Since ancient times, people have been doing the facial steaming process as an initial step of skin care. Even today it has many uses. Usually, in spas, it is done before the skin care so that the skincare ingredients can deeply penetrate your skin’s pores. So that its effectiveness can increase in this way.
Currently, the production of many commercial steamers has increased due to the popularity of this method. Our skin has tiny pores all over it. The main function of facial steaming is to open the pores of your skin, thereby loosening the dirt and natural oils trapped inside. Also, it has many functions, if you don’t know about its function and don’t know what to do after facial steaming then read this article till the end and know all the effectiveness of facial steaming.
What is facial steaming?
The process of exposing your face to steam made from heated water is known as facial steaming. The main purpose behind doing this is to open the pores of your skin. You should be aware that steaming opens up your skin pores. That’s why you have to keep your face clean before steaming your face. It helps loosen the accumulated dirt and natural oil in your skin pores.
How to do facial steaming at home?
You can easily do facial steaming at home, as the process is very simple and there is no hassle or risk involved.
- Wash your face: The first step of facial steaming is to wash the face. Because if there are any dirt or chemical products on the face, they will penetrate the pores of the skin and get stuck. So it is very important to clean the face first with clear water or lukewarm water.
- Collect all equipment you need: Steaming requires some essential equipment, now it’s time to collect them. The necessary equipment includes a bowl, a kettle, and a towel.
- Collect herbal ingredients: Instead of just steaming with water, if you want to get more benefits, you can add some herbal ingredients to the water.
- Heat the water: You can use an electric kettle to heat the water or you can heat it in the oven.
- Add essential oil: After heating, pour the water from the kettle into a bowl and add the essential oil.
- Expose your face to the steam: Place the water bowl in front of your face. You have to make sure that it is at a tolerable level like 60 degrees Fahrenheit only when you steam your face.
- Tie your hair: During face steaming, hair can repeatedly come in front of your face and cause disruption. You can tie your hair so that there is no disturbance due to hair.
- Take a soft towel: Cover your head and bowl with a towel so that the water steam directly drapes your face. Otherwise, Steam will not absorb on your face.
- Keep your eyes close: Our eyes are very sensitive so be careful not to let water vapour enter your eyes, also take deep breaths during facial steaming.
- Wait a few times: Continue this steaming process for at least ten to fifteen minutes. After that, wash your face with a cleanser.
What ingredients can be added while steaming water to get more benefits?
Adding some herbal ingredients during water steaming can enhance the benefits of the steaming process by relaxing your skin. Skin specialists recommend some herbal ingredients as they have many benefits. But those herbal ingredients vary according to your skin type.
Chamomile: Chamomile contains antioxidants property that can prevent skin ageing. Particularly, it has two more beneficial properties which are phytochemical and polyphenols. Those can reduce ageing and fine lines of your skin as well. Chamomile even promotes the regeneration of your skin tissue, tightening skin pores, and also acts as a natural skin bleach. Those with normal skin can add this herbal ingredient to water and steam their face with it.
Rosemary oil: Rosemary oil will help to remove acne if you have it on your skin as it defeats bacteria that stays on your skin. Also tightens the pores of the skin so that the skin does not sag easily. Also, it smooths fine lines and removes under-eye bags. It also helps reduce skin inflammation. Even normal skin types can easily add these herbal ingredients to the water.
Lavender oil: It helps to brighten your skin and reduces skin blemishes, also wrinkles. It is naturally antibacterial, as it fights against acne problems on your skin. It can be used by all skin types, such as oily skin types, dry skin types, and combination skin types.
Rose water: Rose water has been used on the skin for thousands of years as it has many benefits. Rose water removes the skin’s redness and also has antibacterial properties and anti-inflammatory properties that destroy the bacteria on your skin, freeing it from various complexities of your skin. Rose water is better for dry skin type skin.
Peppermint: Peppermint can soothe irritation and relieve any inflammation of your skin. Also, if the skin is infected by any insect-like bug bites, it can reduce it. Even peppermint can reduce acne problems also. It is safe for almost all skin types but basically used for dry skin types and oily skin types.
Lemon balm: You may be happy to hear that this ingredient is very useful to remove your sunburn if your skin is burnt due to sunburn.
What are the benefits of steaming your face?
Face steaming has a lot of effectiveness. That is why face steaming is widely used in various spa treatments. Also, many people this face steaming before skin care treatment at home.
Hydrate your skin: One of the best benefits you’ll get from face steam is that it helps hydrate your skin. It helps your skin produce oil, which makes your skin glow automatically.
