Beauty And Skin Care At Home: How To Use A Facial Roller

Can a simple tool support healthy-looking skin? Thousands of influencers, including a long list of celebrities, say yes. If you’re ready to change up your skincare routine, you just may want to try a facial roller. Wondering how to use a facial roller at home? Read on for instructions, tips, and science-backed benefits of this skin care routine trend.

What Is A Facial Roller?

Facial rollers look like tiny rolling pins made of stone – usually jade or other gemstones like quartz or amethyst. The skin care tool typically has two stones on it. One side contains a long, oval-shaped stone for large, flat areas of your face, like your cheeks and forehead. The other side contains a smaller, rounder stone for areas around your eyes and nose.

There’s evidence that shows that jade rollers have been used to massage the skin since the 7th century in China. In China, facial rollers are typically used with gua sha treatments, where the skin is gently scraped to support circulation.^1,2

What Do Facial Rollers Claim To Do?

Using a facial roller is said to give a whole host of impressive benefits that ultimately support the health of your skin. Facial rollers are said to potentially help with:

Toxins in the skin
Fine lines
Under-eye bags and dark circles
Breakouts
Dull complexion
Relaxation³

That’s a lot of promises to live up to. In general, the benefits of facial rolling are tied to the action you’re doing when you use it. When you use a facial roller, you’re essentially giving yourself a facial massage, which may support your lymphatic drainage system.⁴

What Is Lymphatic Drainage, And Why Would You Want That?

Facial rollers work by massaging your face’s lymphatic system, which is a network of tissues and organs just below your skin’s surface. The job of this system is to help get rid of toxins and waste.⁵

The lymphatic system has no internal “pump” to keep lymph moving. Instead it needs things like exercise, inversins, breathing, and massage to keep it flowing.⁶

Massaging the lymphatic system may:

Support lymphatic drainage (help your lymph nodes get rid of excess water)
Support blood flow to the skin⁷
Help with irritation on the skin⁸

What Are The Potential Aesthetic Benefits?

Lymphatic flow may sound great, but will it make a difference in your skin?

There aren’t any scientific studies that specifically look at the effects of facial rolling. However, some dermatologists agree that they may support the appearance of your skin.⁹ At the very least, they can’t hurt. So it may be worth a try.

Based on the benefits of lymphatic facial massages, here are some potential benefits for your face.

Fine Lines And Wrinkles

By supporting healthy blood flow, facial rollers may also be supporting your body’s collagen production.¹⁰ Collagen helps your skin look plump and youthful. Collagen naturally decreases with age. Maintaining collagen may help with the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.¹¹

Facial Puffiness

When your face looks puffy, your skin is typically holding on to excess fluid.¹² Lymphatic drainage is a key purported benefit of facial rollers. By supporting your lymphatic system, you may help reduce puffiness and swelling in your face.

Hyperpigmentation And Dark Circles

When fluid accumulates under the eyes, you may see those dreaded dark under-eye circles.
Facial rolling stimulates lymph and blood circulation, which may help.¹³

How To Use A Facial Roller On Your Face And Neck

Ready to add a facial roller to your skin and beauty routine? This is an easy ritual that many people find quite relaxing. Here’s how you can do it at home:

Preparation:

Before you begin, wash and moisturize your face with your prefered skin-care products. You may also want to apply a serum or a facial oil.
Remember that most of the rolling should be done in an “upward and outward” direction.
Gentle downward movements can also be used in select places. This may help stimulate lymphatic drainage.¹⁴

Start With Your Clavicle:

Start beneath your clavicle, or collarbone. Start from the midline and work outwards, using a downward motion.
Pick up and move to the area right above your clavicle. Here, you’ll want to work your way from the midline outward, following the top of the bone. Use an outward and upward direction.

Jawline And Neck:

Sweep your roller under your chin toward your collarbone, using a downward and outward motion. Continue moving outward until you reach the sides of your neck.
Move your roller up to your chin and use it to massage the center of your chin outward and upward toward your cheeks.

Go Over Your Nose, Lips, And Chin:

Roll your facial roller from the side of your nose out to your ear.
On the same side, roll from your upper lip out to your ear.
Repeat the motion on the same side, starting at your lower lip to your ear and then from your chin to your ear.
Use your roller to massage a path from your chin to your ear lobe along your jawline.
Repeat on the other side of your face.

Forehead:

Using the large side of the roller, roll upward across your forehead. Start at the middle of your brow bone and move up to your hairline. Repeat several times, starting at the midline of your forehead and moving outward.
Repeat on the other side of your forehead.

Eyes:

Using the small side of your roller, gently stroke the area around your eyes. Roll from the corner of your eyes out to your ear.
Repeat for both eyes.¹⁵

Additional Tips

Most jade or quartz facial rollers stay cool naturally. For an added boost, store your facial roller in the fridge.
Use your facial roller to smooth on a sheet mask. It may make them adhere better to your face.

Regularly clean your roller. Tools that you use on your face can spread bacteria, so be sure to wash your roller with warm water and soap after each use.¹⁶

Facial Rollers: Go For It

If you’re curious about facial rollers, use this guide to give them a try. You just may find a new ritual that you love.

Learn More:
What You Should Know About The Gua Sha Facial
How to Apply Skincare the Right Way (and Why That Matters)
DIY Essential Oil Massage Blends: Make Your Own Massage Oil At Home

Sources
1. https://www.thatsmags.com/beijing/post/24118/jaded-why-is-an-imperial-chinese-beauty-tool-suddenly-popular-in-america
2. https://www.elle.com.au/beauty/do-jade-rollers-actually-work-15808
3. https://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/a20637662/jade-face-roller-benefits/
4. https://www.elle.com.au/beauty/do-jade-rollers-actually-work-15808
5. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/beauty-products/a15896832/jade-face-rollers-review/
6. https://www.wellandgood.com/good-looks/lymphatic-drainage-facial-massage-for-detoxifying-skin/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30477852
8. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18062616
9. https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/skincare/a19507946/jade-rollers-benefits-tips/
10. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2856577/
11. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6047276/
12. https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003105.htm
13. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4924417/
14. http://www.theorganicesthetician.com/blog/2018/6/8/how-to-rose-quartz-facial-roller
15. https://www.townandcountrymag.com/style/beauty-products/a15896832/jade-face-rollers-review/
16. https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/beauty/anti-aging/a27495698/jade-rollers/