Facial Steaming for Smoky Air 

It's fire season in California, and I've been asking myself… 

“What can I do for my skin that would feel really good amidst this smoky air?”  

If you are on the West Coast and have been through a recent fire season, you know what I’m talking about.  And for those of you lucky enough to be breathing clean air, what I share here can benefit everyone! 

The answer to my question is… Facial Steaming!  Facial steaming can offer relief to our skin and lungs from poor air quality.  Facial steaming is also beneficial for allergies, colds, and general skin & self care, so I recommend anyone giving it a try.  

Facial steaming involves breathing in steam from hot water and allowing it to soften your skin’s pores and allow for circulation and release.  If you have had a facial with me before, you may have experienced my steaming machine that blows steam at your face while I massage you.  While I miss doing that for you, steaming is an easy thing to replicate at home! 

This can be beneficial with water alone, but I highly recommend adding some herbs or essential oils to give you the maximum benefits and nourish your skin and lungs.  Fresh or dried thyme, peppermint tea, and eucalyptus essential oil are three ideas of things you might already have in your kitchen or bathroom, but if not, they are easy to locate at the grocery or health food store.  Alternatives you might have at home could include bay leaves or basil (fresh, dried, or as essential oil).  

You’ll want to do your facial steam with clean skin, so wash your face before starting.  

To facial steam you will need:

-Large Bowl

-Bath Towel

-Water (and ability to boil it)

-Herbs or essential oils (as listed above)

To create your facial steam experience at home, start by boiling water.  Pour the boiling water into a large bowl.  If you are using fresh or dried herbs, place a handful into the bowl before adding the water.  If you are using essential oils, drop them in after you pour in the water.  You will only need 1-3 drops of essential oil.  

Place your face over the bowl without actually touching the water, and drape the bath towel over your head to trap in the steam.  Breathe the steam and relax for 3-7 minutes.  

Immediately massage in your favorite facial oil and give yourself a gentle face and neck massage, working outwards and downwards.  You can repeat this anytime your skin and/or lungs want some extra care.  I promise you, this will bring you some relief, so I highly recommend doing it ASAP.  

For a bonus, I recommend doing a face mask after your steam too!  I loved using equal parts Rose Petal Enzyme Mask and Coconut Pearl Powder.  Mask for at least 10 minutes and then remove and follow with the facial massage.  If you don’t have a mask, try using whole milk organic yogurt.  

While I wrote this with a focus on relief from poor air quality, facial steaming as part of a home facial after cleansing and before exfoliating will always help to increase circulation and help soften oil and dead skin on the surface!  And it feels so good.  

I hope this tip can bring some relief to you all.  Fire season in California is an emotional time and our organ of protection (skin) takes on a lot, so remember to give yourself and your skin some TLC when the air quality is poor.  

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