There I was, mentally floating away at Jess Bowers's facial studio, a private, speakeasy-like slice of West Village heaven. After my coveted hour with the aesthetician—which was nothing short of dreamy—I gabbed with Bowers about the products and treatments she's loving at the moment. Her answer? A gentle exfoliating jelly (which I added to my cart immediately) and a simple at-home technique, one that doesn't require any fancy tools.
“Honestly, ice bath facials will completely transform your skin,” she told me. “Try it for two weeks, and you won't even believe the results.” It's as if she unlocked some sort of synchronicity because I kept seeing these at-home ice bath facials everywhere. They were featured in Hailey Bieber's Met Gala prep, present in Bella Hadid's on-set beauty routine, and popping up all over my TikTok feed, so I decided to finally give Bowers's two-week experiment a whirl. True to her word, I'm blown away by my skin's response. Scroll ahead to see the magic, plus every celeb-endorsed detail to know.
What Is an Ice Bath Facial?
An ice bath facial is exactly what it sounds like: dunking your face in ice water. Think of it as a cold plunge for just your face. Rather than throwing on a swimsuit and finding a tub to submerge your whole body, you're simply dipping your face into a large bowl for a few seconds at a time. It's quick and relatively easy and boasts similar skin benefits to a full-on cold plunge. (More on that later!)
To be clear, in no way am I saying that Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber invented the ice water facial. Aestheticians and makeup artists have been championing the practice for years, praising its ability to reduce puffiness and inflammation and tighten the skin. Psychologists have even cited it as a quick DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) technique, as it naturally slows down your heart rate and has a calming effect on the body. Not to mention, cold water immersion is an ancient practice with roots in many cultures.
No, dunking your face in ice water is certainly not a “new” or “trendy” habit, but it has recently been on my TikTok feed more than ever as a form of skin prep and has been made even buzzier with each celebrity endorsement. Essentially, I've known about ice bath facials for ages, but Hadid and Bieber (plus Bowers) inspired me to finally try it for myself.
Bella Hadid doing an ice water facial.
Benefits for Skin
First and foremost, ice water reduces inflammation, redness and puffiness. It does so by activating a process called vasoconstriction—constricting your blood vessels to result in less blood flow and, thus, swelling. It's the same logic of placing ice on an injury: Limiting blood flow to the area generally reduces inflammation and pain. Even if your face isn't experiencing acute inflammation, the icy temperature dials down any sort of puffiness lingering underneath the surface. “This can vary depending on your diet,” noted Bowers. “Say you eat a lot of salty foods or consume alcohol—you may see a faster result of de-puffing the skin.”
According to Bowers, the ice bath also tightens pores and actually brightens the skin as your blood circulation starts warming back up. “It wakes you up,” she added. There's nothing like an ice-cold dunk to shake away any trace of grogginess!
Jamie Schneider doing an ice water facial.
How It Works
Yes, ice bath facials are meant to be super simple (just dunk and go, right?), but a few important details can enhance your results. First up is the layout. You'll need a large mixing bowl (“A size that can fit [your] whole face in comfortably,” advised Bowers), a good amount of ice (two trays should do it, Bowers said), and a soft washcloth or towel to dry your face off post-dunk. You may also want a headband to hold your hair back if you have longer strands.
Place your ice in the bowl and fill it up with water until it reaches two to three inches from the top. Slowly submerge your face into the water and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. “I do a slow count to 10 in my head,” said Bowers. Lift your face out of the bowl, towel off, then repeat the dunk two to three more times. “However, [I] spread it out between three to five minutes to give the blood flow a chance to recirculate,” Bowers noted. On days when I was short on time, I opted for three quick, consecutive dunks, which took around 60 seconds total, but if you can wait a few minutes in between plunges for your skin to naturally warm back up, that's ideal.
In terms of timing, you can give yourself an ice bath facial whenever you please, but Bowers personally prefers to submerge in the morning. “It's great for that morning de-puff from the food or alcohol consumed the night prior,” she explained. “It's also a nice morning ritual that doesn't take a lot of time and sets you up for the day.” After just seven mornings (if you're dunking consistently), she says you'll start to see transformative skin results. “You will notice tighter and glowier skin [and] definitely will start hearing the compliments roll in around week one,” she shared.
