Let's Get Steamy with Facial Steaming 101

Steaming your face at home is like treating yourself to a mini facial. Steaming can be fabulous for your skin, only if you do it the right way. Surprisingly I am not too big on steaming, but when I actually do it, I can definitely see the benefits. Steaming opens up the pores and helps get dirt out. It can also increase circulation to give yourself that "glow" people live for. Steaming causes your face to sweat which means it is releasing toxins from your body and face. That is definitely a plus. Make sure you don't make the water too hot, or put your face too close to the steam, because you could potentially burn your skin. So let's avoid that at all costs! I would say make sure the temperature is around 110 degrees. If you have a facial steamer already bought with a set temperature, you should be good and ready to go. 

Before you steam, make sure to wash your face. I like to use my Burt's Bees cleanser to clean and prepare my skin. After I cleanse my face, I gently pat dry it with a towel. Then, I put my face on my facial steamer and allow my skin to stay there for about 5-7 minutes. You don't want to be under the steam for too long. If it gets too hot, take breaks for the steam for a few seconds to cool off. Right after I remove my face from the steam, I check to see if I brought any of my pimples to the surface. Whiteheads, in particular. (Check out my Don't Pick At Your Face! But If You Really Can't Help It... post for more info.) I mainly stick with trying to get blackheads out from my nose. Those are easier to remove, especially with the steam. Be careful not to try and pop pimples that are not ready! If you do, you are essentially making this facial worse for your skin. After a few blackhead extractions, I like to apply a sulfur mask on my face. If the pores are still open from the steam, this allows the mask to enter the pores easily and help fight whatever bacteria is in there. For people with oily and acne prone skin, I do recommend a sulfur mask. Sulfur dries out the pimples. For people with sensitive skin or dry skin, I recommend a gentler mask, like a honey or cucumber mask. For my acne sufferers, I recommend the Peter Thomas Roth Sulfur Cooling Mask. It's a little pricey at around $40, but I think it's completely worth it. 

After the mask has been on the skin for about 10 minutes, remove it with water and then

proceed with toning and moisturizing. Good luck!

-Daniela