The internet is plastered with claims that hot steam can be used to treat acne. Growing up, my personal experience was that the more I sweated, the more pimples I got. So is using a steam room, which will definitely cause you to sweat, good for acne–no, not really.
Does using a steam room improve acne? Using a steam room or steam treatments has not been shown to improve existing acne. Steam will open pores on your skin, which won’t improve acne, but will provide an increased opportunity for dirt and bacteria to clog your pores. For this reason, you should always wash and cleanse your face after steaming. Steam can aid exfoliation, which won’t help existing acne, but could prevent future breakouts.
Acne forms when sebum (the oil produced by the sebaceous glands of the skin) and dead skin cells form a blockage deep within a skin pore. These small blockages will cause a bump to form on the skin. Often times, these bumps become red and inflamed–what is commonly known as a pimple.
Because acne forms as the result of clogged pores, it is commonly thought that this condition can be improved by opening the pores with steam. There is no evidence, however, that opening a clogged pore with steam will improve the condition.
The blockages form so deep in the skin that opening the pores on the surface is unlikely to clear the blockage. It is far more likely that dirt, sweat, and bacteria will get into open pores and either form new blockages or inflame existing ones.
Blackheads occur when the blockage occurs near the surface of the skin. The blackhead, itself, is a part of the blockage which clogs a pore or hair follicle at it its surface. Steam can be used to help treat blackheads.
While steam will not prevent the formation of blackheads, opening the pores with steam will make it easier to extract them. If this is done, it is a good idea to wash and cleanse the skin after removing the blackhead in order to remove any dirt and bacteria which may have gotten into the open pores. After this is finished, using cold water on the skin to close the pores will provide additional protection.
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Does This Mean I Shouldn’t Use the Steam Room?
No. You can continue to use the steam room, but you should be sure to shower afterward to remove all the sweat from your body and you should specifically wash areas which are prone to acne.
You should also consider how the steam room affects you specifically. If you have never had a problem with acne, but have recently started using the steam room and recently started experiencing outbreaks, then you should take special care to wash affected areas after using the steam room. If this doesn’t work, then you may want to avoid the steam room for a while and see if your condition improves.
Ultimately, there are numerous factors, both genetic and environmental, which contribute to acne. These factors will affect everyone differently. The best you can do is experiment for self and pay careful attention to what seems to cause outbreaks in you.
Public Steam Rooms vs Private Steam Rooms
If you suffer from acne, public steam rooms are likely to pose more problems than your own personal private steam room.
Of course every public steam room will be different, but in general, the more different people that are using a public facility, then the more likely you are to encounter the various bacteria that are linked to acne.
Similarly, you must consider how often and how well the steam room is cleaned. If the steam room is being cleaned regularly and properly, then you are less likely to encounter bacteria. You should especially consider how well maintained the benches are or any other area which contacts the skin.
Finally, consider how clean the areas adjacent to the steam room are. As explained above, the steam room will open your pores, making them more prone to germs. If your first stop after taking a steam, is a dirty locker room, you will be exposed to these germs as well.
Having your own personal steam room will both decrease the likelihood that you will encounter different strains of bacteria and put you in the driver seat concerning keeping your steam room clean. You should also pay attention to your personal items. If acne is a problem for you, be sure to use fresh clean towels with every use.
Steam Rooms vs Steam Showers
Steam showers will be less likely to cause acne breakouts than steam rooms.
Public steam showers are not very common and if you are using one, you are likely doing it in your own personal steam shower. For this reason, you have the same benefits related to private steam rooms–less people are using them and you personally able to keep them clean.
Because you can seamlessly transition from taking a steam shower into taking your normal shower, you can go from sweaty to clean without ever allowing sweat to linger on your skin and without exposing yourself to bacteria.
For added protection, at the very end of your regular shower, and after cleaning your skin with warm soapy water, you can finish with a cold shower. The blast of cold water will cause your pores to close and make them less vulnerable to any bacteria encountered afterward.
If a cold shower sounds to you like the worst form of torture ever, Neutrogena makes a pore refining cleanser designed to close your pores for a period of time.
Exfoliate Immediately After You Steam
Along with sebum and dirt, dead skin cells are the main culprit in clogging pores and causing acne. You can remove many of these dead skin cells by exfoliating the skin before they have a chance to clog any pores. Steaming your skin will help exfoliation and help prevent future acne breakouts.
Steaming your face will open your pores and make your skin softer and much easier to remove dead skin.. After your pores are open, apply an exfoliating scrub to your face with the tips of your fingers. Rub your face gently for 3 minutes and then make sure to thoroughly rinse the exfoliating scrub off of your face.
Don’t over do it. Exfoliating once or twice a week is plenty. Any more than that and you will end up irritating your skin.
Alternative Sources of Steam
If you don’t have access to a Steam Room or Steam Shower, there are several lower cost options available.
Portable Steam Saunas can be purchased for less than 150 dollars and basically act as miniature steam rooms. Most portable steam saunas have a head hole which allows you to keep your face out of the steam, but many of these steam saunas come with hoods which will allow you to also steam your face. If your portable sauna does not have a hood, you can sit on the floor of the sauna allowing your head to fit entirely inside the portable steam sauna.
Additionally, there are various facial steamers on the market which allow you to directly, quickly and efficiently steam your face.
Finally, your cheapest option is the tried-and-true boiling-pot method. Simply boil a pot of water. Carefully pour the boiling water into a bowl. Then position your head above the bowl so that your face is engulfed in steam. Do this for 5 to 10 minutes and you are ready to exfoliate.
