A couple of years ago, my husband showed up with one of these facial rollers in hand as a gift, saying he thought it would be something I’d be into. I took it as a mild insult, because this thing seemed to be the type of contraption used by eccentric silent film stars in the 1930′s who were terrified of aging, and it languished on a shelf for at least 6 months.

Until one day, just for the hell of it, I picked it up and rolled it around on my face. And like magic, I could actually feel the frown lines melting off of my forehead as if I’d just had an hour massage. It became a secret ritual… whenever I felt stressed out, I’d quietly pick up the roller, roll it around on my face randomly (while thinking of Nora Desmond) and then feel better.

After awhile, I decided to get more methodical about the whole procedure and began to actually look into what was happening. Was it fairy dust? Or is there some real science behind the magic? I scoured the web, did some first hand research, and happily discovered that those glamour queens of the olden days actually knew what they were doing. And there are a whole bunch of present day divas reaping the benefits of this little tool as well.

Turns out that facial massage actually reduces anxiety in many people (including me!) But also, it can detoxify the skin by stimulating lymphatic drainage. A roller can also be used to drain fluid from the face, reducing puffiness and increasing blood circulation to the cheeks giving the face a natural glow!

Here’s how you go about the whole ritual:

Start with a clean face, and be sure to apply whatever moisturizer or serum you love so that the roller can help you with a deeper and more even distribution. In order to really effectively drain the lymphatic system, you need to clear the passageways in the neck. So begin on your neck, gently rolling down towards the clavicle before moving to the face.

Once on your face, you want to roll outwards, away from the center towards your hairline to really get the juices flowing. Follow the lines on the diagram above and remember to be gentle. Too much pressure can cause capillaries to rupture. Once you are done for the day, be sure to clean your roller with warm soapy water before putting it away. And if you really want to up the ante, try storing your roller in the fridge. A chilled roller will tighten the pores and wake up a weary face!

So now that you’ve got the moves, what type of roller should you buy? The restorative motion works with all different stones— the difference is more about which crystal you want to introduce into your skin care routine.

Jade is a happy stone praised for emotional healing and eliminating negativity. It’s also known as a lucky charm, which makes it great for keeping you calm and feeling positive.

Rose quartz is all about love. It is nourishing, helps calm anger and is also very good for balance as well as strengthening the blood circulation.

Amethyst is a healer— it’s equally good with physical ailments as it is with caring for the nervous system. It provides hormonal balance, helps with insomnia and stress and encourages a general sense of serenity.

You are now armed with all you need to know. I started my journey with a rose quartz roller from Goop, but to be honest, I am tempted to pick up a jade and an amethyst roller too, just so I have all my bases covered!