Herbal face steam

Skincare

Dec 6

Written By Nicolina Kolster

A SKINCARE PRACTICE YOU DIDN’T KNOW YOU NEEDED

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Dream it

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Steam it

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Dream it 〰️ Steam it 〰️

Herbal face steams go back as far as to when boiling water was invented, so a loong time ago. It is one of the most fundamental skincare practices, yet one that very few know of or practice today anymore. The easiest way of extracting the medicinal components from a plant is through steaping and steam distillation, which is exactly what a herbal face steam is. Adding hot water to plant material releases and extracts its essential oils, which blends and rises with the steam. The steam from the hot water blend opens your pores, allowing your skin to receive the full benefits of the concentrated herbs.

There are many different ways to enjoy the benefits of herbal steams; traditional face steams, steam saunas, shower melts, bath bombs, bath soaks, bath teas, warm herbal compress, etc. But for the sake of this blog post and to keep it simple, i will cover the traditional herbal face steam and how to perform them out of the comfort of your home, with ingredients that are easily accessible from most health food stores or even your garden or local forests.

I like to categorize my herbs into three different categories depending on my desired result from the steam: dried flowers for their skin beautifying and antiaging benefits; spices for pains and discomfort; and conifers (tree leaves and needles) for anticeptic and decongesting benefits. This is a general quide line of categorizing the plants, and easy to remember if you are a beginner with herbs and plants. Once you get more confident with your herbal knowelde, feel free to mix and experiment as you see fit.

5 easy steps to perform a face steam at home

Mix your desired herbs (see recipes below), and add a generous pinch to a large glass or stainless steel bowl.
Boil your water, roughly 1-2 liters, and slowly pour into the bowl over your herbs so that they swirl and mix thoroughly with the water.
Cover your head and upper body with a large towel, hovering over the bowl. Drape the towel around your head and the bowl to minimize the steam from excaping.
Set your phone timer for 10 minutes so you know how long you have been steaming for. Close your eyes, take deep, nourishing breaths all the way down to your belly, and let the steam rejuvenate both your skin, your sinuses, and your air ways.
When the time is up, gently tap your skin dry with your towel, and apply your serums and moisturizers to seal everything in. You will notice that the products will absorb a lot better and faster after a steam.

Benefits of herbal steams

The first thing that probably comes to mind when hearing steam is to relieve congested sinuses when you sick. And you’re right, this is an excellent occasion, and probably the most common, to perform a steam, but by far not the only one. The hot steam not only opens and decongests your sinuses, they also soften and open up your skin pores.

Steaming is typically one of the first steps during a professional facial for this exact reason. Once the skin is warmed up and prepped with the steam, the rest of the products and active ingredients will absorb much better and deeper into the skin. This is particularly important when doing extractions, as the now softened skin and open pores make it much easier for blackheads and pimples to be squeezed out without damaging the skin as much.

Another reason for steaming is to actually relieve headaches, migraines, tension, and anxiety, as the hot steam of certain herbs and spices help to dilate blood vessles to increase blood flow and fresh oxygen to the brain, while also acting as nervines to numb pain receptors and reduce pain and tension. Some herbs, like rosemary, have even been shown to stimulate neurogenesis (formation of nerv cells) and relieve cognitive degenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s.

ELECTRIC FACIAL STEAMER

Don’t feel like hovering over a bowl covered by a towel for 15 minutes?
I bought one of these not too long ago and it is game changing. Fill it with water, throw your herbs in, and plump down on the couch while steaming your face.
Work smarter, not harder!

3 easy herbal steam recipes

The following recipes are extremely easy to make at home, and the ingredients should be fairly accessible in most health food stores, but can also be ordered online if necessary. If you are confident enough to forage for some of the ingredients, this is a totally acceptable option as well, but always make sure to be 100% certain of the plants you pick to avoid unnecessary side effects and reactions. Mix all the dried ingredients in equal parts in a mixing bowl, store them in a sterile glass mason jar, labelled with the ingredients and date of when you mixed them. Store the jar in a dark place like your kitchen pantry. Use as needed, a generous pinch or a couple of tablespoons for each face steam.