Natural Steam Facials.

I know you have been waiting on this....

and there may be more posts on this topic down the road.

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The first thing we need to do, is figure out your skin type.

Your skin type will determine what and how often you can do steam facials.

[I found this skin test on line]

To determine your type, use a simple test with a clean facial tissue

(or paper) to wipe your face in the morning, when you have just woken up:

1. Normal Skin . . .

If your skin belongs to a normal type, 

the tissue will not reveal any traces of oil.  

Your skin should feel vibrant, elastic, and supple.  

Normal Skin is the least problematic type.

2. Dry Skin . . .

If your skin is dry, 

the paper will be clean, too,

but your face skin will feel flaky, dry, and tight after you have wiped it.

Dry skin can easily develop a sallow tone, wrinkles, and fine pores,

and it is very prone to aging and irritating. 

It might still look great on a young person, but, to keep it healthy,

you should apply thorough care and use regular skin 

or beauty treatments with natural masks and moisturizers.

3. Oily Skin . . .

If you have oily skin,

the paper will have spots of facial oil on it, 

corresponding to the areas of your cheeks, nose, and forehead. 

Oily skin is problematic – it usually looks greasy, thick, coarse, and shiny, 

has enlarged pores, and tends to break into acne.

A good thing, though, is that oily skin is not prone much to aging and wrinkling. 

Careful cleaning, minimizing of carbohydrate consumption, 

and avoiding rich creams can be helpful in improving the quality of oily skin.

4. Combination Skin . . .

If you skin is combination,

like that of most women, the tissue will have traces of oil coming from your nose and forehead,

but will be clean in the areas that touched your cheeks.

Combination skin has patches of both dry and oily skin,

and it requires different types of care in relation to particular facial areas.

Dry zones, which are usually located on the cheeks and around the eyes,

 should be treated with rich creams and moisturizers, 

while oily areas, usually on the forehead and nose, 

will benefit from frequent and thorough cleaning.

5. Sensitive Skin . . .

Sensitive skin is usually very dry, 

tends to feel tight, and becomes inflamed and irritated easily. 

Typically, sensitive skin develops reddish and scaly areas,

can be itchy and tingly, and is prone to breaking into spots. 

It is the most problematic and fragile type of skin, which needs a very special type of care. 

Now that we have determined what type of skin we have..

we can continue on!

 * - * - *

 Steam facials will not only hydrate your skin and help clean pores,

but they are wonderfully relaxing and a great way to de-stress!

It’s a good idea not to overdo steam facials, 

too many can be harsh for your skin. 

Limit yourself to 1 or 2 steam facials a week (maximum),

less if your skin is sensitive.

If you feel light headed or woozy during the steaming, 

stop the facial at once.

Tie your hair back...get all your stuff and lets get ready!

1st step is to wash your face.

You will be putting down a hot pan on your counter or table..

so get some pot holders.

I also got the timer and a large beach towel ready.

Next, you want to boil 4 cups of water..

Then you will add 1/3 cup of fresh herbs....

For this mornings treatment...

I used the following..

Couple of slices of fresh lemon..

Couple of sprigs of Spearmint..

Couple sprigs of my 'favorite' plant...Lemon Balm.

(The smell is terrific!)

Add all the ingredients to the boiling water for 1-2 minutes...

Then cover, remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes.

Now move it to your 'relazation area' and set it on the pads..

Set the timer for 5-7 minutes..

Prop the towel on your head and shoulders and get ready!

Remove lid, put your face about 10-12 inches and cover your head. 

Close your eyes and relax!

Ahhhhhhh.....

When the timer goes off, splash your face with cool water and pat dry.

As a bonus...you can put the herbs & water down the garbage disposal after :D

This particular recipe actually called for ..

Spearmint, lemon balm, lemon and orange...

But I didn't have the orange.

There are many different 'mixes' you can use.

If you have a single favorite scent...try that!