Steam for Acne

What is the point of using steam?

Acne pimples grow when pores of the skin become clogged. Therefore, a common sense approach for preventing and treating acne is to get those clogged pores open. Is there a way to open these pores from within? There may be if we use the skin’s natural defenses.

A pore is an opening for a sweat gland. So if we can turn on the “faucet”, and create a flow of sweat, it should help to flush out the pore. Steam is the process by which the “faucet” can be turned on.

Sweat is not only water. It has mixed within it salt. Salt by itself is a good antimicrobial agent. So sweating salty sweat will likely help to kill some of the bad bacteria that cause acne in the first place.

The Process

Steam treatment for acne is a simple process, so it is easy to do at home. That makes steam treatment pretty economical as well. All you will need for a good face steam are the following:

1. Pot of boiling water
2. Bowl to transfer hot water to
3. large towel

Boil the water on the stove. Remove from heat when steam is coming from pot. Work quickly now, as you don’t want to waste all the steam. Water can be transferred to a bowl if you wish to set it on a heat sensitive surface. Sit down at the table where you have set the water. Fix the towel over your head, and put your face directly above the water. Keep the steam inside the towel, by draping sides of the towel over the pot or bowl. To help with breathing, one website user suggested using a straw.

The method may be modified to include salt. A handful of kosher salt that boiling water is poured over may be useful with your particular skin type. Another modification to make is to apply a mask after steam treatment for acne. Most makers of masks recommend such deep cleaning before applying their product.

Do I wash before or after?

When the steam hits your skin, it cools down and becomes water again. Warm water is thought to help acne by softening the skin and the plugs of dead skin with oil. When the skin is softened in this manner, it is easier to clean, and the cleaning is more effective. So it’s important not to forget to add a cleansing to the steam routine once you start it going.

Cleaning before is also important. Makeup must be completely removed for your pores to benefit and open up. The steam itself will help in the removal process, but it’s good to give the steam a head start!

Are there side effects?

Some people swear by this method. Steaming is done two or three times a week. More than that, and it dries out the skin.

Other users have reported having more pimples after steaming. This may be because the pores are blocked, and at the same time, the steam is encouraging sweat to come out of a pore that it cannot come out of. So sweat builds up under the clogged pore. Also, it is possible that the warm temperature and accumulations of sweat (and oils) encourages more of the acne bacteria to grow. Like all acne treatments, you should probably continue for a few weeks, because you may see results eventually. Good luck with the steam treatment for acne!