Steaming your face

Have you wondered what the potential benefits of steaming your face are and how to do so, here we have everything you need to know

Why steam your facial skin

By steaming your face, you allow your pores to open up making it easier to loosen and get rid of any dirt for a more effective deep cleanse. On top of this it improves circulation and leaves your skin clean, flushed, and glowing. Read on to find out more benefits of steaming your face, how to do it effectively at home and how long you should steam your face for.

Step by Step for How to steam your face:

Here is the step by step guide to steaming your face and what to do after steaming your face, so you can start to see the benefits!
You can buy steamers online that will do this for you, however, if you haven’t got one at home this is a DIY how-to guide for how to steam your face:

1. Boil some water
The first step is to pour some water into a small pan and boil it until it steams.

2. Wash face
While you are waiting for your water to start steaming you should wash your face with a cleanser and ensure there is no debris on the surface of the face as this will cause irritation.

3. Pour the steaming water into a bowl
Once the water is steaming you can then pour it into a bowl, ensuring you don’t use plastic as these plastic molecules will be mixing with the steam.

4. (Optional) Add essential oils
If you want you can add essential oils or herbs to make the steaming treatment more of an at-home spa treatment.

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5. Put a damp towel over your head and place your face above the bowl
Drape the towel over your head so that it is trapping all the steam inside with your face. The regular recommended time is around 8-10minutes.

6. Use a mask or blackhead strips to pull out dirt
Once you have steamed your face you are then ready for extraction of dirt and impurities. The recommended masks are those that will extract dirt most effectively or an extraction strip, if not then wash your face with warm water. Do not use any exfoliator as this can irritate the skin and cause your pores to be inflamed, especially if you are prone to acne. However, if not steaming your face, exfoliating your skin can be a great way to keep your skin silky and soft by removing any dead skin cells.

7. Apply Toner to your face
Using a toner after you have rinsed away your mask will encourage your pores to close back up to ensure dirt won’t easily get back in.

8. Moisturise
This last step is very important as the hot steam can cause your skin to dry out, therefore you must moisturise your skin after. wait for the moisturiser to sink into your skin before applying any make-up.

Benefits of steaming face

If you are wondering if steaming your face is good, here are some of the benefits to steaming your nose and face, other than just extracting dirt and impurities that can lead to acne. These include:

1) Increase circulation

Steaming your face for just 10 minutes can help get your blood flowing. The high temperatures signal your brain to dilate your blood vessels in that area and increase circulation.

2) Helps hydrate your skin

This may not be an obvious benefit of steaming face but there is a difference between hydrating your skin and moisturising your skin. Dehydrated skin means that it lacks water and facial steaming offers an unconventional way to provide your skin with the water it needs to remain hydrated and plump.

3) Helps with product absorption

The steam leads to increased permeability of the top layer of your skin which allows skincare products to sink in more easily for more effective results.

4) Exfoliates the skin

As you steam your face you are softening up the outer layer of your skin (dead skin) known as the stratum corneum, this, in turn, loosens up any debris and oil which is an alternate way to exfoliate that outer layer of skin.

How long & how often should you steam your face?

As mentioned previously the recommended time to steam your face is around 8-10 minutes, this is due to skin on your face being sensitive, any longer can result in burns or irritated skin.

If you have purchased a facial steamer you should make sure to read the instructions before as this can vary depending on the steamer you have.

The same goes for how often you should steam your face, if you have less sensitive skin you are able to steam your face 2 or 3 times a week. We recommend you do not steam your face anymore as this can cause irritation and if this is your first time to stick to twice in the first week.

If you find you have more sensitive skin you should only steam your face once a week.

Are there downsides to steaming your face?

Although there are many benefits of steaming your face there can be some downsides depending on your skin type. If you have very sensitive skin the steam could lead to your skin being drier and more inflamed, therefore moisturising is essential. Steam and heat are known triggers for skin conditions such as eczema, rosacea and melasma, so if you are prone to these skin conditions it is recommended to ask a professional before you steam your face at home.

If you are prone to melasma and hyperpigmentation, then steaming is not something you should try as this heat can cause melanin to be produced on the deeper layers of the skin resulting in more persistent dark spots. It is commonly misunderstood that steaming your face can get rid of pimples or spots, this is not the case.

However what it can help with is preventing further spots or pimples by clearing your skin of oil and dirt so the conditions are less conducive to pimples or spots spawning.