Chill Out

ONE OF THE MOST SOOTHING REMEDIES I often turn to after a breakup or a tragic episode of Euphoria (anything that brings on a good cry) is the simple act of pressing an icycold washcloth against my swollen eye area. Not only does it calm my emotions, it also instantly helps take down some of the obvious inflammation without further stressing out my skin. When I recently completed a four-week bootcamp with esthetician and facialist Vee Mistry of Toronto’s Skin by Vee using her much-ravedabout Gua Sha Cryo Sticks, my soothing ritual was taken to a whole new level. Cryotherapy is redefining cool, inspiring a whole wave of Tik Tok trends (like dunking your face into a bowl of ice) and skincare products, from icy-feeling cleansers to cooling masks. Dermatologically speaking, cryotherapy is a procedure that uses liquid nitrogen at a temperature of -176°C to destroy benign and cancerous skin cells, says Vancouver-based skin care physician Dr. Shehla Ebrahim. “The scientific premise is to remove heat from a biological towels. Her clients loved the results. She credits her Indian heritage with inspiring her to rethink her approach to facials. “In India, where the sun is blaring, my grandparents didn’t have all the techniques, tools and skincare that we do. What they did was wash their faces with cold water,” she says. Mistry developed the Gua Sha Cryo Therapy Sticks as a way for clients to experience cold therapy at home. They work to constrict capillaries while helping to regulate blood flow and circulation. Vee points out that using her Cryo Sticks won’t get rid of inflammatory skin conditions like melasma or rosacea, but they will help reduce the severity. “The immediate benefits are so calming and soothing,” she says. After using them in the morning before my skincare routine, I noticed a significant diference: Any redness from the night before was mostly gone and I looked more awake around my eyes. My jaw and chin looked more sculpted, too. Even if the efect was shortlived, the ritual was pleasant enough for me to return to it morning after morning.

tissue by subjecting it to cold temperatures sufcient enough to cause cell death.” You might have also heard of cryotherapy facials, where vaporized liquid nitrogen is used to supposedly brighten and tighten skin. But these procedures aren’t without risks. It’s important that the practitioner has a solid understanding of the principles of cryotherapy, which can lead to blistering, hypopigmentation and permanent scarring. Dr. Ebrahim adds that there’s no proven long-term benefits to the ice bowl trend on social media. “It may give the illusion of wrinkle reduction, but any benefit is short-lived,” she says. If you’re looking for a safe way to cool down this summer while soothing your complexion, cryotherapyinspired skincare, ice rollers or Mistry’s Gua Sha Cryo Sticks are a good place to start. For years, Mistry steamed her clients’ faces and used hot towels for cleansing during facials, which would cause redness that might last up to 48 hours. To avoid that efect, she started using cold water instead of warm, cut back the steaming and ditched the hot

HAVE A COLD ONE

Keep your summer skincare routine cool with these refreshing picks 1. Formulated with a blend of red algae, menthol, sea kelp extract and sea water plus AHAs, this cooling cleanser works to reduce the look of fne lines and wrinkles.

BOSCIA Cryosea Firming Icy-Cold Cleanser, $42, at Shoppers Drug Mart. 2. These sticks, which can be stored in the freezer, were custom-designed to help sculpt your face while calming, soothing and regulating blood fow.

SKINBYVEE Gua Sha Cryo Sticks, $150, at Skinbyvee.com. 3. Help calm infammation and alleviate tension with this ice roller, which is ideal for alleviating puffy under-eye areas and redness from breakouts.

KITSCH Ice Roller, $18 USD, at MyKitsch.com. 4. Rough night? Wake up your eyes with this serum. Made with caffeine, it helps take on puffness while its metal applicator also cools upon application for a soothing under-eye massage.

CHARLOTTE TILBURY Cryo Recovery Depufng Eye Serum, $78, at Sephora. 5. The salicylic acid, rose water and meadowsweet extract in this mask help to reduce the appearance of pores with a refreshing cooling effect for smooth, glowy skin.

LANCÔME Rose Sorbet Cryo Mask, $52, at Shoppers Drug Mart.