Unless you’re eager to give up salty chips, martinis, and late summer nights out (almost everything enjoyable, it seems), waking up to a puffy face is inevitable. Overindulging in salty foods, carbs, alcohol, and sugar is usually to blame for facial swelling. The abundance of sodium and sugar leads to an excess of water retention and therefore a puffy face. Although an ice roller and some extra TLC in the morning can help, if you’re looking to add a little luxury into the process—for $38, no less—PillowtalkDerm The Depuffer ($38), has got you covered.
The derm-developed roll-on serum is meant to combat all the side effects of waking up with puffy, tired skin. And upon testing, I can confirm it really works.
The benefits of The Depuffer
What makes The Depuffer stand out amongst other serums is its packaging. It’s essentially a 2-in-1 face roller that works to replenish and sculpt the skin while providing a dose of skin-loving ingredients.
When investigating The Depuffer’s ingredients, I recognized niacinamide, known to improve breakouts, skin barrier, and pore size. I also spotted glycerin, an important humectant meant to trap hydration in the skin, and centella asiatica (found in Dr. Jart’s iconic Tigergrass Color Correcting Treatment) which helps to calm and improve redness over time. Although these inclusions add to the serum’s overall allure, the champions of the product’s depuffing and anti-inflammatory efforts lead back to arnica and ash bark extract.
Arnica, or arnica montana flower extract comes from the daisy, and its healing properties date back to the 1500s according to Dr. Idriss. Arnica is so compelling that it’s known to help quicken the healing process after procedures like injections or lasers. It helps to soothe inflammation and swelling, can aid in the healing process of bruising, and assists with muscle pain and tension. Dr. Idriss gets straight to the science: When our body experiences trauma, our bodies release something called cytokines that signal inflammatory cells. Arnica is able to block cytokines and therefore block inflammation. Ash bark extract is also used as an anti-inflammatory that can help reduce puffiness which is backed by the National Library of Medicine.
Not yet convinced? Most of the basic ice rollers on the market cost just as much as The Depuffer and aren’t packed with a dermatologist-approved serum. Perhaps the (literal) coolest thing about it, though, is that it delivers a cooling effect without having to be stored in the fridge (though you can certainly do that too).
Use The Depuffer after a long flight, in between pilates and coffee, or in the A.M. and you have a Bella Hadid-like facelift in the making. In short: The Depuffer is the ultimate no-fuss treatment that can take the place of your face roller, serums, and eye creams.
What happened when I tried The Depuffer
I planned to test The Depuffer on a Monday morning after a hectic weekend, and was not disappointed by the results. The combination of the cooling roller and the serum revived my sleepy self and helped to soothe my flushed face. My overall face shape was sculpted and toned, and my face was visibly less puffy after a few minutes of letting the formula sink into my skin. I also found that it lifted and calmed my undereye (FWIW: Dr. Idriss confirms that the formula is gentle enough to be used in that delicate area).
Apart from it’s soothing and de-bloating effect, my skin overall looked as though I had seriously tended to it—as if I had gotten a full night’s sleep after a weekend of healthy eating, hot yoga, and a facial.
After applying the serum I continued with my day-to-day skin and makeup regime and I found it to fare well under all of my products and even make for a great smoothing primer. Dr. Idriss recommends that you “pat any excess serum into the skin and allow it to dry completely” before adding makeup to achieve a flawless finish. Although the formula has a thick consistency, it never clogged my pores or felt heavy. Even though my days of having hard-to-treat acne are over (hopefully) Dr. Idriss assured me that the serum is safe for acne-prone skin. “The Depuffer is great for all skin types, especially, those with transient redness resulting from acne,” she noted.
At $38, I can’t recommend The Depuffer highly enough. It’s taken the place of my go-to face roller, and you better believe it will do the same for you.