If you’re ever feeling puffy, red, swollen, or just want a little lift, might we suggest reaching for one of the best ice rollers? Whether you’re recovering from a long night out, a salt-heavy snack binge, or a good cathartic cry, a quick ice rolling session can help mask the evidence and leave your skin looking refreshed. Gone are the days of dunking your face into a bowl of Saratoga ice water—ice rollers are portable, easy to grip, and even easier to use.
Vogue’s Favorite Ice Rollers:
Rooted in ancient practices, cold-water therapy not only has has the potential to benefit skin, but to soothe achy muscles, ease stress, and stimulate focus. And thankfully, today’s tools make it easier than ever to incorporate small cryo treatments into your daily routine. Below, we asked three experts to break down everything you need to know—from how an ice roller works to when the best time of day is to use it for maximum results. Plus, we’ve rounded up 12 expert-approved favorites worth
Best Overall: StackedSkincare Ice Roller
- Why We Love It: Although pricier than some of the other options on this list, this ice roller is worth the investment if you’re looking for a tool you’ll never have to replace. Made from professional-grade stainless steel, it stays cooler longer than traditional glass globes and is built to last. The handle is comfortable to hold, so your hands won’t cramp mid-routine, and the egg-shaped barrel makes it easy to reach trickier areas like the under-eyes.
- Material: Stainless steel
- Freezable: Yes
Best for Sculpting: Angela Caglia Gold Cryo Facial Set
- Why We Love It: An all-time favorite of esthetician Josie Bisetti, this tool stands out for its ergonomic shape, which she says is ideal for both draining and sculpting the face. Esthetician Elizabeth Grace Hand adds, “The shape is perfect to grip under the cheekbone, maximizing sculpt. The gel-filled wands depuff the skin so quickly, giving professional cryo facial results at home.” They do need to be refrigerated or placed in the freezer before use, but according to Bisetti, they stay colder longer than any other cryo roller on the market thanks to their gel-filled technology.
- Material: Gold-plated gel-filled wands
- Freezable: Yes
Best for Contrast Therapy: TheraFace Depuffing Wand
- Why We Love It: While not a traditional ice roller, this depuffing wand feels very 2025. “It works great and offers a heat therapy setting which promotes better product absorption into the skin,” says Bisetti. There are three temperature settings to choose from, and the cooling option works similarly to an ice roller—offering cooling benefits that soothe swelling, refresh tired eyes, and refine the look of pores. Thanks to its compact size, Bisetti also notes that it’s the “perfect tool for travel.”
- Material: Plastic, copper/aluminum alloy
- Freezable: No
Best Affordable: Esarora Ice Roller
- Why We Love It: According to board-certified dermatologist Dr. Teresa Song, this ice roller is both affordable and effective. It features a wide surface area for quick, efficient treatment and has a detachable head for easy cleaning. Plus, it comes in 10 shades, so no matter your style, there’s one that feels uniquely you.
- Material: Plastic
- Freezable: Yes
Best Hands Free: Shark Cryo-Recovery Lifting Face Mask
- Why We Love It: “This mask combines cryotherapy and LED technology to deliver a dual treatment, with added pads specifically designed for the under-eye area,” says Dr. Song. If you’re in a time crunch or simply don’t have the energy for another beauty tool, Hand says, “It’s perfect for those mornings when you’re feeling particularly puffy but don’t have the energy to do anything about it. It’s like putting your face into an ice bucket, minus the wetness.”
- Material: N/A
- Freezable: No
Best for Travel: Doré Le Glaçon Facial Ice Roller
- Why We Love It: Beauty doesn’t take a break on vacation, and Hand never travels without this ice roller, calling it “the perfect travel roller” thanks to its compact size and lightweight design. You can use it anywhere on the face, including the under-eye area to target dark circles and puffiness. And don’t forget the neck—it’s especially important for lymphatic drainage, tightening, and lifting.
- Material: Stainless steel
- Freezable: Yes
Best for Facial Tension: Nurse Jamie Super Cryo Massaging Orb
- Why We Love It: This massager can be used on the face, jawline, neck, and even the arms and legs, either on clean, dry skin or paired with your favorite serum or moisturizer. Instead of freezing the orb, the brand recommends placing it in the refrigerator for 30 to 60 minutes, where it will stay cool for up to six hours. You can also warm it up by placing it in a bowl of warm water for the same amount of time. It’s especially effective for TMJ and releasing facial tension. Plus, the orb is removable, making it extra easy to clean.
- Material: Stainless steel
- Freezable: No
Best Cryo Globes: Jenny Patinkin Cryo Glow Globes
- Why We Love It: For the full at-home spa experience, you’ll want a pair of cryo globes. They may take a minute to get the hang of, but once you do, they’ll easily become part of your daily routine. The key is to use a gentle rocking or gliding motion, moving in an upward and outward direction across the face and jawline, starting from the center and working toward the temples and ears. You can use the globes across your entire face or focus on targeted areas like the under-eyes or jawline that may benefit from increased circulation.
- Material: Hand-blown glass globes
- Freezable: Yes
Best for Sensitive Skin: Osmosis Beauty Cool Skin Tool
- Why We Love It: Bisetti loves this tool for its patented metal technology, which doesn’t require refrigeration yet stays cool for up to 30 minutes. Instead of placing it in the freezer, the brand recommends keeping it in the refrigerator for an hour or longer to achieve the best cooling effect. “The flat-head design glides easily across the skin, including delicate areas like around the eyes, which makes it especially great for use while masking,” she says. “I recommend purchasing two for a more advanced facial massage.”