Act as a cleanser: The steaming process removes dirt from the skin as it penetrates your skin’s pores to loosen dirt and sebum.
Provide relaxation: Warm steam is simultaneously a relaxation and soothing method. If you add some herbal ingredients to the hot water, such as some soothing scents and essential oils, it will help to calm you.
Unclogging pores: There is another benefit of steaming a face which is unclogging pores. Steaming increases the temperature of your face. This opens the pores of your skin and loosens the dirt accumulated in the pores. The skin becomes very soft as a result of this deep cleansing. If the skin has blackheads, steaming removes it.
Accelerate collagen production: Facial steaming can accelerate your skin’s collagen production as it increases blood circulation.
Helps in exfoliation: When you steam your face, it will help loosen dead skin cells from your skin. As a result, it helps to remove excess oil and dirt from the face.
Increase blood circulation: After exposing your face to steam, your skin’s temperature rises above its normal temperature. It gives a signal to your brain to expand the blood vessels due to the increased temperature. As a result, blood circulation is increased in that area and instantly it gives a glow to your skin.
Help in absorbing makeup or skin care products: Since the high temperature causes your skin pores to open and dirt to loosen, any skin product is easily absorbed by your skin. If you apply a moisturiser after steaming, it will penetrate deeper into the skin as penetration increases. As a result, the skin can retain moisture for a long time, which keeps your skin glowing for a long time.
Can facial steaming reduce headaches and sinus congestion?
One of the great benefits of facial steaming is that it can provide relief from sinus pain. If you have a cold, high-steam water loosens the mucus in your nose. This relieves your lungs, swollen blood vessels, and inflammation by getting rid of these.
For many years this steaming process has been reported to be very effective in removing headaches. As high-temperature increases your brain’s blood flow, your headache may be reduced in this way.
What side effects you may face after facial steaming?
Although facial steaming has much effectiveness, it also has some disadvantages. Because different people’s skin type is different, it doesn’t suit everyone.
- Dryness and irritation: If you continue the face steaming process for too long, it can remove your skin’s natural oils. It dries the skin along with natural oils. As a result, there can be mild irritation on the skin which becomes very annoying.
- Can trigger facial flushing: Facial flushing is a sudden reddening of your entire face, caused by increased blood flow. Those with sensitive skin may experience a sudden increase in blood circulation when doing facial steaming.
- Skin disease reacts negatively: If you have any skin diseases then you should definitely avoid facial steaming. If you have rosacea which is one kind of skin disease, and still you have facial steaming then some problems may arise on your skin like redness.
What precautions should be done during steaming your face?
There are some instructions you should follow during facial steaming. Otherwise, your skin may be damaged instead of beneficial. As long as the facial steaming continues, there are some things to be alert about, such as the steaming temperature, your sensitive eyes, etc.
- Make sure your eyes are closed when you do facial steaming. If the eyes are open then the steam can get inside your eyes and since the eyes are very sensitive organs, it will be very dangerous. You may face many problems. So it will be better if you keep your eyes close during facial steaming.
- The steaming process should not be done for long. Because steaming for a long time can remove even your natural oil. As a result, dryness occurs on the skin and those with dry or sensitive skin have more problems, such as the face becoming drier.
- Never do facial steaming without removing makeup products on the face. Chemicals in makeup get stuck on you. Because after steaming your skin pores become open. As a result, skin problems may occur such as acne, itching, etc.
- You have to pay attention to the temperature of the steam water which is a big concern in facial steaming. The ideal temperature for facial steaming is 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit. If the temperature is less than this, the steam will not be effective for your skin, that is, the pores of your skin will not open properly. Again, if this temperature is higher than this, the cell damage may be caused due to more heat applied to the skin.
- Keep your face away from the heated water, not too close. It is best to keep your face six to ten inches away from heated water to get a good result. Otherwise, your skin may face some problems.
- If you use a facial steamer, follow the instructions on the steamer. Because it can be dangerous if you don’t follow the instructions.
Who Should Avoid Facial Steaming?
If you suffer from any skin disease like rosacea, then stay away from facial steaming. Because when the face temperature rises as a result of face steaming, it also increases your blood flow, which means it dilates blood vessels. As a result, redness may appear on your skin.
It is better to keep children and kids away from facial steaming. Because they cannot maintain it properly. Moreover, their skin is much softer than that of adults, so high temperatures can affect their soft skin. If steam water gets on their skin carelessly, it will be very dangerous.
Is it necessary to wash the face before and after facial steaming?
Yes, you should wash your face before and after facial steaming. Makeup products on the face before steaming will hinder the steaming process. As a result, steam cannot enter the pores of your skin. Also, any chemical ingredients can cause acne if it penetrates your skin’s pores. For this, the face should be washed well with water.
