How to Clean Facial Steamer

How to Clean Facial Steamer featured photo

Facial steamers are a popular beauty device in many skin clinics, day spas, and even in many homes. Regular use can deep clean pores, hydrate the skin, increase circulation, and improve product absorption. Though popular and common, many owners still get confused and ask “How to clean facial steamer?”.

Empty the water reservoir at the end of each day. Clean the jar’s rubber rim and sanitize the body and handle of the steamer. For monthly deep cleanings, make a cleaning solution of white vinegar or lemon and distilled water. Run the steamer for three to five minutes. After cooling down, refill it with fresh distilled water and run it again.

Cleaning instructions would vary depending on manufacturer instructions. What we will go over below are just general cleaning guidelines and tips to prolong your steamer’s life.

Below, we’ll go into detail about what a facial steamer is and the many benefits it offers. We’ll then go over daily and monthly cleaning guidelines along with a few more helpful tips for maintaining your device.

What is a Facial Steamer?

The beauty and skincare worlds are filled with new and innovative gadgets, with many new ones coming out every year to satisfy all your wellness needs.

Facial steamers are one of these beauty gadgets that have gained a huge following over the last couple of years. These can be found in most skin clinics and day spas to take clients’ experiences to a whole new level. There are also tons of home facial steamers available on the market so anyone can enjoy a relaxing session right in their home.

A facial steamer is a device that has a tank of water, heats that tank of water, and releases it as a steam of mist toward the direction of the face. Basically, this uses heat on your face to hydrate and open up the pores.

Facial steamers are usually used to deep clean pores and improve blood circulation.

Moreover, using a facial steamer in your at-home skincare regimen offers a relaxing way to either start or end the day with.

The Benefits of Using a Facial Steamer

Facial steamers are a popular part of the beauty and skincare worlds, and for excellent reasons too:

  • Deep cleans pores

The warmth and heat from facial steaming help temporarily open up the pores on your skin. This helps easily remove and get rid of dirt, oil, bacteria, and impurities lodged deep within your pores.

This process helps reduce your chances of developing acne and breakouts. And if you’re getting facial steaming in a professional setting such as a skin clinic or day spa, this softens blackheads, whiteheads, and gunk so your esthetician can remove them better and easier.

  • Hydrates skin

Facial steamers use water vapor directed at the face. This provides much-needed hydration to keep your skin moisturized and plump.

And because the heat from the steam opens up your pores, this means hydration also reaches the deeper levels of your skin and doesn’t just work the surface.

  • Increases circulation

The heat produced from the facial steamer vapor can help increase circulation. Increased circulation encourages blood flow and helps oxygen reach all areas of the skin.

More oxygen means stimulation of collagen and elastin production which the skin needs for elasticity. This helps skin look better, healthier, and youthful.

  • Boosts product absorption

Including a facial steamer in your skincare routine will aid and increase product absorption and potency.

Because your pores are opened up and all the dirt, buildup, and dead skin removed, your skincare products from toner to moisturizer will absorb and work better.

  • Relaxes you and your skin

Lastly, facial steamers offer a quick and easy way to relax and pamper your skin, especially after a long day. It’s even more therapeutic if you add a few drops of essential oil into the mix to make it a complete spa experience.

Even if done once a week, which is the general recommendation, this is an especially relaxing way to pamper yourself and your skin.

Why You Should Clean Your Facial Steamer

If you’re still adamant about whether you should go out of your way to clean your facial steamer, here are all the reasons why it should be a regular thing:

  • You should clean your facial steamer regularly to keep it in tip-top shape and best condition to help you move towards your skin goals.
  • Minerals from tap water can cause buildup and deposits on your steamer. This can clog up the nozzles and hose, leading to ineffective use and unsatisfying performance of the facial steamer.
  • Bacteria can grow and thrive in facial steamers due to their moist environment. If not cleaned regularly and properly, this gets released onto your skin. When your skin is exposed to bacteria, you are more likely to develop irritation, acne, and other skin issues.
  • Their moist environment also makes facial steamers susceptible to mold growth. This can be irritating to the skin and lead to a myriad of skin issues. Additionally, mold can make your device smell bad.

How to Clean Facial Steamer: Daily

Daily cleaning hacks are important to keep your full-sized facial steamer or portable facial steamer in the best shape, especially if you’re using one daily for your clients.

  1. Empty the water reservoir then allow the jar to dry completely. Even if there is still some water left you think you can use for next time, always empty it out at the end of the day.

Never leave any water in the steamer overnight. This is to prevent bacteria and mold growth.

  1. Then, clean the rubber rim. Clean every nook and cranny of the glass jar rim to make sure no bacteria or mineral deposits stay there.
  1. Disinfect and sanitize the body of the facial steamer every day, at the end of each day. Pay attention to the facial steamer arm and the controls. You can do this simply with a disinfectant and a soft rag.
  1. Use fresh distilled water for each client or before each use. Never use the same batch of water for different clients or for two days in a row.
  1. Warm it up by turning it on before you need to use it for yourself or for a client. This will reduce the time you or your client would have to wait before it’s ready to use.

How to Clean Facial Steamer: Monthly

Aside from cleaning your facial steamer daily, it’s also important to do monthly checkups and deep cleanings to make sure everything is working well:

  1. In the steamer reservoir, add two tablespoons of white vinegar or lemon juice. Then fill up the rest of the jar with fresh distilled water.
  1. Turn on your facial steamer and allow it to heat up to optimal steaming temperature. Do not turn on the ozone or any steaming feature during this step.
  1. Let the steamer run for about three to five minutes. Then, turn it off and let it cool off for about 30 minutes until the unit is cool to the touch.
  1. With a clean cloth, wipe the steamer’s heating element and any exposed metal surfaces to remove any mineral buildup.
  1. Empty the jar of the DIY lemon or vinegar solution and then refill it with clean distilled water. Run the steamer and let it steam for three to five minutes again. Turn it off and let cool for about 30 minutes again.
  1. Check if the vinegar or lemon smell has disappeared. If you can still smell a hint of the cleaning solution, repeat the step above (Step 5) until you can no longer smell it.

How to Clean Facial Steamer: Pro Tips

Here are a few more pro tips for cleaning and taking care of your facial steamer:

  • Use only distilled water in your facial steamer, unless the manufacturer stated otherwise. Distilled water is filtered and will help reduce mineral deposits and buildup. This will help prolong your steamer’s life.
  • Do not use essential oils in your facial steamer. Oil will spit out of the hose, causing it to clog and malfunction.

If you prefer aromatherapy, there are facial steamers designed specifically for it where you can use essential oils with no issues. An herbal and aroma steamer is pricier but well worth it for people who prefer to use essential oils while facial steaming.

  • Never leave water in the steamer reservoir overnight. Always empty it out at the end of the day.
  • Do a deep clean at least once a month to remove any mineral buildup. If you use your device more frequently, do a deep clean more often as well.

Conclusion

Facial steamers are one of those trendy gadgets in the beauty and skincare world and for excellent reasons too. Regular use deeply cleans pores, hydrates skin, and boosts product absorption. If you own one for personal use or for your clients, you might be wondering how to clean your device.

When it comes to cleaning facial steamers, you do it at the end of each day and with monthly deep cleanings. For daily cleaning, empty the water jar at the end of the day. Then, clean the rubber rim and disinfect the body of the steamer. For monthly deep cleanings, make a DIY cleaning solution of white vinegar or lemon and distilled water. Run it with the steamer and then refill it with fresh distilled water to run it again.

And that has been our detailed guide on how to clean a facial steamer. For any more of your curious questions, hit us up right below!