I'm guessing it should feel just like when you walk into a steam bath or maybe not, Lol! A professional facial by a trained esthetician can give your skin a transformation whether it be to turn back time or get clearer skin. One step you can try yourself at home is facial steaming. I'm always tempted to incorporated this relaxing step to my beauty routine, but what is the purpose of steaming and is it suitable for you?
Steaming the skin either at home or under professional care does a multitude of things for our skin. Not only is it enjoyable and relaxing to feel the warmth of the steam, but it also improves the skin’s health at the same time. The warmth of steam increases blood and lymphatic circulation helping get oxygen to cells, while our lymphatic system clears away bacteria and toxins from various parts of the body. Steaming also causes some perspiration to occur that further detoxifies the skin on a minimal level by simply having water and salt push out any dirt and toxins hiding in the pores. It also softens the top layer of skin to allow for easier exfoliation of dead skin cells and deeper penetration of skincare products.
The real purpose of steaming is to allow for skin to be cleared of congestion so healthy skin is revealed. As the skin warms up and pores contents soften, dead skin cells and bacteria can be more easily removed. Blackheads come out easier and whiteheads come to a head so they can be treated (not popped!). It is important to note that the skin should be properly cleansed of all makeup and products prior to steaming to assure no impurities are pushed deeper into the pores causing more harm than good. Without extracting blackheads, treating whiteheads, and prepping the skin for treatments, there really is no purpose to steaming so keep that in mind.
Steam is also a great prep step before doing a detoxifying facial mask that can further draw out any dirt, oil or bacteria that is lingering in the pores. You should never do a mask before the steam because trace amounts could get deeper into the skin creating blemishes that we are trying to get rid of in the first place!
You can also steam before a exfoliating scrub to soften the skin and allow dead skin cells to come off more easily allowing a fresh new layer of skin to absorb serums and moisturizers. Always make sure to follow up with your moisturizer after a steaming treatment to add moisture back to the skin that is lost during perspiration.
Some skin types won’t benefit from steaming which is important to know. Extra sensitive skin may react to high heat, and skin conditions like rosacea or fungal infections can be further exacerbated by hot steam. Mild acne can benefit from steaming while sadly, severe acne could be worsened. Mild acne may be improved by adding essential oils to the hot water such as tea tree oil or lemon, while rose and lavender is thought to have anti-inflammatory benefits to calm the skin. It’s safest to add these components to the water and not directly to the skin which can be too strong and irritate it.
Steaming is recommended for only short periods of time in the range of 5 to 10 minutes. Any longer dries the skin and isn’t necessary for softening congestion that’s stuck in the pores. It should also be kept at a temperature that is comfortable to breath in and not burn the skin. You should also ask your skin care professional about doing at home steaming if you have any qualms about how it may affect your skin and if it is of any benefit to you.
Do any of you do at home facial steaming? How has it improved your skin? Share in the comments below.
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