Again, after steaming, the pores of your skin are opened and the natural oils come out of the pores. It is very important to remove the oil from the face. For this, after facial steaming, the entire face should be washed with clean water.
Is steaming the face every day safe for the skin?
Different people have different skin types, so the effect of facial steaming is also different. That’s why dermatologists feel that daily steaming is not necessary. It is best if you do face steaming two to three times a week.
In terms of face steaming, you need to consider your skin type, otherwise, if you have sensitive skin, it will hurt the skin. If your skin type is dry then steaming only once a week will be enough for your skin.
What is the use process of the commercial facial steamer?
Commercial steamers: Due to their many benefits, facial steaming has many commercial methods. Commercial streamers come with some instructions to use, if you follow them you shouldn’t have any trouble using them.
Commercial facial steamers have a variety of features that make the steaming process much easier. This steamer is very easy to use.
- It has a water tank, first, you need to fill this tank with water.
- It has an iron presence which helps the water to evaporate.
- If you want better benefits, you can use lukewarm water instead of normal water.
- Now place the water tank in your steamer and turn on its power button.
- Now you have to wait for some time for the water to heat up.
- When the water heats up and starts to evaporate, turn off the power and expose your face to the steam.
- Continue this process for 10 minutes
How to take care of your face after steaming your face?
After facial steaming, there is some skincare that you should maintain.
Use lukewarm water and cleanser for washing your face: Washing your face with water is very important after facial steaming. Because the accumulated dirt and oil in the top layer of your skin comes out. You can use lukewarm water instead of water, which is more effective for your skin. You can use a cleansing product so that dirt will be removed from your skin properly and nothing will remain on your face.
Cleanser can remove dirt, and sebum, and even remove dead skin cells from your skin as it has some cleansing ingredients such as retinol, salicylic acid, etc which can remove skin toxins. This is how you can wash your face first with cleanser and lukewarm water.
Massage gently your face: The face needs some relaxation after steaming. You can gently massage the face with your fingers. By doing this, blood circulation will increase and the face will also glow. This multiplies the effectiveness of facial steaming and promotes collagen production.
Use face cream or serum: As mentioned earlier, when you steam your face, the skin becomes very dry because steaming loosens the natural oils from your skin’s pores. Then, along with the dirt, the oil also comes out from the skin. Due to this, you will feel a lot of dryness in the skin. So to get rid of this dryness you can use a cream or serum on the skin so that the natural oil of the face can be recovered.
The cream has a perfect balance of oil content and water to retain moisture in your skin. Therefore, it can prevent your skin from losing moisture and keep you hydrated. If you have oily skin, apply creams that have less oil content. And if you have dry skin, use an oil-based cream that contains paraffin oil, vitamin C, petroleum oil, etc. The serum contains lipid-replenishing ingredients that nourish and helps the skin retain moisture as well.
Apply skin care products: Facial steaming is the primary step of skin care.
Because the pores of the skin are opened after steaming, the skin-carrying products can penetrate inside and benefit the skin from a deep level. For this reason, facial steaming is done before skincare in various facial spas and salons so that the effectiveness of skin care products increases manifold.
Does facial steaming accelerate skin ageing?
If you think that facial steaming increases your skin ageing then you are completely wrong and get over this misconception. During facial steaming, the temperature of your skin increases first. Now that high temperature gives a signal to your brain so that the blood circulation of your skin increases more than before.
Steaming prevents your skin from ageing as blood circulation increases. It makes your skin firmer and tighter instead of fast ageing. As you can see, facial steaming prevents skin ageing and does not accelerate ageing. So your skin looks younger than before.
FAQ
When should facial steaming be done?
There is no need to steam the face every day. Because steaming the skin every day can harm the skin instead of benefiting your skin. So facial steaming should be done two to three times a week. Generally, You can do facial steaming before skin care. So that the ingredients can enter into deep pores of the skin.
Can all skin types do facial steaming and does it change skin tone?
People of all skin types can do facial steaming. Even if your skin is dry skin or a combination skin type or oily skin, this facial steaming is safe for you. But there is a little difference if you have dry skin then you have to reduce the time of your face steaming a little. Because steaming dries out your skin because the already natural oils are reduced. It does not change skin tone but somewhat brightens it as it increases facial blood circulation.
Conclusion
Learn more about the effectiveness of facial steaming. And know your skin type well before using this method. If you have skin diseases and face any complications with steaming your face, then consult a good skin specialist to see if this facial steaming is safe for you.