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It’s 97 degrees in the shade in Tokyo. I like the heat, but this is a bit much. To prevent melting, I’ve adopted this unofficial dress code: a midi or full-length sleeveless shift and these crazy sneaker/sandals that make me feel like I’m walking around a bouncy-house. (Which is potentially dangerous for me, as I don’t want to fall after my recent back surgery; I have to take care with small steps and deep focus. As my always candid granddaughter, M, says, “Grammie, you look riDICulous!”) Bike riders, of which there are many here, often appear in serious get-ups (like the one below) for maximum sun protection.
Anyway, as I was perusing my notes about what I’d like to share this week, I found a link to a trend I think started in Japan called face icing. At first, I thought it might be about coating your face with buttercream frosting (which didn’t seem far-fetched, considering that cream puffs are popular here and that we had a recent encounter with a calamine lotion trend). Rather, it’s about the benefits of gently massaging your face with ice cubes or submerging your face in an ice-filled bowl of water. In the broiling heat, anything involving ice sounded appealing to me and there’s good, simple science behind the temporary benefits of icing. As one commenter on an explanatory video cried, “Finally, a procedure I can afford!”
Basically, icing the face has the same effect as icing an injury. According to the Cleveland Clinic, cold helps drain excess fluids from the lymphatic system, which thereby decreases puffiness. It also constricts the blood vessels, reducing the appearance of pores and wrinkles, which can make your skin look brighter and more radiant. Don’t ice if you have broken capillaries (little spider veins) on your face or if you’re recovering from an in-office procedure. Do ice if it’s 97 degrees in the shade and you’re up for some cool self-care.
Are you the enterprising type? Add a little diluted rose water (for soothing and hydration) or fresh lemon juice (for…well nothing, except maybe tartness) to the ice tray before freezing. Or you could use freshly brewed green tea (which seems extra laborious considering the value). Once the water has frozen, wrap a few cubes in a light cloth (like a cotton handkerchief); applying ice directly to the skin without a cloth barrier could cause redness or even a burn, says HNTFUYF DermDiva Heidi Waldorf. Massage your face in circular motions around the chin, jowls, cheekbones, and forehead.
As for the submersive experience: Early in the morning, before anyone else in the house is up—or any other time you can dunk your face without attracting a crowd—fill a big bowl with cold water and a tray’s worth of ice cubes. Tie back your hair, count to three, then dip your face into the bowl for 10 to 30 seconds. This isn’t the time to go for a new breath-holding record, and you shouldn’t practice dunking for more than 15 minutes a session. After you’ve patted your face dry, apply a serum or moisturizer.
Obviously, don’t expect miracles. Icing your face won’t disappear your jowls or sharpen your cheekbones. It astonished me, however, how well and truly it cooled me off. In fact, it felt as refreshing as a face cleanse, or like waking up on the right side of the bed. One caveat: I wrapped my ice cubes in a thin cotton cloth, which fast became saturated—and drippy. So be prepared with a towel.
For those of you who might think rubbing ice on your face (not to mention writing a post about it) is silly, I refer you to the cryo-facial, an in-office aesthetic procedure that involves spraying the face with sub-freezing air or liquid nitrogen. According to Waldorf, results—reduction of redness, puffiness, and pore size—are temporary, so the treatment is best reserved for the day of a special event. Personally, I’d choose the DIY method and save my lucre for another procedure that offers lasting benefits.
Two skin-related reminders you might find helpful from Dermatology Times.
When you see “clinically proven” on a skincare label, it doesn’t mean the product underwent clinical trials and received FDA approval. It only means the product was given to consumers (like you and me) to try. Nothing against us, but we are a seriously unscientific and subjective group when it comes to what we like and don’t like in our skincare products.
And do you know the difference between a product labeled “unscented” and “fragrance-free?” Unscented products, which can irritate dry skin, generally contain a chemical that covers up the (sometimes unpleasant) odors of other ingredients so you can’t detect them. Fragrance-free products contain no such chemicals. Guess which products are the wiser choice?
Sometimes what’s lost in translation is actually a gem. In the drugstore the other day, I found the perfect gift for all my friends (that means you) who regularly look at their reflection and see something wrong with their face. What you see is not how others see you.
Book Club News
I'm happy to share I'm partnering with Chirp to organize an audiobook club of biographies and memoirs called “Unfiltered Women.” Two things: It’s free to subscribe and Chirp offers great deals. Plus, you obviously get to keep the book to listen to at your leisure.
Here’s how it works. Every other month I’ll announce a new book club pick that we’ll listen to together. You’ll have a chance to share your thoughts on the book a few weeks later and hear what other readers thought, too. My second pick is the memoir H Is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald. I’ve now listened to this book twice and I’m sure I could listen to it again and still get fresh insights into the author and find new poetry in her language. This is a story about how a woman deals with the sudden death of her beloved father by retreating into herself, keeping only one relationship alive: with Mabel, a goshawk she trains. Goshawks are notoriously difficult and Macdonald struggles to domesticate her. Mealtimes are especially grisly, but Macdonald seems immune to the blood and guts she often holds in her bare hands or stuffs into a pocket. She describes in minute detail the primeval, prehistoric beauty of the bird and her intelligence. The fear of abandonment is strong and Macdonald’s grief seems bottomless till she understands viscerally the healing power of human connection. Like me, you’ve probably never considered becoming a falconer—and you’ll be glad you didn’t when you’ve finished this book! But you’ll get inside the head of someone very different from you, and it’s a fascinating place to be.
To get started, go to chirpbooks.com/val and press FOLLOW to join my club. (Again, it’s free and there is NO commitment.) There, for a limited time, you can buy H Is for Hawk for only $2.99 (normally $19.95), including a 50% discount with code VAL50 if it's your first Chirp purchase.
Val Asks You
Don’t be shy! What’s your most vexing or intractable appearance issue? Send your beauty-related questions to valeriemonroe@substack.com. If I don’t have a good answer, I’ll find someone who does.
HNTFUYF, a Payola-Free Zone
Readers, a few of you have wondered aloud to me if I get a cut from sales when I mention a beauty product. I do not. I only mention products I’d like to buy myself, and therefore think you might like, too. I share this so you know my recommendations are offered without obligation. All posts and the archive are free; there’s no paywall. I rely on readers for financial support, so please consider becoming a paying subscriber if you can.
Dear Val, I bet you look cool, calm and serene in your Lululemon shift!
Loved reading your face icing tips. When I was about 12 and fretting about my oily T-zone, my chic paternal grandmother recommended that I massage my face with ice cubes. My mother, who was a nurse, was horrified, sternly telling me that I could wind up with broken capillaries. So I switched to a drugstore product called Ice-o-derm (sp), which was basically a clear gel spiked with alcohol. Yikes!
I think if I had followed your tip to wrap the ice cubes in a cloth my skin would have fared better. This is actually something I’ve done for my cats over the years to cool them off when the weather turns sultry, and they’ve loved it!
For myself, I take my Avéne Thermal Spring Water out of the fridge and spray it all over my face, neck and chest.
If I didn’t already have a few broken capillaries, I would give your ice cube face bath a try. Sounds so refreshing!
Remember that scene in biopic “Mommie Dearest”’when Faye Dunaway as Joan Crawford immerses her face in a bathroom sink filled with ice cubes? Apparently at one point Kate Moss was a fan of Crawford’s alleged icy morning ritual too.
Last but not least, hope your back is feeling better, and glad you’re enjoying your sojourn in Tokyo!
The ice massage sounds quite nice. I wonder what the lame mirror was supposed to be. Trick? Broken? Be careful in those moon bounce shoes!!