What to do after steaming your face? Let’s see what you should do after steaming so that you can provide your skin with the best routine for your skin type and needs.
However, I must admit that there aren’t precise rules to what you can do after.
Some people just choose to splash their face with cold water and then get on with their usual skincare routine. This is the simplest answer to the question what to do after steaming your face. Just a bit of cold water and your usual products.
Others prefer to cleanse their face, then maybe run an ice cube all over the face and neck, then apply a hydrating mask, and only after that they apply their usual skincare products.
The answer to the question of what to do after steaming your face depends on how much time and patience you have at your disposal.
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What To Do Before Steaming Your Face
In order for it to be an after there must be a before.
Let’s do a quick recap of what you should do before steaming your face.
You don’t have to do much. Before steaming your face, you only need to cleanse your face. That’s the only crucial step that you have to follow.
When it comes to facial exfoliation, you can either exfoliate before or after steaming.
If you’re using a gentle facial scrub as a cleanser, then you’ll exfoliate before. The same goes if you’re using a facial cleansing brush for both exfoliation and face washing.
If you’re using a chemical exfoliant, then apply it after. So, let’s move to answering what to do after steaming your face.
What To Do After Steaming Your Face in 4 Steps
Now that your face is cleansed of makeup, dirt, and impurities, you’re ready for some well-deserved pampering.
If you’re using a steamer, 10 minutes of steam is plenty. Don’t forget about only using purified/distilled water.
If you’re using a steamer, don’t forget to sit at least 7-8 inches (20cm) away from the unit. It will provide a continuous mist for as long as you want or for as long as the water tank allows it.
During steaming, if you want to trap the mist, put a dry towel over your head. You can also use a clean dry towel to blot your face. There’s a lot of moisture being directed at you.
Once the steaming is complete, pat your face dry with a dry, clean towel. Don’t rub it, your face is a bit more sensitive now so gently pat it.
1. Wash your face/ Splash your face with cold water
Cleanse your face again if you want to.
I recommend washing your face after steaming to remove the softened oils.
If you’re cleansing, use cold water to splash your face before washing it.
Wash off your cleanser with cold water, as well.
Even if you don’t want to cleanse your face after steaming, you should still splash it for a bit with cold water and then get on with your usual products from your skincare routine.
2. Can I put ice on my face after steaming?
After steaming, after washing my face and splashing it with cold water, I prefer using a mask. I’ll either use a clay mask or a very nourishing, hydrating mask with lots of natural ingredients.
However, there’s a totally different thing that you can do.
You can rub a cube of ice all over your face and neck.
Skin icing can minimize the appearance of enlarged pores. It can tone the skin, making it look smooth and supple.
Cooling your face can also help the active ingredients from products absorb better.
Thus, you can definitely run an ice cube over your face and neck after steaming. There are many benefits to icing our facial skin.
3. Use facial masks
If you’re into using facial masks, immediately after steaming is the time to use them.
Using a mask like the Aztec Indian clay is wonderful for dissolving dead skin cells, cleansing the pores and healing the skin.
Or apply a moisturizing mask to deeply hydrate the skin.
4. Apply your usual skincare products in the right order
If you’re not using a mask and you’re not washing your face again, after steaming your face, I recommend splashing your skin with cold water. Pat it dry.
Then apply a toner, eye cream, a gentle chemical exfoliant, a serum, acne treatments, and moisturizer.
If you’re using essential oils like argan oil or jojoba oil, apply those on top of the moisturizer. Oils are the final step in a routine.
Due to the open pores, all these products will be better absorbed by our skin, which makes them more effective.
Can I use a chemical peel after steaming my face?
I frankly wouldn’t recommend it.
Chemical peels have high concentrations of acids. These products are not gentle at all. They’re aggressive and that’s why they’re only left on the face for a very precise amount of time.
Our face is more sensitive after steaming.
It can be pampered with splashes of cold water or with an ice cube run over the face and neck gently.
Then it can be further pampered with a hydrating mask. Or a healing clay mask.
And then we can apply our usual skincare routine, including a toner, a gentle chemical exfoliant and a very good moisturizing cream.
You can use a chemical exfoliant and follow it up with a moisturizer. But don’t use a chemical peel after steaming your face. Leave it for the next evening.
Is it necessary to steam your face?
Whether you end up steaming your face regularly or not mainly depends on what type of person you are.
If you enjoy pampering yourself at home and you have the time and energy for it, then you’ll find it beneficial to include steaming in your routine. You need to be the type of person that wants something like a spa day, even if it’s done at home and it doesn’t last as long as a full spa experience does.
You can steam your face using a facial steamer, with hot towels or over a bowl of hot water.
Using a steamer is the easiest way because it doesn’t take much effort from us.
Steaming your face benefits
- opening up pores
- better absorption of active ingredients found in various skincare products
- relaxing atmosphere
- blackheads and whiteheads extraction – I prefer using face masks for dealing with clogged pores and blackheads but you can use a blackhead removal tool after steaming
- better results after using a face mask immediately after steaming our face
- helps us cleanse our skin more thoroughly
As you saw, there are multiple answers to the question of what to do after steaming your face but if you want to keep it short just splash cold water and get on with your usual skincare routine.
