I am personally always intrigued by any new or seemingly ridiculous beauty trends. When I read about the newly popular "Ice Facial" I was immediately interested. Several beauty websites, even Miss Lauren Conrad, herself have spoken highly about this. The general idea is that you create basically an ice bath for your face which you submerge yourself in for between 20-30 minutes, obviously taking breaks to BREATHE at your discretion.

The promised health benefits of this Ice Bath Facial are quite impressive. Several websites boast results such as reduced puffiness and redness. The effects additionally have psychological aids such as reducing stress and regulating heart rate. Something about the feeling of being submerged even partially in icy water makes our body go into a quasi-recovery state as it feels like it is in danger, while it is obviously not actually in harm's way.

The main initial attracting points for this was the fact that all of the materials (water!) and a large bowl were free and easily available. I am always skeptical about spending money on a new beauty product if I am afraid I will dislike it (broke college student here!), but the affordability of this facial is undeniable. Additionally, I am quite allergic to many things, so the guaranteed hypoallergenic aspect of this was also quite attractive.

So here is my honest review of this Ice Bath Facial: effective, but not worth it. While I could see myself incorporating this into my morning routine when I am feeling a bit extra dull or out of it, ultimately it was too time-consuming (who really has 20 minutes to spare in the morning) and a bit painful. The feeling of submerging my face, truly was a shock.

I did see some possible minimal improvements in the overall appearance of my skin but that could possibly be me just fooling myself into believing 20 minutes of ice to the face was worth it. It was absolutely an energy booster, but I might be opting for a more slow and steady approach to waking up, instead of something this harsh so early in the morning.

Some websites suggest opting to simply rub an ice cube over your face instead of this process and that is something I could see myself being more in favor of. Ultimately no harm no foul. I lost no money on this beauty endeavor and possibly learned a new trick for my extra sleepy mornings.

Despite this not making the cut for my daily beauty regimen, it is always interesting and fun to experiment. Keeping an open mind is the easiest way to discover new favorites... so keep searching and keep trying new things!