My Personal Experience and Results
Allow me to set the scene. I wake up extremely puffy. I sleep on my stomach with my face smashed against the pillow (I know it's not a good position for long-term skin health, but I can't help it!), and it takes me a good hour or two before the swelling finally subsides. Add a salt-heavy dinner or a few glasses of wine into the mix and I can barely find my cheekbones. I do try to commit to a daily lymphatic massage to drain all that fluid retention in my face, but I also am always on a time crunch in the mornings. As much as I hate to admit it, hitting the snooze button just once more trumps a contoured jawline every time.
Bowers swore the ice water facial wouldn't take up too much time in my routine. Even a few seconds each morning, she declared, would leave me with “unbelievable results.” I was game—just a two-week commitment, right?
After those 14 days, I was, in fact, floored that I hadn't implemented this simple technique sooner. My skin tone is brighter, my face feels way less puffy, my makeup applies smoother, and my pores look practically nonexistent. All it took was a few minutes each morning. Honestly, the most time-consuming part was filling up the bowl with ice, but I left it on my counter (along with a face towel) to save precious seconds.
I won't lie: Ice water facials take practice. The first few times I dunked, I could only leave my face in the water for about five seconds max. If you've ever braved a cold plunge, then you know how it quite literally takes your breath away. I had that same sensation as I repeatedly dipped my face in the frigid water, but I couldn't actually inhale (my face being submerged and all). I found that it helps if you slowly breathe out of your nose as you lower your face into the bowl. Hold your breath for 10 to 15 seconds, then rise when you feel the need to take another breath. It gets easier with time if you do it consistently.
As you can see from the photo above, my skin is noticeably tighter, especially around my eyes, chin and jawline, which is where I accrue the most puffiness. Both images were taken as soon as I woke up with zero makeup on, save for a swipe of clear lip oil. Somehow, my sallow, dullness-prone complexion became glowy and energized and it's not the lighting at play. Even Bowers saw a major improvement in my skin after the experiment. When I saw her again for a monthly facial, she said she could immediately tell I had been icing. “Keep it up,” she encouraged.
Admittedly, there have been mornings I just couldn't get up the gumption to fill my trusty bowl of ice, but I will continue to commit to the routine when I can, especially if I have an important event coming up. Of course, ice water facials will not snatch my jawline long-term (in-office treatments are your best bet for that), but they're superb in a pinch if I need some instant de-puffing, which is not bad for a three-minute technique that doesn't cost you a dime. FYI: I'm getting married in November, so you better believe I'll be face-dunking in the weeks leading up to the big day!
Scroll ahead for more lymphatic drainage tools and de-puffing gadgets we rate.
More Cooling, De-Puffing Products I Love
Therabody
TheraFace Depuffing Wand
Meet the de-puffing tool I take on every single flight. The sleek, portable design is practically made for carry-ons, and it has a warm setting to increase circulation, enhancing your skin's glow. “My hack? Use it over a nice brightening eye cream for the benefits of the cream and the de-puffing benefits of the tool, all at the same time,” board-certified dermatologist Caroline Robinson, MD, founder of Tone, said about the skincare tool.
If you're on the hunt for a new LED mask, I can't recommend Shark CryoGlow LED Mask enough. I've already waxed poetic on the innovative, med spa–inspired design, but what makes it really special is the built-in chill pads, which deflate any trace of puffiness underneath the eyes.
You can never go wrong with a classic ice roller.
If you're feeling crafty, Glow Cube has a reusable mold you can fill with water to create your own precise ice roller. You can also add cucumber water or aloe vera juice for even more of a calming, hydrating touch.
Tweezerman
Stainless Steel Gua Sha
Stainless steel gua shas, like this high-quality number from Tweezerman, are naturally cooling and wonderful for de-puffing. I like to put mine in the fridge to chill the material even further.
Running man
Cryo Sticks for Face
Cryo sticks are heavenly for the under-eyes and jawline. I like to float them over a sheet mask to help the serum penetrate and leave me looking chiseled post-treatment.
OLEHENRIKSEN
Violet Ice Cold Plunge Pore Mask
This refreshing clay mask has a cooling effect and is essentially a salve for hot, inflamed, itchy skin. That said, it also draws impurities out of the pores and clears breakouts (which are also inflammatory!), so it's really a mask that plays double duty.
REFY
Face Primer Blur & Hydrate
The cooling roller applicator on Refy's hydrating primer enhances lymphatic drainage to help contour and sculpt.
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