facial steamer?
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free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:04 pm

hi girls....
i was wondering if any of you have had/used one of facial steamer. I want to know what your opinions of it. I am thinking about getting one because I cannnot seem to steam ,y pores correctly (when I clean my face with OCM). I am using warm towel now, but I do not think it is hot enough to open my pores, and anything hotter, I cannot hold it in my hand.
Opinions please.....
Very Happy

free skin care · Thu Mar 02, 2006 9:58 pm

I had a cheapy facial steam (Norelco, I think) for many years. Never really used it, sold it at a garage sale. Now, of course that I NEED it!! Ugh. Anyway, I've found filling a sink with hot water and putting my head and a bath towel over it does the same exact thing.

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 12:30 am

Hi roadtonowhere - Be careful -- really hot steam can cause broken capillaries and other skin problems.

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:21 am

Hi Roadtonowhere,

I have a modern steamer ... which don't seem to produce the same sort of steam as the older types. The new steamers sort of "mist" rather than steam.

I love it ... and I use it fairly regularly. I used to use it daily ... and then early on in the winter, I found my skin was really dry ... and while I didn't think that the steamer was the cause, I backed off of it for a bit.

Now I'm back to steaming two or three times a week.

I got mine at a garage sale ... so it only cost me $5 ... but they aren't overly expensive these days ... about $20 to $25 I think.

My girlfriend prefers using the boiling water in a pot, remove from heat and using a towel as a tent to the steamer ... but I like my steamer.

I keep it on my vanity so that it's convenient to use. If I had to go to great lengths to use it, I wouldn't! Laughing

HTH

Mary

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 6:39 am

I don't have a steamer.

I have just held my face over a boiling pot of water, not right over, but above it, so it catches the steam. Usually though I just boil water in the kettle and then pour it into a mixing bowl and get a clean towel and hold my face over it. It certainly feels good and not too hot and best of all, it's cheap.

The only real steamer I know of (being that I haven't reasearched it) is that one by Sunbeam I think it is, I think you can add essential oils to it or something.

I've never seen anything on the market like the one I've had when I've had a facial (I've only had two proper facials in my whole life). It would be cool to have one, but I have a small house and where the hell do I put it? hehe.

Kylie

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 10:16 am

I have a steamer I bought from ULTA a few months back...I think I paid about $25. Anyway, I have fallen off the map with using it, but I do really like it when I stop being lazy and plug the thing in! Laughing

I'm doing the OCM, too, so maybe this will be a good time to bring the steamer out of retirement. I'm kind of having the same issues as roadtonowhere with wondering if the hot washcloth is really opening my pores enough.

Does anyone have recommendations as to how long to use the steamer after the oil mixture is applied? If so, I'd love to hear them!

Thanks!
Mary Smile

free skin care · Fri Mar 03, 2006 3:40 pm

hi hpjrt and mary H.....
what brand do you girls have?
yeah... i am really having a hardtime with OCM. Last night.... I heated up a bowl of water in the kitchen... and I could not even carry the bowl up to the bathroom since it got too hot.....
<sigh> really need to get this facial steamer.
And also, hpjrt... is this mist hot enough to open pores?
thanks....

free skin care · Sat Mar 04, 2006 8:26 am

Hi roadtonowhere!

The brand of steamer I have is Conair...it's fairly small and easy to use. Since seeing this thread I have dragged it out and plan to use it this weekend! I guess I'll need to experiment with how long to use it with the oil mixture on my face. When I used it with no oil, I think I did 15 minutes...

Mary

free skin care · Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:34 am

Hi Roadtonowhere,

Mine is a Conair as well ... and I only steam for about 2 to 3 minutes after I've applied the oil and I've massaged for however long it takes for the steamer to heat up. Laughing

After steaming I massage some more ... generally as long as it takes for the water to come out hot ... and then I do the washcloth thing.

The mist is certainly hot enough to open your pores ... in fact, it was my girlfriend who designated it as "mist" ... it's really just a gentle misty steam ... you only put about 1.5 to 2 tbls of water in it ... [by the way, using rosewater as your "water" is wonderful!] ... and I find that it really helps loosen the stubborn stuff! Laughing

It's also very relaxing ... but I don't think I could handle 15 minutes of steaming. I'd get too bored by then ... so then it would go from being "relaxing" to being "annoying" ... not quite the plan! Laughing

I generally do this at night ... because I don't have time in the morning Very Happy

... and now I do it about 3 or 4 times a week. I was doing it every night ... but when my face got really dry I thought maybe that was part of the reason.

I find that my face looks much cleaner/fresher on the nights when I steam ... so I may just go back to every night! Smile

Mary

free skin care · Sat Mar 04, 2006 11:35 am

Thanks so much for posting this info, Mary! Actually, I did the 15 minutes just because I thought I had to in order to get the pores open...not sure where I got that idea from! But you're right...it was boring, so that's probably why my trusty facial steamer has been under the sink for the past month or so! Laughing

So, if I can get away with just massaging in the oil, then steaming for 2-3 minutes, I'm all for it!

Mary Smile

free skin care · Tue Apr 11, 2006 8:34 pm

I was using a facial steamer over the summer, and found that my skin would purge like mad then it would be clear for a few days to a week (and it was beautiful during this time) but would quickly go back to being congested and then i'd have enormous breakouts, followed again by clear, beautiful skin.
I was just using tap water, for maybe 10 mins (or until i got bored Laughing

) and then i would use my cleanser, toner, moisturizer like normal.
So, I stopped using it and now i just have skin somewhere in the middle - broken out but not to the extreme, but never glowing either.

free skin care · Wed Apr 12, 2006 5:35 am

I've thought of getting one of these. My mom had one when I was young and it seemed fun at the time. With OCM it would likely do some good. I do have some broken caps though.

Wed Apr 12, 2006 8:06 am

I often steam my fast just before a mud mask or extration. However, I find it difficult to get a constant temperature. The steam is either too hot or not misty enough. Also a friend warned me that oversteaming could lead to saggy skin. Not sure about this.

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