Skincare routines may be getting more and more complex, but there’s a simple trick that never seems to go out of style: ice cubes. They’re for everyone! Maybe you’re a beauty aficionado who can’t forgo ice facials and ice rolling. Maybe you’re a casual skincare user who just so happens to store eye cream in the fridge because someone told you that would help depuff your eye bags. Maybe you’re not even into skincare, but you do know an ice cube can help calm down an angry pimple. Whoever you are, ice can be good for you–and with AMEŌN frozen essences, it can only get better.
New York-based skincare brand AMEŌN has created a set of skincare ice cubes that bring your skin the best of two worlds: icing, and beautifully formulated skincare products. Available in two versions, these AMEŌN “frozen essences” are so much more than just good old water. They’re a solid, ice cold version of a skincare essence.
But how does it all work? How do you apply a frozen essence? How do you store it? We’re about to find out–but first, a little refresh on the benefits of icing your skin:
The benefits of using ice cubes on your skin
When we talk about the benefits of specific skincare practices, here at Care to Beauty, we like to show you science-based evidence. When it comes to using ice cubes on your skin, however, this evidence isn’t exactly easy to find. If, on the one hand, skincare aficionados and dermatologists all agree that skin icing has its benefits, science has yet to prove it unequivocally.
If you’re interested in exploring the benefits of skin icing, it’s important to understand the difference between benefits that are realistic, and benefits that seem too good to be true.
It’s reasonable to expect, for example, that an ice cube will help reduce puffiness or swelling–very useful for eye bags or a puffy face right after waking up. Applying cold to the skin can also create vasoconstriction (meaning, it can cause your blood vessels to contract), which may help minimize redness over the short term. Last, but not least, skin icing may help reduce inflammation.
As for what ice cubes cannot achieve: they can’t shrink your pores, reduce fine lines and wrinkles, or erase dark spots. It’s important to keep our expectations in check!
Skin icing with a twist: AMEŌN frozen essences
Now that we’ve reviewed the benefits of skin icing, it’s time to get to know a couple of innovative skincare products that have been formulated specifically to take advantage of cool temperatures: the AMEŌN frozen essences.
How to use AMEŌN frozen essences
The AMEŌN frozen essences look like nothing you’ve ever seen before in the world of skincare. Inside each box of AMEŌN frozen essence, you will find something that looks a lot like an ice tray with nine compartments. Each compartment is filled with a liquid skincare essence and sealed with a little piece of foil. Inside the box, you will also find a sealed piece of gauze. Along with your freezer, these elements are all you need to give yourself a cryotherapy-inspired ice facial at home!
To use your AMEŌN frozen essences (or, as they’re often called, AMEŌN ice cubes), place the “ice tray” in the freezer for at least 3 hours. When you’re ready for your ice facial, pop one ice cube from the mold and wrap it in the gauze provided. Now, you can use the wrapped ice cube to massage your face, neck, and décolletage.
You should use your AMEŌN frozen essences as the first step of your skincare routine, after cleansing but before any serums or moisturizers.
How to choose your AMEŌN frozen essence
The AMEŌN frozen essences, or AMEŌN ice cubes, are available in two versions: Supreme Energy (blue) and Glow Manifesto (pink):
The Supreme Energy cubes are perfect for targeting redness and irritation. The formula of this unique frozen essence combines the antioxidant properties of Verbena officinalis and Gardenia florida extracts with the anti-aging benefits of copper lysinate/prolinate, an essential amino acid-mineral complex. Also included in the formula are multi-functional niacinamide, soothing zinc gluconate, and gentle AHAs.
The Glow Manifesto cubes are, as the name suggests, all about that glow. If your skin is a little dull and tired, these revitalizing ice cubes can help you boost its radiance. The formula features soothing Alteromonas ferment extract, brightening niacinamide, and a blend of glow-boosting AHAs: glycolic acid, of course, but also, lactic, malic, and tartaric acids. Antioxidant plant extracts complete the formula, resulting in a skincare essence that’s perfect for overworked skin.
Beyond frozen essences: AMEŌN serums and moisturizers
In addition to the ice cubes of frozen essence, AMEŌN offers three more skincare products with very different benefits. The AMEŌN Baby Buddha Calming Serum is a soothing serum that harnesses the calming properties of edelweiss extract; it’s perfect for sensitive and redness-prone skin. A second serum, the AMEŌN Aurora Glow Serum, is all about boosting brighteness and radiance through the combined benefits of vitamins C, E, and niacinamide.
Finally, the moisturizer: the AMEŌN Holy Cream Diamond Moisturizer is a silky, deeply hydrating moisturizer that works to restore dull skin from the inside out. The formula features hyaluronic acid, of course, but also bio-fermented ingredients, macadamia and jojoba plant oils, and seven (you read that right, seven) different peptides. It’s like three different moisturizers in one!
So, how are we feeling about skin icing, now that you know how it all works? If you’re excited to get started (no cold feet for your!), make sure to drop by the shop and get your favorite AMEŌN frozen essence. Pop them in the freezer, and they’ll be ready for use whenever you need an energizing wake-up call or a glow-boosting facial.
