As a beauty writer, I’ve never met a facial tool I wasn’t eager to test in pursuit of lifted, clear skin. From gua sha and jade rollers to red light masks and microcurrent devices, I’ve tried them all. I’ve been curious about hot and cold therapies to tackle my chronic undereye puffiness, jaw tension and morning dullness, so I went on a 2-week journey to see what all the hype is about. Read on to find out how I tested cryo-thermal therapy, what I loved about it and the real results I noticed.
What Is Cryo-Thermal Therapy?
Cryo-thermal therapy is having a moment. It’s the practice of alternating between extreme cold (cryo) and heat (thermal) to boost circulation, reduce inflammation and promote tissue healing. You’ve probably used it before in health and medical applications, including treating injuries, relaxing muscles and increasing blood circulation.
Some of the benefits of cryo-thermal therapy translate directly into the realm of beauty. Cold therapy can help reduce inflammation, improve the look of pores, mitigate water retention and puffiness (think undereye bags or puffy cheeks) and can also help treat swelling and redness from acne, allergies, sunburn and other irritations, leaving skin looking refreshed and brightened.
In beauty, cryo-thermal tools deliver these hot-and-cold treatments right at home.
Cold therapy benefits:
- Reduces the look of puffiness and undereye bags
- Minimizes the appearance of pores and redness caused by irritation
- Refreshes and brightens a tired complexion
Heat therapy benefits:
- Enhances serum and oil absorption (think steam, warm stones or stainless steel)
- Relaxes facial tension (hello, jaw clenching)
- Promotes healthy blood flow for a healthier-looking complexion and natural radiance
When combined in a cryo-thermal tool, you get amplified sculpting, depuffing and glow to your complexion, perfect for at-home spa results.
My Cryo-Thermal Sculpting Tool Experience
The puffiness under my eyes has always been an issue for me. I’ve been applying frozen cucumber slices or spoons directly out of the freezer since high school. Ice rollers, running a cube across my skin and even dunking my face in a bowl of ice water have been part of my beauty routine on and off for decades.
So when Eminence Organic Skin Care gifted me their Cryo-Thermal Sculpting Tool, which blends cold and heat therapies, I committed to using it daily for 2 weeks in an effort to treat the puffiness under my eyes, my jaw tension and morning dullness a woke up to daily.
Eminence’s Cryo-Thermal Sculpting Tool seemed like a more streamlined (read: easier) way to achieve the benefits I was looking for. To really get a feel for the results, I used it for 14 days in a row. Because it can be used by warming one side and cooling the other, I was able to hit my problem areas in one go instead of messing with ice cubes and heating pads. Here’s the exact routine I followed and the results I saw with my skin.
My Cryo-Thermal Routine
The Cryo-Thermal Sculpting Tool is designed to be used hot and/or cold. Depending on my issues that day, I sometimes choose one or the other, but I love the double dose of benefits I get from combining both hot and cold.
I start the process by cooling the spoons in ice water for about three minutes to reach optimum temperature and applying a facial oil or thick moisturizer to provide some glide. I concentrate mostly on the parts of my face that need depuffing, beginning with the undereye area, holding the spoons flat there for several seconds. The cool feels so good. Then I move them from the inside of my nose out toward my temples, along my jaw and then down my neck to my collarbone. I repeat this pattern around my face about 8 times.
Next, I heat the spoons in warm water for three minutes and check to make sure they’re warm but not too hot. I reapply my go-to Rosehip Triple C+E Facial Oil and concentrate on my jawline, moving them from my chin to underneath my ears about 8 times. I then move them from my brow bones up to my hairline, from the inner corners of my eyes to my temples and then repeat that motion taking them down my neck to my collarbones.
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My Results
I see more of an improvement to my complexion when I do this in the morning. Usually that’s when I’m at peak puffiness under the eyes and my complexion is a little more dull. The effects are instant and noticeable, especially under the eyes and in my overall glow from the blood flow. I also see a more lifted look to my entire face.
The big benefit of incorporating this into your nighttime skin care routine is that the products I use get absorbed into the skin and I leave them on while I sleep. Really, this routine is great either time of day, so find a time that works with your schedule. Some days I even do it twice. Like I said, I love a facial gadget and the simplicity of this tool makes it an easy addition to my routine. I switch it up depending on my skin’s needs and see both immediate results and longer-term changes in the overall look, feel, and health of my skin.
If you’re interested in trying cryo-thermal therapy, visit your Eminence Organics Spa Partner to find out more.
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