Unless you’ve been iiving under a rock lately, chances are you’ve heard about songstress Alicia Keys’ decision to go makeup-free. Personally, my reaction to this — apart from “You go girl!” — was “How on earth does her skin look so amazing and luminous without makeup?” My burning question was recently answered whenn W Magazine got the inside scoop from the woman behind Alicia’s ah-mazing complexion, celebrity makeup artist Dotti. While Alicia barely rocks makeup anymore (let’s face it, she doesn’t really need to!) the pair have been working together for 6 years to get her skin looking as fab as it does now.
While Dotti revealed that the usual things (healthy diet and exercise, a solid skincare regime, regular facial appointments) are behind Alicia’s glowing complexion, she mentioned something else that piqued my interest — jade rolling.
Right now, we’re doing a lot of ice work to tighten skin, bring the blood to the surface. To basically give it the pop that you need. I stick a jade roller in ice, so it’s basically freezing when I roll it over her skin. I really, really work into all those areas where I want blood and water and energy brought to the surface. It brings her skin to life, it practically makes her skin say, ‘Hi. I love you.’
-Dotti via W Magazine
Sounds amazing, right? Having never heard of jade rolling before, I naturally assumed it was some cool new skincare tool all the celebs are using now. But while it’s only recently made its way into holistic spas, jade rolling has actually been a part of Chinese culture for hundreds of centuries.
What is jade rolling?
Traditionally, the semi-precious gemstone jade has been used in Chinese Medicine to draw out negative energy. It has also long been considered a sign of power and immortality. For this reason, it’s thought that a tool was developed to allow rich Chinese woman to roll the gemstone over their faces. Somewhere along the way, the physical benefits of jade rolling on the skin as a form of facial massage were discovered.
What does jade rolling do for your skin?
According to NYC skincare expert, Ling Chan of Ling Skincare, jade rolling can “increase blood circulation, assist lymphatic drainage, and diminish the appearance of fine lines.” It also has an instant brightening effect, can be used to diminish undereye bags and can allow your skincare products to penetrate more deeply into the skin. Basically, it’s the perfect thing to do first thing in the morning if you’ve woken up with puffy, creased and lackluster skin.
How do you use it?
Various holistic salons across the US (including Santa Monica’s Alchemie and Manhattan’s Celia Wong Skin Care) offer jade rolling as a service. While it’s yet to make its way to Aussie shores, you can easily DIY at home. The tools look expensive, but you can actually buy them for around $25 online. Once you’ve got yours, pop it in the freezer for a few hours before you want to use it (this will make it feel extra refreshing!)
Then, cleanse your skin, exfoliate and pop on the products you want to use (whether it’s a serum, moisturiser or mask.) Then, roll your jade roller in an upward motion, from your neck to the forehead. After just a few strokes, your skin should look noticeably smoother and brighter. While there’s no harm in jade rolling every day, most experts recommend doing it 3 to 4 times per week.
