Chill Out With These 7 Cooling Beauty Products to Beat the Heat
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When you’re stifled by summer heat, nothing sounds better than the hum of central air or a crisp dip in a chilly pool. For moments when that sweet relief isn’t at your fingertips, the best cooling beauty products save the day.
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Cryotherapy is trending in the wellness space courtesy of cold plunging, and in true form, beauty is following suit. This year, we’ve seen beauty brands like Sofie Pavitt Face transform skin care staples like toners into actual ice cubes to melt on your skin, while ice water facials are trending on TikTok as a hangover face hack. No freezer nearby? No problem. That cooling sensation can also be achieved with ingredients like aloe vera and menthol derivatives, offering you an on-the-go salve for steamy heat. We’ve seen brands like Milk Makeup create gel sticks that cool down your under eyes on contact, while sunscreen stalwart Coola offers a cooling face sunscreen mist for refreshing SPF reapplications. For a cryo facial at home, go with Dr. Jart’s two-step sheet mask that lowers your skin’s temperature by 10 degrees.
Yes, these face serums, masks, and skin care tools are heaven-sent for sweaty skin, but many do more than just ice you down. The cold temperature also acts as a vasoconstrictor that reduces redness and inflammation — meaning that cooling beauty products have the added benefit of depuffing your skin. Many of these frosty finds also include skin-tightening ingredients like caffeine, making them a great way to jolt dull skin back to life.
The season of sweating from your scalp to the soles of your feet is upon us, so there’s no better time to try out one of the best cooling beauty products tested and approved by WWD Shop editors.
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Sofie Pavitt Nice Ice Toner Pads
$68
$68
The Sofie Pavitt Face Nice Ice Toner Pads are an icy revelation: Each box contains two trays of individually-packaged doses of toner that you store in the freezer. When you need to cool down, simply extract one of the frozen toner discs, then massage it on your skin. Not only does this cooling beauty product deliver cryotherapy benefits — it also treats you to brightening niacinamide, calming green tea extract, and hydrating glycerin.
Editor testing and review notes: “I was gobsmacked when I discovered Sofie Pavitt’s toner pods — as someone who stores eye cream and sheet masks in the fridge, this product was right up my alley. I rely on these little serum-filled ice cubes to treat my skin after a long flight or a big night out; you won’t believe how soothing it feels on contact and how perky and refreshed your skin looks after using it. The packaging can be a little tricky to get into, but otherwise it’s an A-plus beauty product to have on standby during the summer. I typically hold the ice cube with a cotton pad while massaging it on my face. Once it’s fully melted, the cotton pad absorbs excess toner to press on my cheeks and under my eyes.”
Price upon publish date of this article: $68
Milk Makeup Cooling Water
$28
$28
Say hello to the cooling stick that’s become a TikTok-famous beauty product with millions of views: Milk Makeup’s Cooling Water. A dream for puffy eyes, dark circles, and allergy season in general, the gel features skin-tightening caffeine, soothing aloe, and hydrating glycerin and sea water. Store it in the refrigerator for an even cooler effect, then massage it under your eyes for a reset.
Editor testing and review notes: “This is a fun cooling skin care find to keep on your vanity or in your bag. I love to smooth it on puffy eyes in the morning — if I sweep it from the inner corners of my eyes out towards my ears, it makes a noticeable difference in swelling from allergies or salty foods. It has a cooing sensation that lasts for a few seconds after swiping it on (store it in the refrigerator for a frostier effect).
Price upon publish date of this article: $28
Coola Organic Refreshing Water Mist With SPF 18 and Hyaluronic Acid
$23.94 $36 34% off
$36
Our WWD Shop editors keep Coola’s face mist on hand for multiple reasons: First off, it’s a foolproof way to reapply sunscreen over makeup without making your glam budge. And second, the coconut water and aloe-infused formula calms and cools the skin. City slickers will appreciate that it also contains antioxidant-rich ingredients that protect your complexion from damaging environmental pollutants.
