Kayla Young
Getting your glow on is easily done when you have clear skin as a base. And the best way to get that foundation is to clear your pores. You need to remove excess dirt buildup and soften blackheads, whiteheads and clogged sebum for easier extraction.
One way to do that is a facial steam bath.
Facial steaming is a protocol used by skincare professionals when they’re doing facial treatments at a spa or salon. And it’s a technique that you can do yourself at home to refresh your skin.
Read on to find out what to do before steaming your face at home.
Contents
Why Steam Your Face?
Steaming your face has many more benefits besides cleaning your skin deeper than usual by opening up your pores to release dead skin cells, sebum and bacteria.
Some of the other great benefits of facial steaming include:
Circulation
The warm steam will cause you to sweat, which dilutes your blood vessels and increases your blood flow and circulation. This process nourishes your skin with oxygen, which helps to bring the glow back to your face.
Hydration
Steaming your face will also hydrate your skin to allow for the increase of its natural oils, which will moisturize and balance your skin’s surface.
Production
The increase in blood flow caused by facial steaming will boost your elastin and collagen production, which creates firmer and younger looking skin.
Facial steaming can also help to relieve any pressure in your sinuses, which can cause headaches. And finally, facial steaming provides a relaxing way to soothe your skin when you add essential oils and herbs to your steam bath.
Relaxing your nervous system is a great way to alleviate anxiety and stress, so her’s what to do to prepare your facial steam bath.
What To Do Before Steaming Your Face
The first thing you need to do before steaming your face is to prepare your skin for the experience. For starters, you need to make sure that your skin is already well hydrated.
Most of us don’t drink enough water during the day, and real hydration begins from the inside out. In addition, you will sweat during the treatment. So make sure you drink some water before you start.
Your face should also be squeaky clean before you begin the steam treatment. Make sure to wash your face with a gentle exfoliating cleanser so that any makeup and dirt has been removed before you begin.
Try to use a fragrance free and hypoallergenic cleanser that won’t strip your skin of its natural oils, though.
Micellar water is an good choice.
What To Do After Steaming Your Face
After around 10 minutes of steaming your face, immediately upon finishing, rinse your face with some lukewarm water and then gently pat it dry with a clean and fluffy towel.
Take care not to rub your face dry, because your skin will be uber sensitive from the opening of your pores.
The next thing to do is apply your facial moisturizer. Up to 70% of what you put on your skin is absorbed into the epidermis, so make sure it doesn’t have any harmful ingredients that can irritate your skin like mineral oil.
If you use a nighttime anti-aging serum, use this instead to nourish your face.
In order to keep the stimulation going, you can also gently massage your face using your fingertips in upward strokes from your chin.
We’ve put together a couple of articles on post facial steaming. If you want further details, you can check out What to do After Steaming Your Face and How To Steam Your Face To Remove Blackheads.
Pimp Your Steam
By using specific herbs and essential oils for your facial steam, you will not only receive the benefits listed above, but you can also target issues to help support the health of your skin.
For instance, using dried rosemary will not only give off a fragrance to help open your sinuses, but is a great addition for helping those with oily skin to balance it out.
Speaking of sinuses, the addition of eucalyptus essential oil to your facial steam bath can help with congestion and breathing, while also helping to reduce acne breakouts.
Using dried chamomile flowers would be good for those with sensitive skin, because this soothing herb can help to reduce inflammation, but it also works for all skin types.
Dried lavender flowers added to your steam will give you a relaxing treatment that will also help soothe dry skin.
Orange essential oil has uplifting properties that can brighten a dull complexion and geranium essential oil is good for toning and tightening the skin with its anti-aging properties.
All this talk about essential oils may make you wonder if you can use a humidifier as a facial steamer. Well, sorta. But not exactly.
Steam With Caution
It may seem obvious, but you should always steam with warm water. If your skin isn’t sensitive it can be a tiny bit hotter, but you have to make sure that it’s not boiling, otherwise you will burn your skin.
You should also keep your eyes closed during the treatment to avoid irritating your eyes, especially if you’ve added essential oils or herbs.
Make sure that your face is at least six inches away from your bowl or facial steamer. If the heat is too uncomfortable at six inches, then pull away until it feels more relaxing.
Burning your face from steam can be more damaging to your skin in the long run. That’s because it can cause capillaries (the tiny blood vessels in your face) to break, especially if your skin is very sensitive.
Facial steaming with water that’s too hot can also trigger skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema and rosacea to break out. Therefore, you should proceed with caution and follow these directions, or the directions that came with your facial steamer.
Finally, cover your head in a towel to direct the steam to your face and keep it from evaporating into the air.
Your skin will get the best results if you aim to have a facial steam about once a week. Do it for around 10 minutes to get the optimum benefits.
And now that you know what to do before steaming your face, get your tools ready and enjoy the relaxation before stepping out into the world with a fresh, clean and glowing hydrated face.
