How to Use a Jade Roller: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ever wondered what are those things on every skincare guru’s IG which looks exactly like paint rollers? I know right, I have been there too. Those are some super useful skin care tool called Jade Rollers. And today I am going to talk everything about this magic tool, starting from the benefits of using a jade roller to how to use it properly.

Most of you might be thinking “hey it’s a roller, it will just roll… why should I need to know how to use it?”. You are right. Motion towards any direction do increase blood circulation on your skin. But rolling the jade roller into wrong direction won’t let you have proper lymphatic drainage, which is one the major purposes of using a jade roller. That’s why it important to know the right way of jade rolling to have the full advantage.

Where was it originated?

Although it is trending now, jade stone and its use into skincare started since early 17th century in China. A flat jade stone was a part of anti-aging skin care regimen which used to be stroked or circled on facial skin. This “skin scraping” technique has the ability to encourage the circulation under the skin, boosting collagen. As a result it was an important part of the ritual for youthful skin.

In Chinese medicine jade is considered as a “cleansing stone” which can eliminate toxins and make your skin glow. You would be surprised to know in Qing dynasty, the emperors believed jade can draw out negative ‘chi’ [energy] and used it frequently.

It is evident that Chinese culture has always put so much importance in this healing stone and considers this as a symbol of goodness and beauty. In fact there is a Chinese saying about jade stone, “Gold has a value; jade is invaluable”

Does a jade roller actually work?

If you ask me, my answer would be YES, IT DOES.

I have four major reasons for that :

First : the principle behind this tool to show results is quite credible. Jade rolling promotes lymphatic drainage as a result improve the skin by reducing fine lines, wrinkles, and eye bags.

Now what is this lymphatic drainage?

Our body has lymphatic system which is an important part of our immune system. The lymphatic system is made hundreds of lymph nodes, and drains fluid called lymph. In case of the face’s lymphatic system, the whole system is connected to lymph nodes around the ears and the lymph flushes down through neck.

When your lymphatic system is disturbed, fluids start to build up. And the bad news is this fluid is full of toxins, viruses, bacteria and what not. That’s where a specialized type of massage therapy named lymphatic drainage comes in.

Massaging with jade stones stimulate the acupuncture energy points of face and neck. As a result the movement of lymph is encouraged. Also the flow of blood to face and neck are normalized. Which reduces the facial pressure and your face looks radiant and smooth.

Second: jade is naturally a cool stone. The coolness of this stone can soothe and calm your skin as well. That is why using it regularly makes skin radiant.

Third: Massaging your skin with a jade roller stimulate circulation and lessen the appearance of wrinkles. So it is an anti-aging tool too.

Fourth : my skin looked much much better after I started using jade roller. Although in the beginning I was quite skeptical but my husband was complimenting me more than before so yeah I believe in its magic now!

How to use a jade roller on face?

Okay time to start rolling!

But before that : I want to remind you that you can jade roll your face after you cleanse or anytime you think your skin needs it. I always prefer to use it after cleansing my face.

Step 1: It’s better to start rolling from the center of the face. Put the larger side of the roller under the eyes and cheekbones and start rolling with 4/5 gentle short strokes towards your ears. Do it on both side of the face.

Step 2: Next, move the roller down to the jawbone. Do 4/5 gentle short strokes moving from your chin towards the bottom of the ears.

Step 3: After that, put the same side of the roller on the forehead. And roll in an “out and up” motion for 4/5 times . 

Step 4: Finally, use the smaller part of the jade roller and roll your under eye area. While rolling this delicate area, be very careful. And apply 7/8 gentle strokes. The direction of the rolling should be from the inner side of the eye towards the outer corner. Also do not forget to roll above your brows in the same way.

Step 5: To finish the rolling, move into your neck.

How to use a jade roller on neck?

The funny thing is a lot of people jade roll their face but forget the neck!

As I mentioned before the lymphatic fluid goes down from the face through the neck. If you ignore the neck, the lymphatic drainage will be incomplete. In fact doing only neck rolling sometimes might help you get the lymph movement.

Think your neck as the passage from where the fluid gets to the bloodstream from the face. If the passage is not clear enough, no matter how much you roll your face, the drainage won’t be effective.

Thus finish the rolling with gently pressing the jade roller 6/7 times from jawbone towards the collarbone.

This step is so important that some dermatologists put emphasize on neck rolling more than the face.

How often should you use a jade roller?

You can use it as many time as you want. Whenever you need to get rid of that puffy eyes or face, go grab it. It’s simply like a massage to your face.

I use it once a day. Either on the morning or at night. If I have a sleepless night or it’s too humid, I usually use in the morning. Otherwise I use it at night.

But what about those who don’t have time ? I would say if you are too busy or lazy or don’t bother to have a routine: try to include the jade roller at least 3 times in the week.

How can you tell a fake jade roller?

I am happy that you asked! But if you follow some steps you can tell:

-The most jade rollers used till date has either been made of serpentine or xiuyan jade which are not real jades. Look for only 2 types of jade, jadeite and nephrite

-If the jade stone in your roller is too perfect….I am sorry then its a FAKE! Real jade stones are full of flaws like milky swirls and black spots.

-If you are still unsure, just hold it up to a bright light. If you spot little fibrous intertwinings like veins, it’s probably genuine nephrite or jadeite.

-Another good way to check is by checking its temperature. One of the jade roller hacks is: they are very cool to touch and will maintain its coolness, no matter what the environment is. So, take your jade stone in your palms. When the stone will be warm due to the touch of your hand, set it aside for several seconds. And then take it back to your hand. If the stone feels cool again, congratulations, it is real.

-And last but not the least, if your jade roller is super cheap, don’t be excited cause it might be a fake.

What are some jade roller hacks?

There are millions of jade roller hacks, but let me start:

– Always put your jade roller in fridge. Specially if you intend to use it in the morning. It will help the blood vessels on your skin to contract, creating a tightened feeling which will depuff your face.

-You can use your jade roller to put your sheet mask. I know sheet masks are hard to set on your face. But with jade roller you can spread the sheet on your face properly without even touching it. On top of that the skin will absorb the better.

-This one is my fav. This jade roller hack is for those who use facial oils. Personally I don’t like oil on my hands (on my face yes cause its super useful!). Drop 2/3 drops on your jade roller and roll it on your face. In this way you will use less oil on your face, so it will look less shiny. And oil will be absorbed properly too.

-You can repeat the jade roller hacks no 3 to apply your serum or moisturizer as well.

-Jade roller is also very useful in applying eye cream. Just put 4/5 pea-sized dots of eye cream on your contour area and let the roller roll!

–Your face is looking tired and you have to go for a date? No worries! Just cleanse your face and roll a jade roller which has been on the fridge. Boom! You have a refreshed face now!

-Another bonus jade roller hack is: it helps to get rid of stubborn sinus blockages! Okay I know this is not related to skin care but I have terrible sinus problems. But after I started rolling, I am seeing less and less congestion.

To wrap up…

Jade roller is not only a trend, it has a history and science-backed reasons to be useful. On top of that, it’s super easy to use. So if you are not using it yet, maybe it’s time to include it in your skin care routine.

Want to learn more?

If you are new to skin care, you can check my article about 5 skin care mistakes I learned from my own experience here.

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