Reader question: “What is the right way to use a jade roller?” —Paula Shelton If you think face rollers are all hype, consider this: Dermatologists and aestheticians agree that these tools deliver some seriously legit skin benefits. And hey, even the biggest roller skeptics can’t deny that it feels pretty heavenly (read: highly addictive). Although face rollers have become fairly mainstream in the skincare world, here’s a quick explainer. Face rollers are usually made of “healing stones”—jade, rose quartz, and amethyst being the most common—that have been smoothed and attached to a convenient handle. That’s not to say they’ll magically eliminate your eczema, but it is naturally cool to the touch and great for helping reduce redness and irritation. You’ll notice that a traditional roller comes with two ends—a larger side for the larger areas of your face (cheeks, jaw, forehead) and the smaller side for the smaller areas of your face (undereyes, brows, etc.). You can utilize this to roll skincare serums into your face, maximizing absorption and ensuring an equal distribution of product. But that’s not all—the rolling movement itself has benefits too. It’s great if you carry a lot of facial muscle tension because the pressure acts like a deep tissue massage for your face. Another plus: depuffing, since the massaging action encourages lymphatic drainage by stimulating the lymph nodes to drain fluid from the face. “We use the roller to help lessen crease depth of nasolabial folds, lymphatic drainage, and lessen undereye puffiness,” says Loretta Ciraldo, M.D., FAAD, a board certified derm in Miami, and founder of Dr. Loretta skincare. “Also, the roller can help massage skin and underlying subcutaneous fat pads into an upward motion. I’ve taken photos of my own face before and after using a roller and there is significant lessening in the nose-to-mouth creases.” That being said, if you want to reap all the above benefits, you have to roll correctly. Otherwise, your rolling may be rendered moot—or worse, have an adverse effect. Below are some of the most egregious rolling mistakes you can make.
