Scan your social media feed, and you’ll probably run across an influencer incorporating a face roller into their daily skincare routine. Touted for their supposed ability to reduce puffiness, improve circulation, and even provide anti-aging benefits, face rollers have become a popular beauty item that you can pick up from the neighborhood drug store for $20.
“It’s a skincare tool that’s heavily popularized by social media,” said Dr. Megha Trivedi, a dermatologist and assistant professor of dermatology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. But they’re also nothing new. “The concept of the facial roller is commonly associated with traditional Chinese medicine,” she said.
What is a face roller, and how should they be used?
A face roller features a handle attached to smooth, rolling stones designed to glide across the skin. Thanks to their roots in Chinese medicine, rollers made with jade are especially popular, Trivedi said. The material has long been used to promote healing in China. But rose quartz or stainless steel are also popular.
Using a face roller involves rolling the stones across your face. Light pressure and a gentle, outward rolling motion are best, Trivedi said. Avoid aggressive back-and-forth movements, which can irritate the skin. A five or 10-minute session is sufficient, and you can even use it once or twice a day, she said.
Some face roller aficionados stick the rollers in the refrigerator to cool the stones. “Cooling can naturally help inflammation,” Trivedi said. Some also use rollers to apply skincare products, believing the roller presses lotions or serums into the skin for better absorption. “That’s not a well-supported claim with the rollers in particular,” she cautioned.
Do face rollers actually work?
But do they work? Bottom line: It’s a superficial treatment, Trivedi said. “There are really no permanent anti-aging effects that have been supported by the literature with face rollers.”
However, the rolling motion may at least briefly improve blood flow to the skin and drain excess lymphatic fluid, which circulates through our body as part of our immune system. Face rollers can temporarily de-puff the skin and improve circulation and blood flow, like any massage. “But there are no long-term benefits for anti-aging,” she said. “It’s not going to give you that face lift or collagen building to the significant degree where you start to see improvement of fine lines or wrinkles.”
Should you use a face roller?
Some people shouldn’t use a face roller, including those with sensitive skin or conditions like eczema, rosacea or acne. “You want to avoid creating … micro tears in the skin,” Trivedi said. “If you have rosacea or eczema, you want to be careful not to create sort of a rug burn [on the skin].”
Similarly, be careful when using face rollers in conjunction with an exfoliating chemical like tretinoin, a retinoid medicine used for acne or wrinkles, or Vitamin C. “You want to be careful because your skin’s already more sensitive, and that can definitely make it more susceptible to tearing,” she said.
And don’t use a face roller if it isn’t clean. Before and after each use, Trivedi recommends cleaning the roller thoroughly with an alcohol-based cleanser. But that might damage some stones, so you also can use soap and water. “One of the things it can potentially do is roll around bacteria and things that you don’t want to be rolling around your skin, which can worsen acne and spread bacteria into open wounds if you have them,” she said.
Ultimately, Trivedi said face rollers can be a useful tool, but only if you have realistic expectations. They’re not going to give you a dramatic, permanent transformation, but if you enjoy the ritual of it, there’s no harm in incorporating it into your routine, she said.
And she notes that the act of facial massage, whether with a roller or by hand, can help with stress reduction and promote a sense of wellbeing. So, while face rollers may not be the answer to more youthful skin, they can still have a place in a balanced skincare routine, Trivedi said. “Massage can help with soothing and relaxation. It’s really kind of a nice way to unwind from your day.”
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