Cooling beauty product quick picks
Cryo-massage tool: Esarora Ice Roller
Under-eye cooling stick: Milk Makeup Cooling Water
Aloe vera lotion: Sun Bum Cool Down Aloe Vera Gel
For relief on hot summer days, it’s a no-brainer to reach for a cold glass of ice water or jump into a cold shower, but for that perfect skin care solace, there’s also a host of cooling beauty products to choose from. Eye creams, moisturizers and masks with cooling ingredients like aloe, peppermint and menthol are ubiquitous. But do cooling beauty products even work? And if so, which ones are the best investments? We turned to the experts to find out.
What ingredients should I look for in cooling beauty products?
“Some of the most common ‘cooling’ effect products use cucumber, peppermint, menthol, eucalyptus and aloe vera,” says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman, founder of Skin Wellness Dermatology in Birmingham, Alabama. “The ingredients don’t lower the temperature of your skin; they instead work by creating a cellular response that sends a signal to your nerves responsible for regulating temperature that the skin is not hot, thus feeling cooler.”
Clinical cosmetic chemist Joyce de Lemos, who co-founded cult-favorite beauty brand Dieux, reminds us that cooling products aren’t exactly a new phenomenon: “In higher doses, they can be used therapeutically like in Vicks VapoRub or Biofreeze,” she says.
Still, the basic principles of putting something cold on your hot skin hold true: It’ll probably feel good. That’s why so many people turn to cryotherapy tools like ice rollers, which work by causing vasoconstriction of blood vessels, minimizing redness and decreasing puffiness, says board-certified dermatologist Dr. Brian Hibler, who practices at Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City. “The benefits are most pronounced when you’re hot or flushed, and they feel better to use during the warm summer months. They can be used to reduce early morning under-eye puffiness; however, the effect on the blood vessels can be temporary if you get warm and flushed again during the day.”
Still, he warns against leaving anything frozen on the face, lest you risk actual injury to the skin: “It often feels soothing to apply something that is chilled to the skin, but I wouldn’t directly apply anything frozen to the skin to reduce risk of skin injury and discoloration.” Instead, he recommends putting moisturizers or masks in the refrigerator, especially if you have dry skin. “The cooling effect can reduce the itch sensation.”
Dieux co-founder and SkinTok legend Charlotte Palermino agrees — but with a caveat. “Some products may not be for the fridge and it can change the texture,” Palermino says. Still, “water-based products are deeply satisfying to apply cold, especially when it’s hot out. I like to keep eye products in the fridge because it feels nice — but not because there’s a huge effect or benefit,” she says, mentioning that she uses Dieux’s Forever Eye Mask, a pair of reusable silicone gel eye pads, after they’ve been in the fridge. “I pair it with a cold eye cream, then I roll some ice over the area for a little eye massage.”
While cooling products can help offer you relief in the summer, it doesn’t mean you should skimp on your regular skin care routine. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Lindsey Zubritsky explains that in all months but especially the summer, when dirt, sweat, oil and SPF all accumulate on our faces, keeping our skin clean and maintaining a healthy skin barrier is important. “It’s vital that we are cleansing more often during the warmer months to combat sweat,” Zubritsky says. “When sweat sits on our skin for an extended time, it traps dirt, debris and bacteria, leading to conditions like acne breakouts or eczema flare-ups. Gently cleansing is one of the most effective ways to combat this.”
Ahead, we rounded up 21 expert-recommended products to help keep your skin feeling cool, cleansed and comfortable this summer.
Cooling beauty products
"I’ve recently been recommending a new daily cleanser, Olay Cleansing Melts, to use after a long, hot day," Zubritsky says. "The 3-in-1 microbubble lather offers a deep yet gentle clean, leaving the skin cleansed, toned and refreshed." This pack come with 32 dissolving pads, which are small enough to pack in a purse or toiletry bag for quick, mess-free cleansing on the go.
For those extra-sticky, sweaty days, a quick wipe-down with one of these Bar-D face and body wipes can help you feel instantly refreshed from head to toe. Formulated with aloe vera, chamomile and tea tree oil, these wipes are also individually wrapped for easily stowing in your bag, car or pockets.
