have similar benefits, they are also quite different. Let’s learn the differences between these skincare tools and help you decide which one is best for you.
What is Jade Roller?
Jade roller, also known as facial roller, is a skin care tool that originated in ancient China. They have a larger roller on one end – ideal for areas like the neck, cheeks, and forehead – and a smaller roller on the other end, ideal for the brow bone and under-eye area. Jade rollers aren’t just made of jade—you can also find facial rollers in rose quartz, amethyst, opal, and more.
What are the Benefits of Jade Rollers?
Lightening: Jade rolling gently sculpts cheeks and jawline.
Glowing Skin: Facial Rolling boosts blood circulation, making your skin look brighter, plumper, and firmer.
BETTER PRODUCT ABSORPTION: Jade roll-ons are a great way to get the active ingredients in serums and masks deep into the skin.
Increases Lymphatic Drainage: Any type of facial massage will help move lymph fluid through the skin, leaving you looking more radiant and less puffy.
How do You Use Jade Rollers?
Get your skin ready! Before using a jade roller, it should be clean. Like gua sha, the facial roller needs a little glide so that it moves smoothly across your face without tugging. Pick your favorite serum and get rolling:
- Roll each side of the face separately, using each area five times.
- Start at the base of the neck with the larger roller and stroke upwards to the chin.
- From the middle of your chin, roll to your cheeks and to your temples.
- Move to the forehead, rolling from the middle, through the brow bone, to the temple.
- Now, flip the roller over and use the smaller side. Roll from the inner corner of the eye to the outer corner.
- Still using the smaller side, slide the roller over the jaw line under the chin to the earlobe.
What is Facial Ice Globe?
An ice roller is a skin care tool that has a large roller on the handle. Depending on the roller, it may be made of metal, plastic, glass, or silicone with a gel core. Ice rollers work through cold therapy, which helps reduce inflammation. Ice rollers are great for all skin types—including those with acne.
What are the benefits of Facial Ice Globe?
Aids Inflammation: Rolling ice helps reduce swelling, puffiness, and inflammation caused by allergies, skin problems, or a night of overindulgence.
Tightens Pores: Cold temperatures cause our blood vessels to constrict, which tightens and reduces the appearance of pores.
Improves Blood Circulation: Rolling combined with icy temperatures helps increase blood flow, making skin look brighter, plumper and reducing the appearance of wrinkles.
Promotes Lymphatic Drainage: Rolling ice promotes lymphatic drainage with a manual lymphatic massage to get your juices flowing.
How to Use An Ice Globe?
Use an ice roller after washing your face but before applying any products. Pressing lightly, move the ice roller along the contours of the forehead and temples, then down the cheeks, chin and neck. Use slow back and forth motions for a cooling and gentle massage.
Ideally, ice rollers should be stored in the freezer so they are always ready to use. If this doesn’t work for you, put the roller in the refrigerator for at least half an hour before using it, and store it in a safe and clean place when not in use.
What is Gua Sha?
Gua Sha is a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice that can be used on the face and body. Gua Sha uses a flat implement to scrape along the skin to promote the flow of “chi” or energy and provide a range of skin care benefits. These tools come in a variety of shapes to follow the contours of your face. Many Gua Sha stones are made from jade, but you’ll also find them in adventure stones, amethyst, and other materials.
What are the Benefits of Gua Sha?
Sculpts Jawline and Cheekbones: Gua Sha Stones adhere to the contours of the face and provide visible sculpting results with regular use.
Relieves tension: Gua Sha provides a deep massage to relax facial muscles and relieve tension in the cheeks, forehead and jaw.
Stimulates Lymphatic Drainage: Lymph can stagnate under the skin, causing puffiness – gua sha moves the lymph so it drains out along with other body waste.
Increased blood circulation: Increased blood circulation plumps the skin, thereby reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
How to Use Gua Sha?
Gua Sha requires a “slide” to glide across your face without pulling the skin. Before practicing gua sha, wash your face and apply a good moisturizer or oil. Methods vary depending on the type of gua sha tool you have and how long you want to spend on the routine, but here’s a general overview of the technique:
First, visually divide your face in half, once with the tool flat against your skin and once working on one side, counting five scans per area:
- Starting at the bottom of the neck, gently move the tool up to the top of the neck.
- Move to the center of the chin and sweep up the jawline to the earlobe.
- Now, from the edge of the nose to the temple.
- Press the tool under the corner of the eye and gently sweep toward the temple.
- Place the tool on the brow bone and move along the shape of the brow.
- Last but not least, sweep the tool from the center of the forehead to each temple.
So, Which Tool is Right for You?
The right tool for you depends entirely on the results you want and how much effort you want to put into your day-to-day work. And, if it’s ice rollers, how much space do you have in your freezer.
Jade roller is great for those new to the world of skincare tools because it’s gentle on the skin—especially sensitive skin—and the technique is easy to learn.
facial ice globe is a great option for people with sensitive skin or who want an extra-strength de-puff in the morning but aren’t too concerned about facial contouring.
If you want a more intense facial massage than a jade or ice rub, gua sha is for you—plus plenty of facial sculpting.