Beauty Benefits of Steaming

Steaming your face regularly is a simple, effective and inexpensive beauty regimen. While you can choose to do it in a parlour, as a part of a facial, you can just as easily do it at home, with the help of a steam machine. The following are the beauty benefits of steaming.

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Prevents acne - Steam softens the surface layer of your skin which is made up of dead skin cells and is known as the stratum corneum, or horned layer. This helps release the dead cells, dirt, bacteria and other debris that is trapped below the surface and lets your skin breathe. Acne is usually caused by this trapped dirt and bacteria, so releasing it can prevent breakouts.

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Note: Steaming can help cure cases of mild acne, but it could aggravate cases of severe acne, so consult your doctor before trying it.

Increases circulation - The steam heats your face, and the receptors in your skin alert your brain about the increased temperature. The brain responds by dilating the blood vessels in the skin, so that a higher volume of blood can flow there in order to dissipate the heat. This increases your blood circulation, bringing more oxygen and nutrients to your skin, giving your face a warm glow.

Causes perspiration - People think that their pores can open and close, but that¡¯s just a myth, since pores do not have muscles that can make them bigger and smaller. Steaming your face does however cause you to perspire, removing all the dead cells and toxins that are trapped under your skin.

Removes blackheads and whiteheads - Sebum is the natural oil produced by the follicles in your hair and skin. ?It occasionally gets trapped in the follicle, either because too much sebum has been produced or because the opening to the follicle has been blocked. Trapped sebum causes acne, blackheads and whiteheads, but steaming your face releases them, softening the blackhead or whitehead plug and letting it come out easily. Try applying a mild face scrub to your face after steaming to help remove them better.

Keeps skin younger - The top layer of your skin consists of dead cells, while new cells are created at the bottommost layer. These new cells are plump and firm, while the dead cells are hard and flat. The new cells move upwards as more new cells are formed in a process called cell renewal. As you get older, this process of cell renewal slows down, and you do not shed the dead cells as easily, giving your skin a hard appearance and making it more prone to wrinkling. Steaming helps remove the dead cells, prompting cell renewal and making your skin look younger and healthier.?

Works all over - The benefits of steaming don¡¯t have to be limited to just your face. If you go to a steam room, your entire body can enjoy the benefits of steaming. The skin is the largest organ in your body and by steaming it, you can improve your circulation, remove all the trapped dirt and toxins, renew your skin cells and have younger looking skin all over.

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Source: Health Me Up

Also see:?How Sun Exposure Causes Skin Cancer