Life can easily get away from us, and it can be difficult to visit an esthetician or day spa to get that natural healthy glow.
But you can still enjoy the benefits of a relaxing steam facial in the comfort of your home when you do your skincare routine. With little to no equipment or new skincare products needed at all.
What Is An At-Home Steam Facial
The use of facial steamers is the practice of using steam from hot water to soothe the surface of your skin and give you a deeper cleanse to allow better skincare product absorption, get rid of stubborn blackheads, and just overall improve the appearance of your skin.
You can use a bowl of hot water or a face steamer tool, essential oils or facial oils, and herbs like green tea of your choice.
Benefits of Steaming Your Face
-Hydrates: Because hot steam is water vapor, it helps to give the skin added hydration and keep it supple. It also hydrates the skin by increasing oil production, naturally moisturizing the face from the deeper layers of the skin. Natural oils keep your skin soft, and smooth and help absorb topical products in your skin routine better.
-Releases Trapped & Excess Sebum: This naturally occurring oil is produced to lubricate your skin and hair. Skin cells trap sebum, when sebum gets trapped beneath your skin’s surface it can create a breeding ground for acne-causing bacteria and may cause breakouts and stubborn blackheads. When warm steam releases excess sebum, these breakouts can be prevented.
-Promotes A Boost Of Blood Flow: Heat can encourage blood circulation, which provides the skin with more oxygen and improves the skin health. The increased blood circulation experienced during a steam sesh promotes collagen and elastin production, resulting in firmer, younger-looking skin with a healthy glow.
Choosing Your Liquid Base
You can choose from various liquid bases for your home facial, all bases will hone the same benefits of facial steaming, but some bases may offer more potential benefits than others.
-Tap Water: The most affordable option, tap water contains minerals that will steam into your face if you use it. However, tap water contains heavy metals and other pollutants that can affect the integrity of the moist steam.
-Distilled water: You could also use distilled water, a better option than tap water because it is filtered and purified, which is much better for sensitive skin.
-Herbal Tea (Green Tea): Herbal teas can offer skin health benefits like antioxidants, they also help your body release toxins. They also contain anti-aging benefits to slow the aging process of the skin.
Adding Herbs and Essential Oils
Adding herbs and facial oils to your steam facial can offer more benefits. There are many different ones to choose from, each with different benefits.
-Chamomile: Helps with skin inflammation and dermatitis providing a healthy glow. It is also very rich in antioxidants.
-Rosemary: Great option for oily and acne-prone skin.
-Lavender: Great for dry skin, flaky skin and eczema. It has aromatherapy benefits and reduces swelling and redness caused by acne.
-Geranium: Tightens and tones the skin.
-Eucalyptus: Great for acne-prone skin or congested skin, unclogs pores and cleanses acne-causing bacteria and excess sebum.
-Orange: May help with blocked pores and a dull complexion to give you a healthy glow.
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How to DIY At-Home Steam Facial
Cleanse Your Face
The first step is to wash your face with a gentle cleanser, consider the ingredients , especially active ingredients in the cleanser to find the one that best suits you. I like the Alpha Beta daily cleanser gel from Dr. Dennis Gross. You want your face to be completely free of any buildup of dirt, excess facial oil, and dead skin cells.
The hot steam opens up your pores and if your skin is unclean, you can trap dirt in your open pores, causing irritation, acne breakouts, and blackheads.
Go in twice with your cleanser for a double cleanse, this way you will ensure that your face is thoroughly clean.
Exfoliate Your Skin
Use your favorite physical or chemical exfoliant for a deeper cleanse to remove pore-clogging dead skin cells.
This will further ensure the cleanliness of your skin and avoid trapping dirt in your pores.
Prep Your Steamer
Boil a pot of water(tap or distilled). Grab a clean towel, your choice of herbs, and essential oils.
Once your water has come to a boil, pour it into a large bowl.
If you have a facial steamer at home. You can just fill it up with water and add the herbs and oils to it.
Add Your Green Tea and Oils
If you’re using any oils or herbs, add them now and stir them in. Let the water sit for a few minutes to let it steep.
Also let the water cool because if the water is too hot, the steam can burn your face.
Steam Your Face
Lean over your bowl or steamer. Keeping your face about 30cm from the water. Drape your towel over your head to trap the steam.
Steam your face for about 10-15 minutes to clear out your pores.
Pat your skin dry with your clean, soft towel. Be careful not to rub.
What To Do After Facial Steam
Use a Facial Toner
After steaming, wipe your face down and apply a toner to help clear away any additional impurities loosened by the steam.
Put on a Face Mask
For that special steam facial experience, follow up with a face mask, preferably one you have cooled in your fridge. You can choose from various types of face masks, sheet, peel-off, or clay masks.
Choose the best for your skin type and use it to soothe and moisturize your skin after your steam facial.
Moisturize
Finish off your facial by applying your favorite moisturizer. You can also opt to use an oil to really seal in the moisture.
How Often Should You Do a Steam Facial
When deciding how often to steam your face, consider your skin type.
People with oily skin tend to benefit more from facial steaming, so you can get away with doing it twice a week.
Steam your face once a week for the best results.
Limit each steam session to under 15 minutes to avoid irritating your skin.
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Safety Tips For Steam Facials
Always allow your water to sit and cool for a few minutes to ensure it’s not too hot.
Limit your steams to a maximum of 15 minutes to avoid burns.
Your skin is extra sensitive after a steam, so avoid rubbing and touching your skin too much to avoid irritating it too much.
Risks and Side Effects
As with every beauty treatment, there are possible risks and side effects to consider before you try it out.
-Scalding: This is a type of burn that can result from overexposing the boiling water, so take precautions when steaming your face.
-Inflammation: If you suffer from eczema, rosacea, or dermatitis, steaming can irritate and exacerbate the symptoms even more. the high temperature can lead to increased inflammation.
-Dryness: Steaming promotes the secretion of natural oils, leading to hydrated skin, but people with dry skin should proceed with caution as it can lead to irritation and dryness.
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