How to steam your face at home

High-quality facial skin care involves not only the use of nourishing and moisturizing masks, creams, serums and exfoliating products, but also deep cleansing, which is easiest to do with steam.

What is good for steaming face

Steaming rightfully occupies the top lines in the ranking of home procedures for the face. The usual daily washing is directed to the superficial cleansing of the skin.

Peeling works a little deeper, which allows you to remove dead skin cells. And only steaming promotes deep pore cleansing, regulation of the sebaceous glands, improvement of blood flow and skin preparation for applying serum or mask. This effect is explained by the reaction of the skin to the effects of hot steam: it becomes soft, the pores open and their contents are easily removed.

However, poor-quality cleaning can lead to the opposite results: rashes, inflammation, irritations on the skin of the face. Therefore, you need to start steaming, carefully reading the features of the procedure and a list of contraindications to it.

Rules for conducting the steaming procedure

Preparation for steaming includes several mandatory steps:

1. Put the hair in the tail or under the headscarf so that they do not interfere with the procedure. Wash your hands and cleanse your face with a standard cleanser.
2. For 1-2 minutes, treat the skin with a soft peeling or scrub, then rinse off the rest of the product with warm water.
3. Proceed to the actual steaming, the time of which is determined by the characteristics of the skin type. For dry, 5 minutes will be enough, for normal - 10 minutes, and for oily - a quarter of an hour.
4. At the end of the steaming, you need to wipe the face with a cleansing tonic or lotion, then rinse it with warm water and dry it with soaking movements with a soft towel or napkin.
5. The next step may be the application of a cleansing mask, with which you cleanse the pores as much as possible. If for some reason you decide not to make a mask, then you can immediately proceed to the next step.
6. Tonic skin treatment to soothe and close pores. Application of serum or cream.

Attention! After steaming, avoid drafts and do not expose the skin to cold for at least 2 hours.

Unfortunately, steaming is not universal and suitable for the whole procedure. It is not recommended to expose yourself to high temperatures in the following conditions:

• bronchial asthma;
• pustules;
• spider veins;
• blood pressure problems;
• increased body hair.

How to steam face skin with steam

The best known steaming method is steam from hot water, however this is not the only way. Along with it, you can conduct a deep cleansing of the face, using warm wipes and special masks with a warming effect.

For the steam steaming procedure, you will need the following inventory:

• the container in which you pour water
• a mixture of dried herbs or oils
• towel
• tonic or lotion

It is very important to choose the right herbs that you add to the water. A correctly selected mixture will help regulate the work of the sebaceous glands, refresh and soothe the skin. For dry, as well as sensitive, chamomile, calendula, rose are perfect. Owners of oily skin can use mint and lemon, and normal - lavender, jasmine, rosemary.

Filling the container with hot water (it can be a saucepan or a bowl), add herbs there and wait 3-5 minutes, letting it brew a little. Then, after removing the hair, bend over the steam and cover the head and neck with a towel.

When the steaming time, tailored to your skin type, is over, you need to remove the towel and use a cotton ball or a disc dipped in tonic to wipe your face, removing the contents of the pores. Then wash your face with warm water and apply a cleansing mask. The use of clay masks, which has good absorbent properties, will give a good effect.

After 5 or 10 minutes, depending on your skin type, rinse off the mask, wipe your face with a tonic, narrowing the pores, and apply cream or serum.

For steaming the skin, it is not necessary to use a basin or saucepan. Now on sale you can find such a device as a sauna for the face (another name is a steam bath). It is a steam generating device with a tall bowl, above which you need to hold your face. In the sauna for the face, you can also add decoctions of herbs or oil. In addition, it is also effectively used as an inhaler, which will be useful in the cold season.

How to steam face skin with warm wipes

It is possible to steam out the skin effectively with a cotton or linen cloth soaked in hot herbal broth. Before laying on the face, the fabric needs to be squeezed a little. As soon as the scarf begins to cool, repeat everything again. In total, such procedures need to be done 4-5 times. Skin care after the end of this method of steaming does not differ at all from that recommended after hot steam: tonic, cleansing mask, again tonic and cream (serum).

