Is Rolling Jade on Your Face the Key to Flawless Skin?

By Kali Kushner

 

 

 

 

Like any crazy beauty trend, I first heard of jade rolling on Instagram. Though I wasn't completely sure what benefits jade rolling held, I was more eager than ever to try it solely due to its appearance. Seriously, its straight up B E A U T I F U L ! I know, I know, probably not the best way to make a decision when purchasing skincare products and devices but hey- I'm only human, okay? It was pretty- just let me live my best life.

*FYI* When purchasing a jade roller, you may have to verify that the stone used is actually jade. Some of the cheaper $5 versions (I know it's tempting but don’t do it!) use glass and inject a green or off green dye to mimic the appearance of jade, so you don't really get to reap any of the natural benefits of the stone. If you are unsure whether or not a roller you're wanting to purchase is real jade, you can always perform a scratch test on the roller or buy through a reputable brand. 

The jade roller I ended up going with is from Herbivore Botanicals, a well-known natural and cruelty-free skincare brand that also sells things like crystals, body scrubs, and bath soaks. According to the Herbivore Botanicals website, Jade rolling has the ability to:

+ Improve blood circulation and skin tone
+ Improve elasticity of the skin
+ Promote lymphatic drainage
+ Reduce puffiness and wrinkles
+ Reduce dark under-eye circles
+ Eliminate toxins
+ Tighten and reduce pore size

Seems pretty legit right? But, before we get into my personal experience with jade rolling, I think it's important to talk about the history and get to understand the benefits of jade a little bit more.

 

The History of Jade

 

Jade rollers have been found in ancient tombs dating all the way back to the 12^th century. Back then, there wasn't an emperors' wife who didn't have a jade roller in her beauty chest. They were extremely common among the wealthy and powerful, known as the ultimate anti-aging device. Ancient China believed jade to be an extremely powerful semi-precious stone; emperors of China would even be buried in jade suits, believing that it would grant them immortality (excuse me, where do I get one?!).

 

The Benefits of Jade

 

As the name states, a jade roller is made from the precious stone jade, which is believed to help calm anxiety and decrease fatigue. The stone itself is believed to have deep healing properties, protecting you from negative energy and balancing your chi. If you're the type who's more into seeing the physical effects and not so much focused on healing your energy, don’t worry because there's PLENTY of physical benefits.

Jade rollers are mostly known for their extreme anti-aging effects. They work to smooth down wrinkles, stimulate collagen production through massage, and lift the undereye area. The roller works through massage to increase circulation, increase product absorption, and stimulate lymphatic drainage.

Lymphatic drainage is very important because it helps our skin to flush out toxins and heal quickly. A sluggish lymph node system can show itself in cystic acne around the mouth, chin, and jawline, acne that takes forever to go away or leaves marks that linger for ages, allergies, and fatigue. So now I'm really curious, maybe jade rollin' is the real deal?

 

 

 

The Design of the Roller

 

The tool is absolutely beautiful, it's definitely a skincare device that I want to show off to friends or maybe even "accidentally" leave laying around on my nightstand just to stare at it.  The design is really innovative, with a smaller jade bead at one end for the under-eye area, a larger bead of jade on the opposite end for your entire face, and the handle (which is also made of jade) in the middle of the device.

There is a single gold wire that holds the pieces in place and allows for easy mobility while rolling. I adore this beauty tool because it is extremely practical while also carrying a certain level of sophistication in its appearance. It doesn't feel overdone or gimmicky but rather simple and effective, it's one of those "what you see is what you get" type deals.

 

 

 

My Jade Rolling Experience

I decided for an extra cooling effect to pop my jade roller into the refrigerator and leave it in there overnight. My initial reaction using the roller was that I lovvvvveddd the icy feeling against my face, it was extremely soothing and did a great job of calming down my morning "puffy face" I sometimes get after a long night.

I used the jade roller by pressing in an upward motion (following the contours of my face) and continuously rolled back and forth in the same spot about three times. I focused a lot on rolling along my jawline because I do tend to clench my teeth and sometimes end up with pretty bad TMJ anddddd... this helped! A lot actually; you can feel it getting deep down into your muscles and working to relieve any built-up tension and loosen up the jaw area. I also found it very soothing for headaches when massaged onto the temples and forehead.

As for the actual benefits that are claimed, I found it very effective at reducing puffiness, pore size, and improving overall skin tone as you can see in my before and after. It's great for giving your face an immediate slimmer appearance and a slight lift around the eyes. I find myself reaching for it every morning before I apply my moisturizer and every night with a facial oil, to massage the oil into my skin, allow for greater absorption, and shrink my pores.

 

My Final Thoughts on Jade Rolling

 

It has been a nice little relaxing addition to add to my skincare arsenal, and to be quite honest I didn't think I would be reaching for it every morning like I am. My biggest takeaway, and perhaps why I am in love with the darn thing, is that the roller helped to reduce inflammation in my active spots, which showed in size and redness. I can physically see the spots go down with each use and it is absolutely amazing!

In all, I don't think I can go back to life before jade rolling. I've been using it every single morning since I received it in the mail. I didn't experience any negatives while jade rolling (I'm not even sure if this could present any negative effects), and because of my overwhelmingly positive experience, I can say that – YES! I definitely 100% recommend jade rolling for anyone who's looking to get rid of fine lines, soothe cystic acne bumps, reduce dark under-eye circles, or just to have a cool skincare tool to show off to friends.