Steam procedures have long been used to treat a variety of diseases and improve health. Skin steaming is also popular in cosmetology. How to steam your face at home, and is it useful?
The benefits of steam
Most often, steaming is a preparatory procedure. Under gentle heat exposure, the skin pores open. Then they are easy to clean from pollution. It is also useful to apply active formulations - creams and masks. How to steam your face at home so as not to harm the skin? Everything is very simple - focus on your well-being. If the skin burns, deviate a little further from the container with water or stop the procedure. It is important to observe the exposure time, the fatter the skin, the longer you can keep your face above the steam. For the dry type, ten minutes is enough, for all others, fifteen to twenty. The intervals between sessions are calculated in the same way. Dry skin is enough 3-4 times a month, for oily, normal and mixed skin, steaming can be done once or twice a week.
Aromatherapy for cosmetic procedures
A steaming face mask will be more pleasant if you use not ordinary water, but a decoction of herbs. When there is nothing at hand, the procedure should not be postponed; you can warm the skin and boil previously clean liquid without additives. Some housewives secretly say that they even prefer to steam their face over a pan with boiled potatoes or other vegetables. But if you approach the issue of beauty responsibly, there is nothing better than decoctions of herbs and essential oils. For dry skin, linden, yarrow, wormwood, rosemary, rose or grapes are suitable. If your skin is oily, try peppermint, lemon, horsetail, thyme or chamomile. Any plant can be used for normal skin, but nettle, rosemary, sage, lavender and rose are considered the most useful. Use dried grass or essential oil of one plant or make a mixture in arbitrary proportions.
How to steam your face at home: a traditional option
You will need a medium-sized pan and a large thick towel. Pour water into the selected container, add dry grass or a few drops of the selected oil. After that, put on fire and bring to a boil. Equip a place for the procedure in advance. You should be as comfortable as possible so that you can tilt your face at a distance of 20 cm from the pan. Prepare dry clean wipes in advance. Before the procedure, remove makeup and dirt from the skin, you can use special products or just wash yourself well. When the liquid in the pan begins to boil, hold it over medium heat for several minutes, then put it in the selected place and begin the procedure. Lean over the steam and cover with a towel, hair should be collected. Blot sweat with napkins during and after the procedure.
Steaming with a cloth
This version of the procedure is not very convenient to perform alone. Better ask someone for help. It is necessary to prepare a warm broth and sterile fabric from one hundred percent cotton. The napkin needs to be soaked, squeezed and applied to the face. Keep until cool, then repeat three to four times. It is more convenient to lie during the procedure, and you can entrust the change of napkins to someone from your home. Remember that there is no universal answer to the question: “How to steam a face?” In its effect, this version of the procedure is completely similar to the previous one, and only you can decide how to affect the skin.
Modern cosmetics and grandmother's recipes
It is not always possible to carry out the procedure, even if you know how to steam the face at home correctly. The express solution will be a special warming mask. You can easily buy formulations of this type in any modern cosmetic store; you can also use folk recipes. An excellent result gives a recipe based on hercules flakes and soda. To do this, mix these components in a ratio of 2: 1 and fill with hot water or milk. Distribute the composition that has cooled down to a pleasant warm temperature on the skin and hold for about 25 minutes. If you are not allergic to honey, try the following recipe. For one raw yolk, take one and a half teaspoons of honey. Beat the mixture, mixing thoroughly, warm up a little and apply on the skin. Rinse off after 15 minutes. This steaming face mask is suitable even for dry or sensitive skin.
Alternative steaming options and household tricks
There are special household appliances for cosmetic steaming of the skin. In their design, they resemble medical inhalers. In the lower part there is a water tank, smoothly turning into a large funnel, which allows you to send steam to the face. The cost of such a device is not too high, it makes sense to purchase it if you often do steaming. They also carry out this procedure in beauty salons using special equipment. At the same time, the client lies on a couch or in a comfortable chair, and the master completely manages the process. If you don’t know how to steam face skin at home, make a good habit of going to the bathhouse. Both a sauna and a Turkish hammam will do. The most important thing is to take a shower before visiting the steam room, and immediately after leaving, go to skin care. A popular question: “Is it possible to steam a face if there are acne and acne?” It is possible, but there should be no active inflammations and wounds. The procedure is preferably carried out with good overall health. If you feel very tired or annoyed, postpone your facial treatment until tomorrow. It is also important to understand that steaming itself does not have a serious healing effect. The skin conditions are improved after exposure to the upper layers of the epidermis. It is better not to carry out some manipulations without first treating the face with steam. The most striking example of this is deep peeling or skin cleansing, if the pores are closed, you still can’t clean them completely. Before steaming, take care to clean your hands, be sure to wash them thoroughly and use an antiseptic if possible.