You don’t have to go to a spa to give your skin a good pampering. Recreate the experience right at home with an essential oil steam facial. Steaming your face with essential oils helps to open up clogged pores, soften skin and add moisture. So when your face is feeling a little under the weather, perk up your skin with an at-home steaming session.
Step 1
Wash your face with your usual face wash.
Step 2
Mix ½ teaspoon of baking soda with a few drops of water in the palm of your hand. Use your other hand to gently scrub the mixture onto your face to exfoliate dead skin. Scrub for about a minute, then rinse your face with cool water and pat dry with a hand towel.
Step 3
Bring about 3 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Carefully pour the boiling water into a glass bowl. Use oven mitts and pour slowly so the water doesn’t splash onto your skin.
Step 4
Add five to 10 drops of essential oil to the water and stir well with a spoon. Use any essential oils you like, such as rose oil for dry skin; grapefruit for combination skin; rosemary oil for oily skin; or tea tree oil for acne-prone skin. If your sinuses are clogged, add about three drops of eucalyptus oil.
Step 5
Hold your face about 10 inches away from the bowl of steaming water. Put a large bath towel over your head so it’s draped down around your face. Leave your face over the steam for two minutes, then lift your face and let it cool down for two minutes. Repeat this process until you complete five two-minute steaming sessions. If the water begins to cool down, add hot water to the bowl – about 1 cup at a time – to produce more steam.
Step 6
Splash your skin with tepid water after steaming. Pat your face with a clean hand towel to dry.
Step 7
Put three drops of apricot kernel, avocado or another light oil into the palm of your hand. Use the fingers on your free hand to gently massage the oil into your skin for a few minutes to keep your skin soft and moist.