I Gave Myself a Bella Hadid– and Hailey Bieber–Inspired Ice Bath Facial Every Day for 2 Weeks—the Results Say Everything

There I was, mentally floating away at Jess Bowers's facial studio, a private, speakeasy-like slice of West Village heaven. After my coveted hour with the aesthetician—which was nothing short of dreamy, let me tell you—I gabbed with Bowers about the products and treatments she's loving at the moment. Her answer? A gentle exfoliating jelly (which I added to my cart immediately) and a simple, at-home technique—one that doesn't require any fancy tools.

Honestly, ice bath facials will completely transform your skin, she told me. Try it for two weeks and you won't even believe the results. It's as if she unlocked some sort of synchronicity, because I kept seeing these at-home ice bath facials everywhere. They were featured in Hailey Bieber's Met Gala prep, present in Bella Hadid's on-set beauty routine, and popping up all over my TikTok feed, so I decided to finally give Bowers's two-week experiment a whirl—and true to her word, I'm blown away by my skin's response. Scroll ahead to see the magic, along with every celeb-endorsed detail to know.

What Is an Ice Bath Facial?

An ice bath facial is exactly what it sounds like: dunking your face in ice water. Think of it like a cold plunge for just your face; rather than throwing on a swimsuit and finding a tub to submerge your whole body, you're simply dipping your face into a large bowl for a few seconds at a time. It's quick, relatively easy, and boasts similar skin benefits to a full-on plunge. (More on that later!)

To be clear, in no way am I saying that Bella Hadid and Hailey Bieber invented the ice water facial. Aestheticians and makeup artists have been championing the technique for years, praising its abilities to reduce puffiness and inflammation and tighten the skin. Psychologists have even cited it as a quick DBT (dialectical behavior therapy) technique, as it naturally slows down your heart rate and has a calming effect on the body. Not to mention that cold water immersion itself is an ancient practice with roots in many cultures.

No, dunking your face in ice water is certainly not a "new" or "trendy" habit; but that being said, it has made an appearance on my TikTok feed more than ever as a form of skin prep, made even buzzier with each celebrity endorsement. Essentially: I've known about ice bath facials for ages—but Hadid and Bieber (plus Bowers) inspired me to finally try it for myself.

Benefits for Skin

First and foremost, ice water reduces inflammation, redness, and puffiness. It does so by a process called vasoconstriction, aka constricting your blood vessels to result in less blood flow—and, thus, swelling. It's the same logic of placing ice on an injury: Limiting blood flow to the area generally reduces inflammation and pain. Even if your face isn't experiencing acute inflammation, the icy temperature dials down any sort of puffiness lingering underneath the surface. "This can vary depending on your diet," notes Bowers. "Say you eat a lot of salty foods or consume alcohol—you may see a faster result of de-puffing the skin."

According to Bowers, the ice bath also helps tighten pores and actually brighten the skin as your blood circulation starts warming back up. Not to mention, "It wakes you up," she says. There's nothing like an ice-cold dunk to shake away any trace of grogginess!

How It Works

Yes, ice bath facials are meant to be super simple (just dunk and go, right?), but a few important details can enhance your results. First up: the layout. You'll need a large mixing bowl ("A size that can fit [your] whole face in comfortably," advises Bowers), a good amount of ice (two trays should do it, Bowers says), and a soft washcloth or towel to dry your face off post-dunk. You may also want a headband of some sort to hold your hair back if you have longer strands.

Place your ice in the bowl and fill it up with water until it reaches two to three inches from the top. Slowly submerge your face into the water and hold it there for 10 to 15 seconds. "I do a slow count to 10 in my head," says Bowers. Lift your face out of the bowl, towel off, then repeat the dunk two to three more times. "However, [I] spread it out between three to five minutes to give the blood flow a chance to re-circulate," Bowers notes. On days I felt short of time, I opted for three quick, consecutive dunks, which took around 60 seconds total; but if you can wait a few minutes in between plunges for your skin to naturally warm back up, that's ideal.

In terms of timing, you can give yourself an ice bath facial whenever you please—but Bowers personally prefers to submerge in the morning. "It’s great for that morning de-puff from the food or alcohol consumed the night prior," she explains. "It’s also a nice morning ritual that doesn’t take a lot of time and sets you up for the day." After just seven mornings (well, assuming you're dunking consistently), she says you'll start to see transformative skin results. "You will notice tighter and glowier skin [and] definitely will start hearing the compliments roll in around week one," she shares.

My Personal Experience and Results

Allow me to set the scene: I wake up extremely puffy. I sleep on my stomach with my face smashed against the pillow (not a good position for long-term skin health, I know, but I can't help it!), and it takes me a good hour or two before the swelling finally subsides. Add a salt-heavy dinner or few glasses of wine into the mix, and I can barely find my cheekbones. I do try (emphasis on try) to commit to a daily face massage to drain all that fluid retention, but I also am always on a time crunch in the mornings; as much as I hate to admit it, hitting the snooze button just once more trumps a contoured jawline every time.

But Bowers swore the ice water facial wouldn't take up too much time in my routine; even a few seconds each morning, she declared, would leave me with "unbelievable results." So I was game—just a two-week commitment, right?

Fast forward those 14 days, and I am in fact floored that I haven't implemented this simple technique sooner. My skin tone is brighter, my face feels way less puffy, my makeup applies smoother, and my pores look practically nonexistent—and all it took was a few minutes each morning. Honestly, the most time-consuming part was filling up the bowl with ice, but I left it on my counter (along with a face towel) to save precious seconds.

I won't lie: Ice water facials take practice. The first few times I dunked, I could only leave my face in the water for about five seconds max. If you've ever braved a cold plunge, then you know how it quite literally takes your breath away; I had that same sensation as I repeatedly dipping my face in the frigid water, only I couldn't actually take an inhale (my face being submerged, and all). I found that it helps if you slowly breathe out of your nose as you lower your face into the bowl. Hold your breath for 10 to 15 seconds, then rise when you feel the need to take another inhale. It gets easier with time if you do it consistently.

As you can see from the photo above, my skin is noticeably tighter, especially around my eyes, chin, and jawline (where I accrue the most puffiness). Both images were taken as soon as I woke up with zero makeup on, save for a swipe of clear lip oil. Somehow, my sallow, dullness-prone complexion became glowy and energized—and it's not the lighting at play. Even Bowers herself saw a major improvement in my skin since the experiment; when I saw her again for a monthly facial, she said she could immediately tell I had been icing. "Keep it up," she encouraged.

Admittedly, there have been mornings I just couldn't get up the gumption to fill my trusty bowl of ice, but I will continue to commit to the routine when I can, especially if I have an important event coming up. Of course, ice water facials will not snatch my jawline long-term—in-office treatments are your best bet for that—but they're superb in a pinch if I need some instant de-puffing. (FYI: I'm getting married in November, so you better believe I'll be face dunking in the weeks leading up to the big day!) Not bad for a three-minute technique that doesn't cost you a dime.

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