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When it comes to reducing the effects of stress on skin and the psyche, some of the newest cosmetic therapies rely on extremes -- fire or ice.When it comes to reducing the effects of stress on skin and the psyche, some of the newest cosmetic therapies rely on extremes – fire or ice. Heat is considered a great relaxant for the body while cold is usually considered a calming agent for the face. We've tracked down the latest in hot and cold products for a rundown on the newest skincare technologies.

Big Spenders

When it comes to heat therapy and the spa, a hot stone massage ($85 for one hour) is supposed to provide the ultimate experience in muscle relaxation and pampering.

Bob, my massage therapist at Adagio Massage, Co., warned me that a hot stone massage would be unlike any other massage I had ever had, even though I was a fan of both Swedish and deep tissues offerings. He even joked that the experience might leave me "needing a designate driver afterwards."

While I didn't feel too impaired to drive afterwards, Bob was definitely right about the hot stone massage being different from any other treatment. The heat relaxes muscles very quickly in addition to affecting the mental way you experience the massage. (This is the part that's hard to explain, but I'll just say that I'm a total convert and may never have a traditional massage again.) I'll also add that this usual insomniac slept like a baby the night after her trip to Adagio.

Also, as a warning, the "hot" in "hot stone therapy" is not a misnomer. Those puppies are intense – which is part of what makes the experience so great – but it does take a little getting used to.

Middle of the Road

While heat feels great on the body, hot therapy on the face can increase skin's redness. For de-stressing more delicate skin, cold therapy is often recommended, and products from Icy Beauty and skyn Iceland might be just what you're looking for.

Icy Beauty is one of the newest skincare lines to come out of Paris, ultimate hub of the fashionable and beautiful people. Unlike anything else that you'll find on the market, Icy Beauty builds an individual cooling mechanism into each product to deliver the most immediate and thorough results.

Re:set ($65 for two applications) is an Icy Beauty product designed to the fight the effects of fatigue on the face and might be a savior for those suffering from jet lag. Our tester appreciated how well the product worked on her skin, but was less impressed with the technology.

"The 'bullet' was too complex to work and consequently, it was hard to tell if the alchemy involved actually did what it was supposed to do," she said. "It felt only slightly cool although it was fairly soothing."

Founded by Sarah Kugelman to provide "solutions for stressed skin," as the name entails, skyn Iceland "went to the purest place on Earth for ingredients and inspiration – Iceland." Keeping the modern, multi-tasking woman in mind, the cosmetics brand offers a line of cooling and soothing products to reduce skin irritation caused by daily anxieties about work and family and generally improve the look and feel of the face.

The Glacial Face Wash ($30) and Arctic Face Mist ($35) both received high ratings from us. A few spritzes of the Arctic Face Mist served as an excellent wake up call to my skin in the morning and then as a calming agent in the evening when I returned from work. I even found myself using the face mist when I just felt "blah" for a nice pick me-up (the scent is great for that) and to give my skin back some moisture.

My favorite product from the line is definitely the Cool Detox Face Mask ($55 for four applications). Using the mask was the closest experience I've ever had to an at-home facial, and my skin felt great afterwards.

As one of our testers said, "This was a lovely experience, just cooling enough to bring down puffiness and minimize pores. The mask with holes made the experience feel sort of spa-like and professional. It also left the skin very soft."

Bargain Hunters

Unfortunately, when it comes to cost-conscious product options, not much of this technology has trickled down to the drugstore level yet. We did purchase some DermaFreeze365 Instant Anti-Aging Eye Cream ($19.99), but our tester was hardly impressed.

"The feeling was too cold for comfort," she said. "There was some diminishment in puffiness around the eyes – eventually – but it was way too drying for someone in our age bracket concerned about wrinkles around the eyes. It also flaked up noticeably."

For now, thrifty shoppers are probably better off with the old stand-by of sticking lotions and creams in the refrigerator for similar effects rather than running out for some DermaFreeze.