At Home Facial

This is one habit that I have had since I was about 11 years old.  My mother gave me a book that detailed how to do a facial at home. I would boil water on the stove and prepare to steam my face, once a week.  I would put the stopper in the bathroom sink, pour the boiling water in, lean over the sink and drape a large towel over my face. This habit provided me with pretty clear and moisturized skin throughout my teen years and young adult life.

It’s a habit that I continued well into my 20s.  After having children, this habit slowly died down. It actually stopped.  Every January, on my list of goals for the year "Steam my face once a week" would be there.  This year I was determined to get that goal in and I finally did. My skin feels so good!

Daily cleansing of your face is usually not enough. Facial steam helps to open your pores allowing trapped excess oil and dirt to make their way out while your pores allow moisture in.


It's really a simple process.

Here is what you will need

• A facial steamer or another source of steam like a pot of boiling water
• Towel
• Magnifying mirror (optional)
• Cleanser, Toner, Clay based Masque/Hydrating Crème masque, Moisturizer (Optional)

Simple steps......Before beginning steam session, cleanse face with a cleanser. You want to start off with clean skin. Use your daily cleanser to clean your face as the water is warming up. It’s a good idea to pull your hair back whether it’s long or short and keep it back with either a headband or wrap.

1. Boil water and pour into basin or turn on facial sauna.
I use a small facial steamer/sauna from Conair that Ipurchase like 10 years ago from Wal-Mart. It was pretty inexpensive, under $20 and like I said I've had it for at least 10 years. If you do not have facial sauna as mentioned above, you can boil a pot of water and use a basin or large bowl placed on a table to contain the boiling water.

Once the water is boiling, carefully pour it into a basin.If you are using a facial sauna after about 5 minutes, it should start tosteam. You can add mint or lavender to either to add aromatherapy benefits toyour routine.


2.  Lean your faceover the steam and drape towel over head 10-15 minutes.
The best way to steam your face is to lean directly over the source of the steam. Make sure that your head is covered and completely draped with a towel. This ensures that the steam is not escaping and you really get the full benefit from it. You want your pores open so the blackheads emerge out of them. Then they become easier to extract if you choose to.
Keep your face at a comfortable distance from the steamsource to avoid any irritation or burns. I recommend steaming your face about10-15 minutes.
Allow to air dry or pat dry gently.

The next step is optional and is what I do after I steam.

3. Clear blackheads.
Here's what I do next. Immediately after the steaming session, I gently squeeze. I do not use a tool or my fingernails. I apply gentle pressure from my fingertips. That's because blackheads, whiteheads and any other clogged pore become easier to extract. I sit in front of my magnifying mirror to get a good look.
Apply pressure to remove any impurities. Because I have oily skin, I then use a clay based masque to help "vacuum out"other impurities and to help close pores. 10 minutes later, I remove the masque by splashing with lukewarm water.
Gently pat dry, apply toner and then moisturizer to face andneck.

That's It!!