I Tried Jade Rolling. Does it Live Up to the Hype?

By: Lanie Brice ‘24

Jade rollers have gone in and out of fashion in the beauty world for years since 2018, but after seeing them in one too many YouTube videos recently, I decided I needed to try out the practice for myself. Aside from the claims it promotes lymphatic drainage and might help contour your face, I thought that the cool roller might just be soothing, so I figured I didn’t have much to lose. So, one day at Whole Foods, I gave in and picked a pink jade roller off the shelf and decided to finally give it a try.

Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels.

The practice started in Eastern Medicine way before it was trendy with influencers. The use of jade rollers dates back to the Qing dynasty in China where the wealthy used jade in their beauty routines because of the stone’s reputation for having healing powers. It was also thought to be a way to retain a youthful glow. Other claims made about the power of the rollers include tightening pores, erasing wrinkles, or even easing inflammatory skin conditions. Unfortunately, many of these claims seem to overstate the power of these rollers. As Susan Bard notes in the Washington Post, if you aren’t properly disinfecting your roller, it can become a dangerous hub for bacteria and do you far more harm than good for your skin’s health. This is especially important if you often use the roller with a product like moisturizer or over a face full of make-up. 

I have been using my own roller on and off for about a month now. In all honesty, I haven’t been using it with any kind of scheduled frequency, and it’s much more based on when I remember or see it lying on my bathroom counter, so I can’t really speak to any potential cumulative benefits. But luckily for people like me who keep habits only sporadically, the benefits of the jade roller seem to be most significant in the short term. 

In the evening, I find it to be a soothing ritual that combines a pleasant amount of pressure with a nice cooling sensation. It often leaves me feeling refreshed and offers me a chance to try to shuck off some of the stress of the day. In the morning, I tried it a handful of times to reduce puffiness, as that was one of its most highly touted benefits. I honestly can’t tell you whether the de-puffing came from the roller or just being awake longer, moving around, and getting more blood flowing through my body on the whole. While I have enjoyed using my jade roller for the last few weeks and don’t regret the purchase at all, I’m also well aware that all of the benefits I’ve seen could easily be attributed to an abundance of other steps in my morning or evening routine, or even just stem from the natural course of my body systems. I definitely don’t think it’s offered anything miraculous, but I also didn’t intend it to. 

As far as what the experts think, most of the benefits likely come from the small bit of pressure stimulating blood flow through your face, which can help produce more of a glow. Most agreed that jade rollers don’t offer enough pressure to really promote lymphatic drainage or reduce puffiness on their own. Another claim it fails to have enough power to meet is that it will contour or train your facial muscles.

There is also very little evidence that it can aid in stimulating collagen or contribute to nearly any long term benefits. It may work for some as a quick fix to certain aesthetic complaints from a combination of the pressure and cooling, but they are fleeting. Still, some heavily vouch for jade rollers, like Deborah Kruger, who told CNN that one must follow a very particular practice in how they roll their skin to see true benefits. 

Photo by Polina Kovaleva from Pexels.

Many doctors suggest a simple and free facial or lymphatic drainage massage done with your hands could better deliver on a number of the roller’s benefits. Because your hands can apply more pressure than the roller, it often proves to be more effective. 

Overall though, it seems that there’s not much science to support this particular beauty trend. The effectiveness level seems to be personal and dependent on how your body takes to the practice or if you see any connected spiritual benefits. It can be great for seeing short term results for some, but more than anything, I think its greatest value lies in the sense of calm it can offer. If your jade roller allows you to take a quiet, calming moment in the midst of a busy morning or evening, or if it helps you unwind, it could be an invaluable part of your routine.

Personally, I’m going to keep this as an occasional part of my very brief skincare routine more for the mental health benefits it offers. I like that it forces me to slow down for a second, and I find the cool stone quite refreshing. I also feel like it helps with how puffy my face feels when I wake up, which can be quite uncomfortable. I fully acknowledge those benefits could all be placebo, but I like that it offers me the chance to feel like I’m doing something to improve the situation.

More than anything, it’s important to alway keep in mind that there are no instant cures and most things picked up as “trendy” in online beauty spaces likely won’t offer as many quick fixes as claimed on the package. Still, it can be fun to take part in if a healthy understanding of what these practices can really do is kept in place.

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