As someone who writes about health and wellbeing for a living, I’ve done some interesting things for my job. From hot-cold therapy to bodywork massage and multiple types of breathwork, I’m always intrigued to try the latest in the world of wellness.

So, when I saw people talking about the benefits of ice facials on social media, I was immediately intrigued. While it first originated as a method to de-puff the face made popular by Bella Hadid, there’s since been a lot of discussion about its effectiveness in reducing stress and anxiety. 

For those of us who don’t fancy diving into an ice bath, the idea of only having to stick your face in one certainly seems more appealing. But is facial icing an effective tool for reducing stress and anxiety or is it just another social media trend? We asked the experts – and put the technique to the test. 

The name ‘ice facial’ may make it seem like some elaborate eight-step routine, but the technique is delightfully simple.

An ice bath but for the face, all you need to do is stick some ice cubes in a bowl of water and submerge your face for around 10-20 seconds (there’s no specific length of time you should do this for, but you don’t want to hold your breath for too long). You can then repeat this several times if you feel up to it. 

One thing to consider is the bowl you’re using to hold the water. You want to be able to really stick your face in there, not just the tip of your nose, so make sure it’s deep and wide enough to properly submerge your face.

You don’t need to look far on social media to come across people who swear by facial icing to manage their stress and anxiety – but is there any science behind it?

Unsurprisingly, the answer is yes. In fact, according to Gin Lalli, a solutions-focused psychotherapist based in Edinburgh, there are two main ways in which facial icing can help to calm feelings of anxiety and stress. The first is by activating the body’s ‘diving reflex’.

“The diving reflex is a natural physiological response that occurs when the body is exposed to cold water or air,” she explains. “This response is characterised by a slowing of the heart rate, constriction of blood vessels and a decrease in oxygen consumption. It is thought that the diving reflex can help to reduce anxiety and stress by promoting relaxation and reducing the body’s physiological response to stress.”

The second reason why facial icing can be an effective tool for reducing anxiety and stress is the sensory distraction it provides. When you’re feeling anxious, it can be easy to get stuck in your head; cold water can provide a way out. 

“When we focus on the sensation of the cold on our skin, we may be less likely to focus on our anxious or stressful thoughts,” Lalli adds. “It is a distraction – it redirects your mind and takes your thoughts away from the negative anxious ones.”

It’s worth noting that the use of temperature to manage mental health conditions including anxiety isn’t something that emerged online – in fact, it’s a key facet of the TIPP technique, which is used in dialectical behavioural therapy, or DBT (a form of therapy based on CBT adapted for those who feel intense emotions).

The TIPP technique – which stands for temperature, intense exercise, paced breathing and progressive muscle relaxation – provides a framework for people to manage intense emotions, starting with the use of hot and cold stimuli to increase or slow down the heart rate.

For example, someone who is feeling emotionally overwhelmed might use cold therapy – such as submerging their face in ice water – to calm down.  

For the most part, ice facials are safe – you just need to be careful about the impact the water has on your skin. As previously reported by Stylist, using ice on your skin – like during cryotherapy – can put you at risk of developing ice burns, so make sure you’re wary about your exposure.

As you might expect, an ice facial feels, well… cold. While you’d need to give it a go for an extended period of time to really reap the mental health benefits of this technique, I started by trying it out just once – and it was an interesting experience.

First things first, I will say it’s a lot less time intensive than having a cold shower – I tried it during my lunch break on a busy work day, and it took less than five minutes. 

The setup is also relatively easy: I took some ice cubes from my freezer and added them to a bowl of room-temperature water. It took about two minutes for the water to feel properly ice-cold.

As far as the experience goes, I’d say it was more intense than I was expecting. Unlike when you dive underwater in a pool or the sea, dipping your face in a bowl of water feels a lot more claustrophobic, and there were times when I felt a bit like I was drowning. However, after a couple of seconds, the sensation of the ice water hits you, and you can’t really think about anything else. 

I repeated the process two or three times, sticking my face in for around 15 seconds each time. And you know what? While I’m usually not a fan of cold things, it was incredibly refreshing, and I definitely felt more grounded by the time I was done. 

If you want to reap the benefits of ice facials but don’t fancy dunking your face in freezing water, Lalli recommends the following techniques: 

• Massaging an ice cube over your face (wrapped in a flannel or muslin cloth if possible)
• Soaking a flannel in cold water and laying it over your face
• Splashing cold water onto your face
• Using a cooling gel or cooling sheet masks

As mentioned above, you’ll need to be careful to avoid ice burns when using these techniques.

Vagus nerve icing, where you place a cold compress on your chest to stimulate the vagus nerve – the longest nerve in the body that controls the parasympathetic nervous system – can also be effective.  

Images: Getty