There are a lot of ways in which you can steam your face. While a simple bowl of hot water is enough to open your pores and unclog them, you could even add a little bit of lemon, salt, dried herbs or an essential oil of your choice to help the process work better.
You need to deep clean your pores to reduce the acne bacteria and cleanse the cells. Add a few leaves of Tulsi or neem and steam your face for a good 15 minutes. Do this every night before your PM routine. Follow it up with essence, serum, and moisturiser.
Using a serum or mask while you steam will ramp up results. Chapman recommends steaming over an exfoliating serum for a deeper cleanse, or a hyaluronic acid-based serum or mask for an extra shot of hydration.
Antioxidant. Lemon juice naturally contains vitamin C, an antioxidant that may help reduce skin damage and premature aging. Astringent qualities. Due to its high pH levels, lemon can decrease oil on the skin and reduce inflammation.
Take a towel and soak it in hot water, wring it out so that it is no longer dripping, and drape it over your face. If the towel is hot enough, it will steam the face for a few minutes.
After your steam session, rinse your face with lukewarm water and pat it dry with a super soft towel. This is a great time to apply a facial mask and other skincare products, like a serum, as the steam makes the skin more permeable.
You should steam and then exfoliate so as to reap the full benefits. Steaming and then exfoliating allows the pores to be fully cleaned as steaming would open the pores up, allowing the exfoliating to clean the dirt in the pores better.
Irritation on the skin: Applying lemon extracts directly to the face often causes skin irritation due to its high acidic properties. Skin irritation such as dryness, redness, peeling, and flakiness are some of the common side effects. If you have sensitive skin, these symptoms can become severe.
Use a gentle face cleanser and warm water. Removing makeup and dirt is a must before steaming, because steaming opens up your pores, and anything on your face will be able to get inside and cause irritation or pimples to occur.
Too Much Steam Can Damage Your Skin
Steaming can also strip the skin of its natural moisture, causing pores to overcompensate and produce excess oils. This can lead to acne breakouts and flare ups. No one wants more acne, so be mindful of how often you steam to avoid unnecessary breakouts!
Steaming is good for most skin types, however, if one has extremely sensitive skin, it is best to skip this. “If you suffer from rosacea or dry sensitive skin, steaming the face would not be recommended.
A cleanse is done first to get all of the dirt, oil, and dead skin cells off of the surface of your skin. If you steamed prior to a cleanse, the dirt and oil could actually be brought into the pores and cause more clogging and acne. The second component of a facial is exfoliation. Exfoliation is all about balance.
Steam treatments open your pores and increase circulation, leaving your skin clean, flushed, and glowing.
In general, you can steam with a hot towel or bowl for up to 10 minutes at a time. But keep an eye on how your skin responds. “If your skin feels great after a 10-minute steam, stick with that length of time,” Diliberto says, “but if you feel too hot or notice irritation, cut back or discontinue use.”
Enjoy Clear Skin and Fewer Wrinkles
Starting your day off with a glass of lemon water has innumerable benefits, including increasing the amount of collagen in your skin. That means you'll produce fewer wrinkles, and the vitamin C in the lemon can also fight off toxins that cause breakouts.
Leave it on for 15 minutes and wash with cold water. While using lemon juice, make sure to always dilute it in water. Do a patch test first to check sensitivity. If you experience extreme skin irritation, then avoid using it.
Skin Brightener
Lemons are rich in vitamin C and citric acid, so they can help brighten and lighten your skin when used over time. "Vitamin C is a great antioxidant for neutralizing free radicals and boosting collagen production," says Marina Peredo, MD, a dermatologist. That means it can help lighten dark spots.
We all know that lemons have a number of benefits. It can be used to get rid of dark spots. The vitamin C and the citric acid present in lemons make it a perfect bleaching agent which can help in lightening the dark spots.
To start, aim for a steaming session at least once per week in the evenings, just before bed. Because it's such a relaxing treatment, it might help you get a better night's sleep.
You can open your pores and remove dirt and bacteria that cause acne by using steam on your face. Furthermore, it softens blackheads and whiteheads (caused by clogged pores), so you can remove them easily.
People with oily skin tend to benefit from facial steaming the most, so you can probably get away with doing it two or three times per week. If your skin is dry, stick to steaming once per week to avoid over drying. As for those with sensitive skin, you're better off skipping the steam altogether.