I love my at-home facial steamer. It’s a great way to give myself some me time at the end of a long day or before the week starts again. But there’s more to an at-home steam sesh a than just relaxation and a mini spa moment; using a facial steamer at home provides several skincare benefits, from improved blood circulation to better product absorption.
Read on to learn about the benefits of face steaming, and how and when to use a facial steamer in your skincare routine.
Shop my exact facial steamer here.
Facial Steamer Benefits + How To Use One
How to Use A Facial Steamer
Using a facial steamer at home is easy. Like, really easy. The only thing you need is some distilled water, which you can pick up at any grocery store.
You’ll of course obviously need a facial steamer, too. I’ve had this Vanity Planet facial steamer for several years now and love it. My mom has it, my friends have it, and it makes a wonderful gift for pretty much any woman in your life. The sticky feet allow it to stay in place while you’re steaming, and it heats up in seconds.
To use a facial steamer, just plug it in, wait for the steam to start steaming from the spout, and voila! You’re ready to use your facial steamer and reap its benefits. Each facial steamer is different, but it should take about 30 seconds to heat. Be sure to read any instructions and keep your face at a safe distance, about 6 inches away from the nozzle to avoid any steam burns.
When to Use a Facial Steamer in Your Skincare Routine
You can use a facial steamer morning or night. For best results, always be sure you’re always using it on clean skin, either after you wash your face or as you cleanse it.
Use your steamer for 5-10 minutes, and no more than 15 minutes. Perform any necessary extractions (more on that later), then finish your skincare routine with any serums, and finally, your moisturizer.
If you’re looking to pamper yourself with a full at-home facial, then read this post where my esthetician Allison breaks down each step and shares her favorite products.
How Often Should You Use A Facial Steamer?
Less sensitive skin types or oily skin types can add facial steaming to their skincare routine twice per week, but if you have sensitive skin, only steam your face once per week.
Although facial steaming provides numerous benefits – as you’ll see below – you don’t want to use it too often as excessive at-home steaming can also leave you with dry skin.
Facial Steamer Tips
Use a Professional Steamer
Although some websites argue that you can put your face over a bowl of hot water covered with a clean towel, I wouldn’t recommend this. A pro facial steamer regulates the temperature of the hot steam, so there’s little to no chance of accidentally burning your face.
My favorite facial steamer is this steamer from Vanity Planet. With its micro steam technology, it delivers a controlled amount of steam and works for all skin conditions. It also contains additional nozzles so you can add your favorite essential oils for a spa experience.
Always Use on a Clean Face
The first step to an at-home steaming treatment is to wash your face. Always make sure you’re using your facial steamer on clean skin. Makeup and debris act as a thin layer on the skin, and without removing that layer via face washing, the steam won’t be able to reach your pores and work its magic.
Close Your Eyes
Make sure to close your eyes while using a facial steamer. You’ll be more comfortable and also won’t risk irritating your eyes.
Finish Your Skincare Routine
After using your facial steamer, give your face a quick second wash with warm water, then proceed to use serums and moisturizers. Effects from these products are enhanced after steaming, so you don’t want to skip this part, even if your skin feels hydrated from the mist.
The Benefits of Facial Steaming
Provides Relaxation
If you’ve ever gotten a facial or used a steam room before a massage, then you already know the relaxing feeling a steam facial can provide.
Warm steam on your face? Yes, please! It’s one big invite to close your eyes and loosen up any tension in your face and neck muscles. While relaxation alone might be the only reason you need to use a facial steamer, there are also a ton of skincare benefits to using one.
Allows for Easier Extractions
You should really leave extractions to a skincare professional, but if you’re going to attempt them at home, do it right.
One of the benefits of using a facial steamer is that it makes extractions easier. Sebum, or excess oil produced by the skin, can sometimes get stuck and harden inside of a follicle, leading to clogged pores. The hot steam opens pores, making it easier to perform extractions.
Helps Reduce Breakouts
Facial steaming can also be helpful for those with acne-prone skin. The combination of warm steam and open pores allows blackheads and whiteheads to get released easier.
Unclogging your pores can help release acne-causing bacteria trapped underneath, keeping future breakouts at bay.
Exfoliates
Facial steaming provides gentle exfoliation. Although the exfoliation that happens while facial steaming won’t be as powerful as using exfoliating skincare products, it can help remove dead skin cells for an overall smoother, more radiant complexion.
Facial steaming can also aid in easier exfoliation with skincare products, since the heat from the steam loosens up debris and excess oil.
Enables Better Product Absorption
One of the most well-known benefits of facial steaming is better product absorption.
Along with helping to regulate excess oil, open pores from hot steam also make your skin more receptive to absorbing skincare products. When pores are open and clean, skincare products can penetrate deeper, allowing you to fully enjoy their maximum benefits (and your investment in them!).
Gets a Deeper Cleanse
You can also use your facial steamer to aid in double cleansing. Cleanse before steaming to remove excess oil and makeup, steam, then cleanse again for a deeper clean into those open pores. Rinse, then pat with a clean towel.
I’m a big fan of this cleansing oil as the first step I’m my double cleansing routine.
Gives a Youthful Glow
The hot steam produced from your steamer dilates blood vessels and helps boost circulation. Together, this helps give your skin the appearance of a more youthful, healthy glow.
To see my post on tips for naturally glowing skin, click here.
Naturally Removes Toxins
This goes hand in hand with the above facial steamer benefit. Increased blood flow and circulation also leads to your face sweating, which naturally removes toxins from this area.
Hydrates Your Skin
Finally, facial steaming helps to hydrate and relieve dehydrated skin. Tiny steam molecules easily absorb into your skin barrier, adding moisture to your face’s outermost layer.
Be sure to lock in that wonderful hydration by applying a moisturizer immediately after you finish facial steaming.
