The Benefits of Steaming Your Face and How to Do It

There are many ways to level up your skincare game. One way is to spend money at salons and get your skincare regime handled by the professionals, another is to go all DIY or spend a little money on steaming your face and feeling the same nourishment of the skin in the comfort of your own home. If you wish to give the latter a try, then refer to the tips highlighted by 5-Minute Crafts below.

⚠️Readers must consult their dermatologists first before including face-steaming as a part of their skincare regime. This article is for informative purposes only.

Advantages of face-steaming:

1. It cleanses your skin.

Steaming tends to open up the pores of your skin and eases the accumulation of dirt and dead skin cells to clean your skin deeply. When your pores are open, it also helps in loosening up the blackheads and whiteheads, making it effortless to get rid of them. Steaming also keeps skin irritation and infections at bay.

Apart from cleansing your pores, steaming also helps in releasing trapped sebum. Sebum is a natural body oil secreted by your sebaceous glands that helps in lubricating your skin and hair. When this oil is stuck under your skin, it promotes the growth of bacteria that causes acne and blackheads. Steaming your face will loosen up the stuck sebum and enhance the quality of your skin.

2. It enhances collagen and elastin production in your skin.

When you steam your face, it increases the blood flow in your skin which further helps in the production of collagen and elastin. This keeps your skin firm and makes you look young.

3. It assists in sinus congestion.

Steaming also keeps the mucous membranes moist which helps in reducing the symptoms of sinus congestion. You can either breathe in the vapor, run a hot shower, or use a humidifier to do the same.

4. It provides a soothing sensation.

Apart from enhancing the quality of your skin, steaming also helps in relaxing your senses. You can boost the calm by adding essential oils or natural herbs to the hot water.

How to face-steam:

1. Hovering your face over the sink or bowl of hot water

1. Get a big fluffy towel ready and choose if you want to steam your face over the sink or over a bowl of hot water.
2. Tie your hair up and cleanse your face and neck with a gentle exfoliating cleanser.
3. Depending on the size of the sink or the bowl, boil 4-6 cups of water in a kettle or a pot.
4. Once the water starts to boil, add a few natural herbs to it.
5. Bring the heat down, cover the kettle or pot, and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Then pour the water into the sink or bowl carefully. Add essential oils like lavender, eucalyptus, geranium, and orange to the water once it is transferred.
6. Now, drape the towel over your head and the pot and hover your head 6 inches above the hot water for 5-10 minutes.

2. Using the warm towels

1. Turn on the hot water tap and fill your sink or bowl with it.
2. Tie your hair up and cleanse your face and neck with a gentle exfoliating cleanser.
3. Now soak your towel in the hot water and wring it out nicely so it becomes damp.
4. Now lean back comfortably in a chair or simply lie down.
5. Place the towel on your face. You can adjust its placement in such a way that it covers your entire face, leaving your nose peeking through.
6. Relax for 5 minutes.

• Make sure the towel is warm, not hot when using this method.

3. Using a home facial steamer

1. Fill up the facial steamer with water according to its user manual.
2. Keep the steamer on a table near an electrical socket so that you can plug in the cable easily. Switch it on and let the steam emit from the equipment.
3. In the meantime, while the steam takes time to emerge, tie your hair up and cleanse your face and neck with a gentle exfoliating cleanser.
4. Take a comfortable seat and hover your face over the cone attachment 5 to 10 inches away as per the user manual instructions.
5. Steam your face for at least 2 to 3 minutes with a 1-minute break in between to check how your face feels comfortable with the steam.

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