The decoction in which the napkin is wetted should match the type of skin:

• calendula, chamomile and rose - for dry as well as sensitive;
• linden, mint, sage - for oily;
• nettle, lavender, licorice - for normal and combination.

To prepare a decoction, you need to mix the appropriate types of herbs in equal parts (1 tablespoon each), pour boiling water (700 ml) and hold in a water bath or in a thermos for 20-30 minutes. After filtering, the broth is ready for use.

Steaming masks

Another way to steam your face is to use special masks with a warming effect. They are suitable even for sensitive, capricious, prone to skin irritations. Steaming a face with a mask not only helps to open the pores and increase the speed of blood flow, as happens when using hot steam and wipes, but also has several additional advantages:

• there is no risk of burning the skin;
• the ability to do various things and steam the skin at the same time;
• saturation of the skin with oxygen.

The whole session usually takes 10-20 minutes, which depends on the composition of the mask and the manufacturer's recommendations. The effect is noticeable immediately after its washing: the skin color is even, the face becomes more well-groomed.

How to apply steaming masks correctly

Despite certain advantages of warming masks over other methods, their use requires compliance with certain rules.

This method of steaming can not be used simultaneously with others, because this is fraught with overheating and possible destruction of skin cells, and in special cases, tissues.

Warming masks are not contraindicated for people suffering from pressure or circulatory problems, but this does not imply their absolute safety. They should be used with caution, carefully listening to their own feelings.

Like any other product, the steaming mask can provoke allergic reactions, so before use it is necessary to conduct an appropriate test, applying a small amount to the inside of the elbow. If after two hours in this place there is no redness or itching, then you can use it on the face.

Typically, steaming masks begin to produce a thermal effect in contact with water. To strengthen it, you can sprinkle your face with water every 2-3 minutes or lay on top of it a moistened paper towel with slots for the eyes, mouth and nose.

As with other types of steaming, you should not wash your face with cold water, only warm. The skin can be treated with a soft scrub or peeling and wiped with a tonic, and then apply cream or serum.

The frequency of use of warming masks depends on the type of skin and usually does not exceed once a week for oily or combination / normal, and once every ten days for dry and sensitive.

Steaming mask recipes

Effectively steam out the skin can be not only a mask of industrial manufacture, for this procedure, there are home recipes from familiar products.

1. Mix until smooth yolk, olive oil and honey in equal proportions. Warm the mixture in a water bath until it becomes noticeably warm (but not hot), apply on a cleansed face for a quarter of an hour. If there is no olive oil, you can do without it by slightly changing the amount of honey (50 g) and yolk (2 pcs.). The cooking principle is the same - in a water bath until warm.
2. A warming effect will have a mask of two parts of white clay and one part of zinc ointment, diluted to the consistency of sour cream with cucumber juice. The exposure time of the composition on the skin is 10 minutes.
3. A mask from semolina will help to steam out, as well as lighten the skin. Simply boil a thick porridge in milk (of course, without sugar, butter and other additives), allow to cool to a comfortable temperature and apply on face for 15 minutes. This mask is suitable for any skin, including sensitive.
4. The oatmeal mask will help to warm and clean the pores at the same time. Of these, you also need to cook thick porridge, but with the addition of a teaspoon of soda. Cooled to a warm state, the mixture is applied to the face for 15 minutes.

As can be seen from the description, home heating masks consist of affordable products, are simple to manufacture and use. The main thing is to control their temperature and not apply too hot a mixture to the face, and when discomfort occurs, wash it off. Do not forget about proper skin care after the mask: be sure to treat it with a tonic and moisturize with cream. If desired, you can use a scrub.

The beauty of our face is largely determined by the condition of the skin, and it, in turn, depends on cleansing and subsequent care. Steaming is exactly the procedure that will help to effectively maintain it in proper condition: just choose the method that suits you, follow the instructions and enjoy the effect.

Video: deep facial cleansing at home