Hibler recommends keeping this face mist on hand to cool down during a hot summer day because “it contains selenium, a potent antioxidant, is free of fragrance, preservatives and is great for sensitive skin.”
Made with organic aloe, coconut water and hyaluronic acid, this face mist from Coola also has SPF 18, so you can enjoy a breezy mist while also adding extra protection to your skin.
Hibler recommends storing this hydrating gel stick, made with caffeine and seawater, in the refrigerator for “an enhanced cooling sensation.”
"I love using a cooling eye mask after a long day in the sun," Zubritsky says. "This one from Amazon is inexpensive and reusable — a great way to reduce under-eye puffiness and swelling."
"This provides a quick burst of cooling to your face when applied with its key ingredients, cucumber, green tea and aloe,” Hartman says. “You can use it anytime during the day to help cool, or spritz the face right before you apply moisturizer in the morning or evening.”
Palermino says this “comforting face spray is almost a moisturizer — which is perfect throughout the day this summer.”
“My favorite product is … water,” de Lemos says. “In the summer, I keep a small spray bottle filled with water in the fridge and mist myself when I’m out and about. If I’m at the beach, I keep one in the cooler.”
We've all had skin that's gotten a little too exposed to the sun or found a patch that we missed with our sunscreen coverage. "Aloe vera is a great ingredient to help cool off the skin, especially if you’ve suffered from sunburns," Zubritsky says. "This one from Sun Bum is gentle, soothing and hydrating."
Like a little Popsicle disc for your face, these cryo treatments are essentially frozen toner that melts and infuses into your skin. They're made with glycerin, niacinamide, green tea extract and ashwagandha to soothe and calm from breakouts, laser treatmens, microneedling or any other time the skin is inflamed. Associate beauty editor Sophie Shaw recommends holding one with a cotton pad and grazing it across the face until completely melted.
“This has a cooling effect on the skin by reducing TRPV1 receptor activation from environmental triggers and contains hyaluronic acid to retain moisture,” Hibler says. In other words, it’ll help reduce under-eye puffiness, skin irritation and fine lines.
Ditch single-use masks thanks to Dieux’s Forever Eye Mask, which is made to be used (and reused) for at least a year. Palermino (and just about everyone else on TikTok) recommends keeping them in the fridge.
“Filled with nourishing ingredients like shea butter, vitamin E and plant-based oils, the Younique Weekend lip butters provide a splash of hydration and a cooling effect your lips will love,” says Hartman, who notes that the peppermint-infused formula offers a relaxing chill without leaving behind a sticky residue.
“I like this mask a lot for anyone with dry skin,” Hartman says. “Hyaluronic acid adds hydration to the skin, while cucumber, thyme and olive oil extracts soothe the skin and concurrently make it feel cooler. It’s also a good choice if you’re sunburned, as dipeptides will reduce some of the heat in the skin.”
“I also love using my fancy round ice cube maker for my boulevardiers as an ice roller for my face,” says Palermino, who says it wakes her up like a second cup of coffee. If you’re not into ice itself, an ice roller is a solid second. This gel and water roller is an Underscored favorite, and also has a number of celebrity devotees.
“The skin around the eyes can benefit from using a cooling product to help depuff and appear smoother,” Hartman says. “I like this product, as it has antioxidants to help protect against free radicals, niacinamide to reduce the appearance of dark circles and hyaluronic acid to add moisture to the skin.”
Give your skin a mini cold plunge with this Ole Henriksen moisturizer. Great for calming inflamed, acne-prone skin, Hartman recommends this blend of eucalyptus, green tea, algae and Irish moss extracts. Additionally, the salicylic acid and lactic acid help "loosen dead skin and sebum on the skin to clear out clogged pores.”
For a full-face cool-down, this cryo mask provides instant relief from the heat. Shaw keeps it in the fridge during the summertime. It's also microwave-safe, so you can use it as a heated treatment too.