5 best facial steamers for making every day a spa day at home

Ever thought of getting a facial steamer? Wait, face steamer? Yes, the one that your facialist uses on you before your facial begins to “open up your pores, soften the dead skin cells, and help the skin absorb the skincare ingredients.

Sounds familiar yet? That’s a line most facialists will recite to you as the steaming machine whirs in the background and your nostrils start getting clogged with water. And surely, if the facialists all opt for a nice, hot, facial steam before they begin working on your skin, then it’s surely something good for you, right?

Here, the benefits of facial steaming, and five portable bring-home facial steamers that you can easily buy and use at home:

Benefits

There are several commonly acknowledged benefits of facial steaming, such as:

• Better Cleansing: Steaming loosens the dirt, makeup, product residual particles that are lodged in your skin, so it’ll be easier for you to remove them afterwards
• Improved Blood Circulation: This one is pretty self explanatory, the increase in temperature around your face will cause your blood capillaries to dilate and improve blood flow
• Hydration: Of course, the steam will deeply moisturise the skin, refreshing any dry and dull skin (especially if you work and sleep in air conditioned rooms!)
• Better Absorption: Steaming improves the absorption of the skincare products and ingredients that you pile on afterwards
• Calming; And, of course if you enjoy the sauna and steam room, you’ll know the immense calming effect that steaming has on your mind – the sound, the warmth, and the few minutes of me-time works wonders
• Sinus: If you (or your family members) frequently experience blocked nose or sinus, a good steam is known to open up and clear the airways, too

1. Panasonic Facial Steamer

First up, the most common facial steamer (from a reputable brand) is the fuchsia and white Panasonic Spa-Quality Facial Steamer ($198.34 from Amazon Singapore). It’s not commonly found in stores anymore – it’s retailing at $229 on Best Denki, $198.34 on Amazon, and there are several options on Carousell if you don’t mind buying secondhand.

The cycles are six-minute long, with nano-sized steam particles (thousands of times smaller than regular steam particles) penetrating the skin to remove impurities. Yup, you can use it daily!

2. Sarah Chapman Skinesis

Next up, the London-based Sarah Chapman’s Skinesis Pro Hydro-Mist Steamer ($214.50). It’s pretty similar to the previous Panasonic face steamer, with features and benefits such as:

• Emits nano steam particles rich in negative ions that penetrate skin more effectively than regular steam
• Moistures skin rapidly
• Minimises fine lines, wrinkles, and improves skin elasticity
• Unclogs pores for better cleansing

3. Magnitone

Here’s a more wallet-friendly option – the Magnitone London SteamAhead Hydrating Facial Micro Steamer – Pink ($54.00). Designed and sold by the UK-based Magnitone skincare tools brand, this steamer uses “deionised micro-steam particles to gently unclog pores for more hydrated skin in just 10 minutes,” the official website states. What does that mean?

ALSO READ: Top 5 at-home spa treatments under $50

Unlike the first two steamer which basically works to charge the water molecules with a negative charge, this steamer removes all charges from the water, making it essentially pure water which some people believes can be easily absorbed into the skin.

4. Sinus Face Steamer

This one is basically a brandless, generic steaming device (hence the lower price point) – Sinus Inhaler Facial Skin Aromatherapy Steamer ($44.99). It’s marketed as a sinus inhaler, and allows you to drip your favourite essential oil in to get that spa-like experience.

5. Rio Facial Sauna & Steamer

Finally, the Rio Facial Sauna & Steamer with Steam Inhaler ($45) which is pretty much yet another generic steamer. You’ll find it available on Amazon as well, and it’s so commonplace that it has earned itself some pretty decent and positive reviews on YouTube.

This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly.