Jade Rollers

[GeneChing]

Gigi, our Publisher Emeritus, has always kept these in her desk.

Jade rollers: how the West fell for Traditional Chinese medicine-inspired facial beauty tool that’s old hat to many in China
Lauded for their supposed ability to tone, de-puff and brighten facial skin, jade rollers are a hit with Western beauty bloggers and celebrities like Meghan Markle and Rachael Ray – but not with their Chinese counterparts

PUBLISHED : Monday, 17 September, 2018, 7:17pm
UPDATED : Monday, 17 September, 2018, 8:07pm
Jessica Rapp



Paraded as one of the simplest solutions to facial perfection, the jade roller has swept across Western social media like wildfire. From top beauty bloggers and vloggers to celebrities including Meghan Markle and Rachael Ray, all swear by the ancient Chinese tool for its ability to tone, de-puff and brighten facial skin.

In China, things are a lot different. The jade roller is not a new fad, but a centuries-old device with properties based around ideas in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

“During the Qing dynasty, emperors used the power of jade to draw out negative ‘chi’ [energy],” explains Misty Stewart, spa director at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong. “Jade rollers have been considered a long-guarded treasure by Chinese royalty. In Chinese medicine, jade is referred to as the ‘stone of heaven’ and represents health, wealth, longevity and prosperity.”

Unlike their Western counterparts, Chinese beauty bloggers are not gushing over the ancient derma rollers and sending followers to e-commerce sites to buy their own. In China, rollers can be found atop hawkers’ dusty tables in front of tourist sites like the Forbidden City, which is where Beijing resident Hellen Shen found hers a number of years ago.


A jade roller sold by New York’s Ling Skin Care chain.

Shen says at first she simply thought the tool was beautiful, and it mostly sat in her room unused. Later, she saw one of the characters in a popular Chinese television drama, Empresses in the Palace, using a jade roller, and it inspired her to use it more often. She now keeps it in her fridge to enhance the jade stone’s natural cooling properties and uses it to massage facial oil into her skin, using gentle, circular motions.

New York-based facialist Ling Chan, who grew up in Hong Kong, has a theory as to why jade rollers blew up in the US.

“The internet spreads ideas very quickly, and everyone wants to learn beauty secrets from Asia,” she says. “Plus, it’s easy to get and to use. It’s such a low investment that everyone can do it.”


Jade rollers to be used in a facial treatment

Compared to the often pricey single-use face masks that K-beauty is known for, and hi-tech Japanese facial massagers available at Saks Fifth Avenue, the jade roller certainly stands out for its affordability. One can cost as little as US$10 on Amazon (and they can run even cheaper on Taobao), but Ling warns that consumers should make they are getting real jade. She sells her own version of the roller for US$90, which she says is priced for its quality – for one, the metal does not squeak on the stone when rolled.


Ling Skin Care branch in New York.

Chan introduced the tool at her Ling Skin Care outposts in Manhattan after first coming across one at a tourist site during a trip to China.

The jade roller treatments are popular for people that prefer a natural alternative to technology MISTY STEWART

Sceptics argue that the roller is no more than a massage tool that possibly helps drain lymph nodes and has anti-inflammatory properties. Chan, however, is so set in her belief in jade that she uses the stone in her other daily routines as well. In 2002, she even made headlines for sleeping with a 9-inch by 15-inch (23cm by 38cm) jade pillow.

But despite its accessibility, is the jade roller just another 24-carat gold Korean beauty mask or unicorn body scrub for millennials?

Celebrities in the beauty and wellness industry are always looking for the next all-natural, accessible, DIY fad. Lifestyle brand Goop, for example, which drew criticism for promoting jade eggs to improve sexual health, is now touting derma rollers made from rose quartz – a crystal associated with love in feng shui – that are supposed to have similar soothing effects on the skin as jade.


An antique jade roller

Meanwhile, facials based on the principals of gua sha – a TCM-based detoxing technique that involves repeatedly scraping the skin with a smooth, blunt instrument – have recently appeared. Performed to cure breakouts or relieve dryness, the process involves dragging a slim slab of jade or rose quartz across the skin of the face.

Back in China, jade is being injected into spa packages in the form of luxurious, traditional Chinese experiences as more spas embrace a combination of both modern and traditional wellness techniques. The Chi Spa at Beijing’s China World Summit Wing hotel, for example, offers an “Empress Imperial Jade Journey”, a three-hour full body scrub and massage, topped off with a jade facial.


Interior of the spa at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong.

Stewart says the “Imperial Jade Ritual” at the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong spa – which features jade roller facials – is one of their most popular. The two-hour service starts with a herbal compress and reflexology to open meridian energy lines, then moves on to a Chinese-style massage followed by a sesame and ground-rice scrub, and then a green tea and algae body mask. It finishes with a ginseng face mask massaged in with jade rollers, “ensuring equilibrium in mind and body”.

“The jade roller treatments are popular for people that prefer a natural alternative to technology,” Stewart says. “Many guests of ours have bought jade rollers at our retailer after the treatment so they could continue to use them at home and enjoy the benefits.”

Chan, however, believes millennial Chinese consumers are not going to be flooding their WeChat Moments feed with the tool any time soon.

“Every Chinese consumer knows the benefits of jade, but they love to look to the West for inspiration,” she says. “Consumers in China are constantly chasing the trends on the other side of the world.”

THREADS
TCM and Beauty Tips
Jade

[GeneChing]

I gave out some jade rollers as stocking stuffers for xmas. They are all over SF Chinatown, and like anything there, prices and quality really varies.

Wellness
Jade rollers: Wrinkle-fighting wonder cure or pointless (yet pretty) sham?


(iStock)
By Elizabeth Kiefer January 14

When I was a kid, my grandmother kept a clean metal spoon in the refrigerator. If her allergies would act up — or whenever she felt like her under-eyes were puffy — she would pull the cold spoon out and roll the rounded back beneath her eyes, for 30 seconds each. It’s a cheap, easy beauty hack I regularly use myself these days. It is also a comparable yesteryear version of today’s jade roller craze.

For the unfamiliar, a jade roller is pretty much what it sounds like: a hand-size, paint-roller-like apparatus with a cylinder of jade stone at one end. Jade rollers are said to have been a part of beauty routines among Chinese elites since the Qing dynasty, which began in the early 17th century; people who associate stones with certain properties claim jade has a special ability to heal and soothe.

Flash forward a few hundred years: In 2018, jade rollers were all the rage on Instagram, beloved by beauty bloggers across the globe. Their popularity can be attributed to their position at the intersection of two trends: increasing interest in both self-care and “natural” wellness products. You can acquire a jade roller for $12.99 on Amazon.com or $40 at Sephora; if you prefer rose quartz, that’s an option, too — for $45 on Goop.com.

Some evangelists claim that the rolling motion of the stone on your face can help clear toxins and decrease puffiness, while others assert much loftier results: that regular use of jade rollers can erase wrinkles, stimulate collagen, tighten pores and potentially improve inflammatory skin conditions. They’re often touted as an “anti-aging” tool (a phrase some beauty circles, such as Allure magazine, have banned).

In reality, explains Suzanne Friedler, a Manhattan-based dermatologist, jade rollers are about as effective as any form of facial massage when done correctly. “Any time you massage any of the tissues, you’re increasing circulation. Your skin may look brighter, more luminous, maybe more contoured and less puffy,” she says. “But if you’re looking for substantive change, that’s not going to happen with the jade roller. It’s also not going to have an effect on inflammatory conditions like eczema or psoriasis.”

Susan Bard, a dermatologist with Manhattan Dermatology Specialists, says that people need to be wary about the potential for jade rollers to transmit bacteria — if you’re not disinfecting your roller, you may wind up doing more harm than good — and about overly aggressive usage. “The coldness of the stone can certainly help reduce puffiness. But the drawbacks are if you rub too vigorously, you can actually aggravate acne or create irritation.” She agrees that using a roller regularly can have some skin-deep benefits, but adds that it’s not the jade itself that’s the special ingredient.

The heart keeps our blood moving throughout the circulatory system at a regular clip. But lymphatic system fluid — which contains white blood cells and plays an important role in protecting the body from germs and disease — flows more slowly and can be helped along manually. Massage in any form can decrease puffiness by helping to move retained fluid (known as lymph) out of areas where it has gotten stuck, Bard explains. Meanwhile, coldness, from a stone or even a metal spoon, can decrease inflammation by causing blood vessels to contract.

Elizabeth Taylor, owner and lead aesthetician of True Beauty Brooklyn in New York, regularly incorporates manual lymphatic drainage into her facials. There are upward of 300 lymph nodes (essentially, checkpoints where lymph gets filtered for infection) in the face and neck, Taylor says; facial massage can help get the lymph moving and drained away. In turn, that can make your face look more contoured and give your skin that sought-after glow.

The good news is that you can also pull this off on your own: Using a face oil, serum or a silky face wash, pinch your thumb and forefinger together and, starting from the center of your chin, gently push backward along your jawline a few times. Then, place your ring finger next to your inner eye and, with light pressure, trace a half circle underneath your eyes, up to the temples. Finally, place the tips of all 10 fingers in the center of your forehead and draw your fingers outward. At the very least, the massage itself feels great.

If you do see an extra glow or reduced puffiness, don’t get too excited. “These are all temporary results,” Friedler says. Facial massage — with a stone or otherwise — is not a magical cure for all your skin complaints. Claims that using a jade roller helps stimulate collagen — the main structural protein of the skin — lack veracity: According to Friedler, the only way to do that is to traumatize the collagen with laser treatments, acid peels or retinoids.

Bard supplied one more caveat for anyone hopping on the “natural skin care” bandwagon. “There are natural things that do have benefits, like aloe, and there are natural things that you wouldn’t want to put on your face — like poison ivy. Just because something has been around for a million years doesn’t mean it’s the best option. Scientifically proven products are always the best ones to go with.”

THREADS
TCM and Beauty Tips
Jade

[GeneChing]

Jade-Rollers now has its own thread independent of the TCM and Beauty Tips and Jade threads.

Wait—Do Jade Rollers Actually Do Anything for Your Skin?
Cosmopolitan
Brooke Shunatona
Cosmopolitan August 23, 2019


Photo credit: Jeffrey Westbrook/Studio D Stylist: Alma Melendez

From Cosmopolitan

Depending on who you ask, jade rollers are the be-all and end-all of skincare tools… or they're just a pretty decoration for your vanity. So what's the truth here? We turned to Sandra Lanshin Chiu, founder of the holistic healing studio Lanshin in Brooklyn and expert in Chinese medicine dermatology, and Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, M.D., dermatologist and founder of Entière Dermatology in NYC to answer the perennial question, "Should I buy this or will I be mad I wasted my money?" Keep on scrolling to find out what they had to say.

Do jade rollers actually work?

Wellll, that really depends on what your goal is here. Are jade rollers the magical cure-all for your acne breakouts and wrinkles, like some make it out to be? Sorry to disappoint, but no. Jade rolling can, however, reduce puffiness temporarily by increasing lymphatic drainage, according to both Chiu and Levin. As far as improving product penetration, that's where they differ. While Chiu says it can help, Levin says there's really no science to back that up. All that's to say, if you don't expect any miracles and you like the way it smooths on your products, then yeah, jade rolling might work for you.

Is a rose quartz or jade roller better?

~Technically~ jade rollers are made with (you guessed it) jade stones, but you've likely seen other gemstones used in face rollers, like rose quartz. So can you just pick yours out based on the color you like or will it make a difference? According to Chiu, the stone doesn't really matter. "Variations in the type of stone won’t effect results," she says. "The key is good technique plus consistency."

Should you use a jade roller after moisturizer?

Though it might not work to push the products any deeper into your skin, jade rolling 100 percent feels better when performed after moisturizing. To get the skin properly hydrated beforehand, Chiu suggests first spraying a hydrating mist or applying an alcohol-free toner and gently patting it into the skin. Then, smooth on a hydrating serum, followed by your hydrating mist again. To lock it all in, finish with a few drops of a natural face oil, and you're ready to rock and roll (and, no, I'm not even a little bit sorry for that pun).

How do you use a jade roller?

Let me guess—you got your jade roller, did a couple haphazard strokes across your face, and called it good, right? While that might feel good and everything, there is a proper method and reason for jade rolling, so let's take sec to go over that first. As Chiu describes it, "Jade rolling is a simple technique derived from ancient Chinese Medicine using a roller to apply pressure to the skin and underlying tissue, creating movement beneath the surface." Jade rolling is kinda like foam-rolling your face, though it definitely isn't as painful as working through tight muscles on your body. In fact, if it hurts, you're def doing it wrong.

So what is the right way to use a jade roller? Hint: not like a paint roller on a wall. Instead of pushing the tool back and forth and in every which way, Chiu says to work in specific directions depending on what you're trying to target. After hydrating your skin to prep, follow her steps for face rolling, below:

Neck: Start with the neck to open channels of circulation. Place the roller in the back at the top of your neck, and roll downwards along the sides. Then, move to the front and roll from the jawline down to the collarbone.

Cheeks: Place the roller in the middle of your face, and push it outward toward the sides.

Forehead: Roll from your hairline down to your eyebrow. Then, take the roller between your brows and pull it horizontally towards your temple and repeat on the other brow.

Eyes: Gently roll horizontally from the outer corner of your eye toward the inner corner and repeat on the other eye.

How often should you use a jade roller?

It's important to note that the results won't last forever, so to see any effects, you'll have to keep it up. Chiu suggests using your jade roller on a daily basis and whenever you do your skincare routine.

Should I keep my face roller in the fridge?

As nice as it might feel to glide ice cold stones across your puffy face, Chiu says they generally avoid using cooler temps to treat the body in Chinese medicine. "Although a cold roller can feel nice, cold contracts circulation and the actual purpose of rolling is to increase circulation," Chiu says. "I encourage everyone to focus on good rolling technique, rather than on the gratifying feel of a cold tool."

One exception: Both Chiu and Levin say that if you're experiencing allergies or a sunburn, a cool jade roller can help soothe the skin. Chiu suggests first washing the tool with warm, soapy water to get rid of any product that could exacerbate the skin reaction, then gently roll over the affected area with a cold roller.

Final Thoughts

Jade rolling is a good first step for anyone interested in natural skincare, but if you're looking for a tool and technique for a more sculpted look, Chiu suggests Gua Sha, a similar but different technique used in Chinese medicine, instead.



In other words, jade rollers aren't the magic wands they're sometimes touted to be. Will they overhaul your skin? That's more myth than truth, but they feel really freakin' good and make an otherwise mundane skincare routine much more fun—and that, my friends, is fact.