It is safe to say that I was expecting the hack to work. Like I said, I wasn’t completely new to the concept of using ice-cold tools to reduce puffiness. I tried facial icing on two separate days. I made sure there was freshly placed water in an ice tray every night and went to bed knowing I had a home-made remedy for puffiness waiting for me come morning.
At dawn, I extracted the ice cubes, wrapped two in a paper towel, and gently applied the cool tool to my face, starting near my forehead and slowly making my way to my cheeks, nose, chin, jawline, and other areas. I applied gentle pressure and massaged my skin as I went around my face. I did this for about 1-2 minutes (recommended by proponents). Something about listening to music and giving yourself some self-love first thing in the morning, while looking at yourself in the mirror, was relaxing too.
After the exercise, I washed my face, dried it, and viewed the results. My skin not only looked a little less puffy (especially under my eyes and around the contours of my nose), but I also thought it looked more vibrant. Skincare experts recommend that you avoid applying the ice directly to your face (for fear of ice burn). And to keep your ice-covered cloth moving, again for the same reason. Some also recommend washing your face and moisturizing afterward to avoid dry skin. My results made me dig deeper into the science behind it all.