Table of Contents
What is face-steaming?
Face-steaming is a simple skin treatment that helps care for your skin in a healthy way. You can perform this treatment in the comfort of your house. Depending on your skin type you can customize the steps of this treatment.
There are a lot of chemical ingredients that constitute seemingly necessary skincare products. More importantly, these all skins may not endure their harshness. So it is wise to stick to wiser and less complex treatments.
Let us get more into this topic and cover everything you need to know about face-steaming and how to care for your skin before and after the treatment. Keep reading!
What to do before steaming your face?
Wash your face
Use a mild cleanser to get rid of the top layer of impurities. Make sure you have rinsed your face thoroughly before proceeding with the process
Hydrate yourself
The first and foremost thing to do would be hydrating yourself. Drink enough water, keeping in mind the amount of perspiration that you would experience. This should help you stay healthy during the steaming session.
What to do after steaming your face?
After the steaming session is over, your face would become hydrated, or nourished as per the ingredients added into the steam. However, it also becomes fragile and vulnerable to irritants. So here are some points to keep in mind after a steaming session.
Wash your face with lukewarm water
Don’t use a towel. This is going to scar your skin since after steaming the skin becomes soft. Instead, wash the face gently with lukewarm water. Try not to use cold water, since this will alter the temperature suddenly.
Massage gently
Massage your face to get the blood running and smooth out the heated regions. Try tapping your face with the tips of your fingers. Just tap about your face to let the products in.
Moisturize
When your face steam excess oils and dirt are removed, there is not much moisture left naturally, so the face tends to secrete additional sebum. So, moisturize your face after a 3-minute face-steaming session.
Use a moisturizer with vitamin E which is suitable for all skin types.
Exfoliate
This is a great way to collect the impurities together and eliminate them once and for all. Doing it after the face-steaming session will give you better results compared to doing it before.
However, make sure it is gentle enough to not disturb the sensitive skin. Do not go for rough scrubbing ingredients like sugar. Try something that is easy on the skin. This could be cinnamon or fine granules of oats.
Get a mask
You can moisturise or use a mask to get the moisture into your skin. Try a mask that is suited for your skin.
Apply a toner
This step is only optional but does a lot for your skin. It gently eliminates any residual dirt in the pores and balances the pH of your skin. However, some types of tones contain alcohol as an ingredient. This might act as an irritant to certain skin types.
Hence, make sure to think this one through.
Should you wash your face after steaming?
Yes, wash your face with lukewarm water to remove the impurities that have left the pores. Do not use a towel to wipe your face.
Benefits of face-steaming
Since earlier times, steam has been a way of medication and healing. A common cold can be driven away with medicated steam inhalation. Moreover, steaming the face is a healthy skin treatment that shows effective results.
Here are some of the benefits associated with face-steaming;
- Face-steaming is known to unclog pores and throw out the impurities that are present in them. This is a lighter way of cleansing pores compared to the use of chemicals for the same purpose.
- The warmth from the steam is a great way to relieve strained facial muscles and boost blood circulation. It removes pressure from within the blood vessels and allows easy flow of blood.
- It is definitely a great way to promote the skin-healing process and help the skin strengthen its defend against external features.
- This treatment is great for removing excess oil secretion on the skin. Sometimes, too much oil secretion leads to residue oil being trapped within the skin layer. Acne-causing bacterias grow in such situations causing various skin diseases.
- It makes your skin appear younger and smoother.
- Blackheads are removed gently unlike the salon treatments.
- You can add in healthy ingredients like herbs and other skin nourishing contents. These will promote the effectiveness of the stream.
- It is not necessary to go for a salon steam treatment. You can do it anywhere. It is quite relaxing unlike tiring skin scrubs and similar routines.
Can you steam your face every day?
No, do not steam your face every day. They will be rough to your skin and cause serious damage. In fact, you should face-steam for a short duration only. Also, the frequency of steaming sessions should depend on your skin type and the steaming method you use.
If you are using a normal stamping procedure that involves bending over a bowl of hot water, then you steam twice a week. However, if you were to use an electric steamer, then follow the instruction manual regarding the frequency of use.
How long should I steam my face?
Steam your face only for about 5 to 10 minutes. More than that duration might cause various consequences like darkening of your face due to the high temperature.
How often can I steam my face?
You can steam your face once every week. Do not overdo the process. Look for any visible reactions and discontinue the treatment if needed. However, not all skin types welcome face-steaming. So practice caution.
Conclusion
An expensive salon face-steaming session is not going to seem satisfying most of the time. However, giving your face the right amount of care in the comfort of your home is the best way to find that satisfaction.