- Material: Proprietary solid alloy
- Freezable: No
Best for Depuffing: Omorovicza Cooling Derma-Globes
- Why We Love It: While they’re on the pricier side, Dr. Song explains that these elegantly crafted glass globes are filled with a cooling liquid designed to remain cold longer, for an extended calming effect. “They work better as a facial massage tool and ice roller combined, compared to other roller devices,” she adds. Just be sure to clean them after each use to avoid spreading any germs.
- Material: Glass
- Freezable: Yes
Best for Redness: Skin Gym Ice Roller
- Why We Love It: Few of us are realistically waking up at 4 a.m. to dunk our face into a bowl of ice water every morning. However, you can reap similar benefits with this ergonomic ice roller that super straightforward to use—just be sure to wait a few minutes after taking it out of the freezer or rinse it under water first to avoid irritating the skin. It works beautifully on both the face and neck, and is available in both a stainless steel and cryogel version so you can choose what works best for you.
- Material: Stainless steel
- Freezable: Yes
Best for Full Body: BeautyBio GloPRO Cryo Roller Duo
- Why We Love It: This roller duo includes two attachment sizes to target both larger areas and hard-to-reach contours, explains Dr. Song. She adds that the professional-grade stainless steel head is easy to clean, which is especially important for a tool that lives alongside your frozen produce. The larger attachment can also be used on the body, making it a worthy investment. And if you’re not sure where to start, the brand offers plenty of helpful explainer videos on YouTube.
- Material: Stainless steel
- Freezable: Yes
Best for Headaches: Kitsch Ice Face Roller
- Why We Love It: Another Dr. Song recommendation, this ice roller is compact and travel-friendly with a surgical stainless steel head. “Easy to use, clean, and store,” she says. In addition to helping with puffiness and sore muscles, it can also be used to relieve headaches, as the cold promotes blood circulation to the face and neck.
- Material: Stainless steel
- Freezable: Yes
Everything You Need to Know
According to Dr. Song, cryotherapy commonly refers to a facial treatment that uses cold temperatures to reduce inflammation, boost blood flow, and improve overall skin tone. “In skincare, it typically involves tools like ice rollers or cryo globes to deliver these benefits in a gentle, targeted way,” she explains. “In medical dermatology, cryotherapy refers to the use of liquid nitrogen to destroy certain skin lesions, such as warts and actinic keratoses (precancerous spots).”
Bisetti adds that cryotherapy can also offer brightening benefits by promoting circulation. “There are several tools now on the market that make it easy to do at home,” she says. It’s also worth noting that cryotherapy comes in various forms, with both cosmetic and medical applications. For example, clinical cryo treatments are used to destroy abnormal tissues and treat skin conditions like warts.
Do dermatologists recommend ice rollers?
Ice rollers are typically recommended with caution, warns Dr. Song. “While short-term contact can help reduce puffiness and calm irritation, prolonged exposure may lead to ice burns. When used correctly—briefly and with care—they can be a simple, non-invasive tool to support skin recovery, either before applying skincare or after certain treatments.”
Do ice rollers actually work?
If you’re worried your daily routine might be futile, take comfort in the fact that, according to Dr. Song, ice rollers can temporarily tighten the skin, reduce puffiness, and boost circulation. “Ice rollers work by causing vasoconstriction, which helps reduce swelling. When the skin warms back up, vasodilation occurs, which improves blood flow,” she explains. “Cold contact also causes the arrector pili muscles to contract temporarily, which can help minimize the appearance of pores.”
While the results aren’t permanent, she notes that ice rollers offer a quick and effective fix for morning puffiness or calming inflammation after skin-care treatments.
There are many ways to use cold therapy tools, and a full at-home treatment can take as little as five minutes. Ice rollers come in various shapes, and some are even designed for the body. Just remember that most require cooling in the refrigerator or freezer before use.
Before applying the roller to your skin, Hand recommends briefly running it under water to remove any surface ice and slightly warm the temperature. “Rollers that are too cold can cause irritation,” she says.
After cleansing, apply a serum, moisturizer, facial oil, or anything that provides a bit of slip. Then run the roller along your face using upward and outward motions for up to five minutes. For an extra boost, Bisetti suggests using your roller over a calming or hydrating sheet mask. “When used properly, they can drain fluid from the face to reduce puffiness while also soothing the skin,” she explains. Gently stroke the tool upward and outward over the mask, working around the face.
Ice rollers are also great for targeting under-eye puffiness and dark circles, since the cold helps energize the delicate under-eye area. “For best results, I recommend using an ice roller over eye patches,” Bisetti adds. “Stroke gently from the inner corner toward the nose, up around the lid, and then down toward the ear.”
Dr. Song emphasizes that rollers should always be used on clean skin and with gentle pressure. “Glide the roller from the center of the face outward and upward, and limit contact to one to two minutes per area,” she advises. Don’t forget to clean your roller after each use.
When is the best time to ice roll your face?
Dr. Song says that morning is the ideal time to use an ice roller, as it helps reduce overnight puffiness and refresh tired skin. However, it can also be used post-workout, after sun exposure, or before bed to help calm and soothe the skin.