Ancient Chinese skincare tool gains new popularity in the US

APD NEWS

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Amid a shrinking market for beauty equipment, the jade roller, an ancient Chinese skincare tool, has recently gained new popularity in the US.

What is a jade roller? Even many Chinese people may not be familiar with the tool, as it's not as common as it once was. As early as the 1700s, Chinese women were believed to have used two jade balls connected to a handle to give themselves a facial massage, as well as cooling and tightening the skin around the eyes.

Screenshot from beauty influencer Marianna Hewitt on Instagram.

According to the Los Angeles Times , the market research group NPD pointed out that sales of the beauty devices saw an 11 percent year-on-year drop in 2017, but at the same time, searches for “facial rollers” were up more than three times on Pinterest, a social media platform mainly focused on fashion and design.

On Amazon, priced from three dollars to less than 40 dollars, the wallet-friendly jade rollers have received overwhelmingly positive comments from users, such as “I would give it 10 stars if I could!” and “feels great, very relaxing!”

Screenshot from Amazon.

But Lamees Hamdan, founder of Dubai-based luxury natural skincare brand Shiffa, admitted that cheap “jade” rollers are not likely to be made of the precious stone, but rather plastics.

Karina Sulzer, founder of Los Angeles-based Skin Gym, says the roller’s success is due to its simple usage. “As a millennial, our generation will do research before we buy anything. We want something simple and traditional."

She is also trying to make the traditional tool innovative, as her product is based on crystals with different functions, including one that adds moisture, and another for fighting acne. Her hope is that customers can make personal purchases according to their skin conditions.

Screenshot from Amazon

Meanwhile, the jade roller has become a signature product at Seattle-based skincare brand Herbivore Botanicals since it launched two years ago. The company is also considering introducing other beauty tools from China, such as for Gua Sha, an ancient scraping technique that helps soothe the body.

(CGTN)