I thought I had to steam every single face for a full 10 minutes

For years, I followed the rule from my old school that steaming was a must-do step for every facial, no matter what. Then a client with rosacea came in last month and her skin got so red and angry after just 3 minutes under the steamer. Her dermatologist actually asked her what I did, and she told him. He said for conditions like that, steaming can do more harm than good. It was a real wake-up call that I was using a one-size-fits-all method. Now I skip it for sensitive or inflamed skin types. Has anyone else had to unlearn a blanket rule from their training?

3 comments

3 Comments

palmer.richard29d ago

Wait, you read that article about how steam can mess with your skin's barrier function? It was talking about how heat pulls water out along with the good oils, especially if someone's skin is already freaking out. Made me realize a lot of rules are just habits, not real science. Your story about the rosacea client proves it. Sometimes the "right" step is the one you skip.

bailey.anna29d ago

That article, was it in a dermatology journal or just a blog?

seth68324d ago

The 2018 study in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology actually said something a bit different. It found short bursts of warm steam, not high heat, can help some skin types by boosting hydration if you seal it in right after. @bailey.anna, that might be the one you're thinking of. The key is the temperature and time, which a lot of blogs don't specify.