Why and how I use a face roller as one of my best anti-aging skin tools!

If you’re wondering what benefits you could gain from a humble face roller, then let me share my experience.

I’ve tried many anti-aging gadgets and devices over the years, but there are only a few that I have stuck with and incorporate into my skincare regimen. 

Happily, my favorite is the cheapest of all of them.

A face roller is so easy to incorporate into any skincare routine, doesn’t need charging and can be taken anywhere with you. It’s quick and painless to use and, yet, I think it really delivers in terms of helping keep skin toned and slowing skin aging. 

Where a face roller fits in my skincare routine

I’ve been using a facial roller off and on for probably 5 years now, but I started using it daily around a year ago having become more convinced that it was one of the best tools I had.  

The more I learned about skin health the more obvious it became that this is a no-brainer if you’re looking for a tool that can genuinely do multiple things to support your skin as it ages. 

To me, a simple roller will be just as effective as countless overpriced anti-aging tools on the market, some of which could actually do more harm than good. 

There are only a few modalities that I use alongside the roller and they are red light – I use a panel every other day – I use the Nira Pro laser on alternate days, and I also have a ZIIP microcurrent device which I’ll use a few evenings a week. 

So it’s only the facial roller that I use every single day. I take it with me on holiday and if I had to pack a few essentials to take to a dessert island tomorrow, this would be in the bag.  

The one I use

I use a solid metal roller from 111 Skin [shown below]. It has four rotating rollers and I love how this particular device is designed to hug the skin. 

You get a small amount of grip on it which I think helps with blood flow because it’s gently manipulating the skin and you can see the flushing from the increased blood flow which is key to its effectiveness. 

And I don’t believe you need to splash out on expensive devices to get the benefits of facial massage – you can even use your hands at the end of the day. 

But I like the control and level of pressure I get from my metal roller.

What are the benefits of a face roller?

Why do we want to get more blood flowing to the skin, particularly as we age? 

Our blood delivers nutrients and oxygen to skin cells and they play a big role in maintaining the health and fabric of our skin – including producing collagen and elastin we hear so much about. By keeping these cells well supplied we help them to function optimally. 

And when we start massaging the skin we stimulate our blood vessels which causes them to dilate, or widen, and allow more blood to flow through.  

Massage also stimulates your sebacious glands, those glands that produce the oil that helps hydrate and protect our skin, so I think it’s a really important but simple thing we can include in our skincare routines. 

As we age and our circulation becomes more challenged, you get less blood supply to the skin and that creates a higher risk for skin conditions.  

So anything we can do to improve our circulation in general is a great idea – and that’s also why keeping active, eating a healthy diet and staying well hydrated is important too. 

It’s part of the reason I like to use heat therapy regularly, and why I use a microcurrent device too, because both improve blood supply to the skin. 

An added benefit with using a face roller is it can help reduce puffiness by supporting lymphatic drainage because you’re breaking up the pooled fluid and helping it drain through the lymph nodes. 

How do I use my roller?

When I come out of the shower first thing I’ll first apply a hydrating serum to allow for a little more ease of movement. 

And I follow the general advice for using roller devices which is to move it in sweeping movements from the neck up to the jaw. I spend a bit of time under the chin but avoid the Adam’s apple and thyroid area.

As I work my way up my face I will do a few sweeps over each area until I see a little flushing in my skin.  

I’ll roll the device along my jawline starting at my chin and moving upwards towards the ear, and I do just above the lips and even my nose because it too can benefit from a circulation boost!

You can help sculpt those cheekbones by moving the roller outwards from the nose to your ear. 
And finally I sweep up from just under my brows to my hairline – again until I see a little flushing. 

All in all it usually takes me just over 3 minutes. It’s relaxing, it’s a nice way to start the day and I believe a roller is a really useful tool for improving the look and feel of your skin and helping to keep skin toned.  

Avoiding fakes

Something like a jade roller or gua sha stone is also a great idea but just be careful of fakes.

If you go too cheap then you could end up with something that’s not the real deal and therefore won’t last. That applies to the jade stones as well as the metal used in rollers like the one I have. 

They should feel solid, so there’s a bit of weight to them and they shouldn’t rust or scratch. 

The real-deal rollers should feel cold to the touch and cool down quickly after use. 

I don’t keep mine in the fridge but I keep it on our stone counter so it’s nice and cool when I use it each morning. 

And at 51, it’s part of a skincare regimen that aims to keep my skin hydrated, maintain tone and volume and generally try to slow down the signs of skin aging.