The Retro Beauty Trick My Grandmother Taught Me For Instantly Depuffed Skin

Something that becomes more noticeable as time marches on is how easily our faces show any sign of stress, sleeplessness, a bit too much salt, or that glass of wine. Puffiness and inflammation might be naturally occurring, but I’ve never quite appreciated the time it takes to feel ready to take on the day sans eyes puffed half-shut—and a cup of coffee doesn’t necessarily do the trick. However, as I lamented the issue to my grandmother, she offered a tip that apparently many Southern women have known about and used for a long time to combat puffiness and feel their best before all of the fancy face tools and routines became popular, and it doesn’t require purchasing anything at all. All it takes is to “wake up your face,” as she says, by putting your face in ice water.

Dunking your face in a bowl of ice water doesn’t sound all too appealing, but if the benefits outweigh the discomfort, I’d be willing to give anything a try. After a week of religiously making an ice-water bowl for my face each morning and dunking for around 30 seconds, I could definitely notice a difference, particularly on days when I woke up with puffiness. It seems like reducing puffiness is easily the biggest benefit, as well as feeling and looking way more awake than when just using my usual morning routine, which includes a slew of products. 

On days when I know that I’ll be putting on makeup early—or before any event for that matter—I find that it makes me feel more confident and “tightened-up” before (and after) I apply skin-care and makeup. Not to mention, whenever I wake up groggy, extra tired, or a bit dehydrated from a fun night before, it’s like an instant kickstart. For only taking around 30 seconds, the quick dunk is worth it, proving that sometimes old-school beauty tips are just better.

The Benefits of Putting Your Face in Ice Water

Puffiness and redness ultimately stems back to inflammation, and cold water is a quick way to reduce inflammation by restricting blood vessels. In essence, restricting those blood vessels in the face can instantly reduce puffiness and dullness by “waking up the face,” as well as calm any redness or irritation. It can also reduce the appearance of pores, which results in a smoother-looking complexion overall and potentially less oil coming to the surface throughout the day. As the blood vessels slowly open back up, a naturally radiant flush is left behind, which is why ice-water facials are said to make your skin more glowy. 

Esthetician and skincare-expert Renée Rouleau even suggests adding witch hazel to the ice water to further the benefits. “Cold temperatures shrink capillaries and stimulate drainage, while witch hazel has natural anti-inflammatory, puffiness-reducing properties,” she writes.

How To: At-Home Ice-Water Facial

1. Fill up a bowl with ice and water, and allow it to sit a few seconds until fully cold.
2. Dunk your face for 30 seconds, either all at once or in small increments if that is easier. The shock of the cold water can make it difficult to stay underwater for some!
3. For extra depuffing, follow with using a gua sha or face roller, always aiming out and down to get rid of excess facial fluid. 

Seeing as I won’t be giving up tacos and Ranch Waters anytime soon, I’ll happily keep ice-water face baths in my morning routine rotation in the future. Amongst the ”Outdated” Southern Beauty Tricks That Still Work, this one might be my favorite.