Editor testing and review notes: “I love that this face sunscreen mist is small enough for me to travel with — I use it to refresh my skin during a long flight or after a poolside nap. It has a fine mist that dispenses evenly without overwhelming your skin with product.”
Price upon publish date of this article: $23.94
Pacifica Chill Baby Cooling Cryo Globes
$14.69 $20 27% off
$20
For a true treat yourself moment, order up these icy skin care tools for a cooling facial massage. The set contains two glass globes: one large for your cheeks and one small for the contours of your face and near your eyes. Each is filled with a fluid that retains its cool temperature when you take them out of the fridge, and unlike fussy tech-forward devices, these facial massagers are easy to use. Just apply a dab of face serum or oil, then glide them around your complexion — aim for upward strokes from the center of your face outwards to encourage lymphatic drainage.
Editor testing and review notes: “I’ve tried out a lot of these little frosty tools in my time as a beauty editor — many of them don’t maintain their chill after touching warm skin. These affordable Pacific ones, on the other hand, gave me a solid five minutes of frostiness. My favorite way to use them is over a sheet mask for an at-home facial.”
Price upon publish date of this article: $14.69
111Skin Cryo De-Puffing 5-Piece Facial Mask
$135
$114.75 $135 15% off
This top cooling product has all the benefits of a luxurious anti-aging serum. Designed to depuff your skin and provide a major boost in radiance, this cooling beauty product infuses your skin with circulation-boosting caffeine and hydrating, firming peptides. 111Skin’s sheet masks are editor favorites because they don’t slide off your skin while you wear them — and because they make a noticeable difference in the look of your skin after use.
Editor testing and review notes: “I recently packed this sheet mask for a beach weekend. After a long day covered in sunscreen and sand, I washed my face then followed up with this cooling product to soothe and refresh my skin — not only did it eliminate visible redness, but it also drained away some post-sun puffiness near my eyes. I can’t recommend it enough as a pick-me-up before a special occasion or after a busy day.”
Price upon publish date of this article: $114.75
Patchology Serve Chilled Rosé All Day Eye Gels 5-Pack
$15
$15
Store these affordable eye patches in the refrigerator, and you’ll have a cooling eye mask you can slap on anytime your under eyes need reviving. These patches are soaked in a serum with antioxidant-rich resveratrol to brighten, plus hyaluronic acid to help restore moisture.
Editor testing and review notes: “Patchology makes some of my favorite affordable eye patches, and the Rosé iteration is my go-to for recovering after a night out. They have a gel-like texture and plenty of formula, so you can tap in the excess in place of eye cream after you’ve peeled them off.”
Price upon publish date of this article: $15
Dr. Jart+ Cryo Rubber Face Mask With Moisturizing Hyaluronic Acid
$14.95
$16
Dr. Jart is known for making some of the best sheet masks on the market and this two-step treatment is proof in the pudding. First, apply an ampoule of hyaluronic acid that floods skin with moisture, then press the sheet mask on your skin. The mask delivers a chilly, tingling sensation while you wear it for up to 30 minutes — according to the brand, it lowers your skin’s temp by 11 degrees. Bonus points: It’s gentle enough to use twice a week.
Editor testing and review notes: “This two-step mask delivers a dreamy cooling facial at home for dull, sullen skin. The hyaluronic acid ampoule that you apply under the sheet mask makes a major difference for dry skin types — my complexion always feels bouncier and looks brighter after I use it. The sheet mask itself adheres evenly on my skin, meaning I can get some chores done while I’m masking without worrying about it sliding off of my face.”
Price upon publish date of this article: $14.95
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Meet the Author
Claire Sullivan is the Senior Beauty and Lifestyle Commerce Editor for Footwear News and WWD, where she writes and edits beauty, fashion and lifestyle stories. She has over eight years of experience as a writer and editor for national media outlets including Martha Stewart Living, Martha Stewart Weddings, InStyle, and Byrdie. She’s tested hundreds of products during her time as an editor, so she’s well-versed in selecting the products that make a meaningful difference in your skin and hair.
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