One of the great benefits of sauna and steam baths are the toning
effects on the skin. They leave the skin soft, supple and glowing – in
short, beautiful. Regular users of sauna and steam baths have an
appealing healthy glow about them that adds to their attractiveness.
The reason that sauna and steam are so good for the skin is the deep
cleaning action caused by heavy perspiration. The pores open wide and
all the accumulated dirt can be easily washed out.
The best benefits for skin toning come from full body sauna, but for
those looking for a quick fix-up to their complexion can get similar
results from facial sauna systems. These 'mini-saunas' are designed to
apply steam to the face for the same deep cleaning action as a full
sauna or steam bath.
How They Work
A facial sauna has an electric heating element on the bottom of the
unit. It heats the water (which is held in a small reservoir) to the
boiling point, causing the steam to rise. The small size of the
reservoir ensures that steam is quickly produced.
An ergonomically designed mask is placed over the reservoir to capture
and funnel the steam to your face. You can control the amount of steam
that your face is exposed to by the distance of the mask to your face.
Bringing your face into direct contact with the mask gives the maximum
deep cleaning action, but this position should only be used for a few
moments at a time. After about 10 seconds, raise your head to allow
cooler air to be mixed with steam. Repeat this cycle as many times as
needed.
Facial saunas are not only for deep cleansing the skin; they are also
useful for unclogging stuffed sinuses. Anyone with a simple cold or a
more serious condition like bronchitis, sinusitis, asthma and hay fever
can use the facial sauna as an inhaler or vaporizer.
Some facial saunas have a separate inhaler attachment. Instead of
fitting over the entire face, the inhaler attachment fits over the nose
and mouth. Simply breathe in the steam to provide almost instant relief
from sinus pain.
Operating Tips
Most facial saunas have a very small reservoir so that the water can
heat up fast. The downside of this is that the water evaporates
quickly, so if you wish to use the sauna for an extended session, you
should keep a tall glass of water by your side. This way, you can
quickly refill the reservoir when it goes dry.
The small reservoir, unfortunately, also means that the facial sauna
cannot be used as an overnight vaporizer. If your sinuses are keeping
you awake at night, you would be better off with a traditional
vaporizer that provides steam for several hours.
Steam is great for deep cleaning the skin, but for an additional beauty
treatment you can add special cleaners such as tea tree oil to the
water. Just a few drops of this oil will give your skin an even
brighter glow and leave it feeling fresh and supple.
Facial saunas are relatively inexpensive -- usually less than $60. For
this price, almost everybody can enjoy the deep cleaning action and the
special 'glowing' skin that marks regular sauna users apart from the
crowd.
