I love a good facial steam in early spring. As the mountain air here makes a gentle transition into spring, the bitter winter dryness is being slowly replaced with cool spring rain. I do love a good early morning thunderstorm, or an afternoon spent out on the porch listening to rain fall. I’ve lived in the south my whole life, and my body is acclimated to extreme humidity. When it’s not hovering around like a swampy, thick blanket, my skin craves it. Over the winter, my skin gets so incredibly dry. I wake up in the morning feeling like a raisin, and even the addition of a humidifier by my bed makes minimal difference for me. Winter time skin health involves lots of face and body oils. Now in spring, I’m using simple herbal facial steams in the morning (followed by botanical hydrosols) and omg the luxury and difference!
Steaming herbs releases some of the most magical and volatile parts of plant medicine. With a facial steam, we’re adding delicate herbs – usually flowers and petals – to hot water and letting the heat of the water break open constituents within the delicate parts of plants, releasing the essential and volatile oils. Combine with the hydrating quality of warm steam, herbal facials are a beautiful way to nourish your skin using gentle botanicals during a seasonal transition. A good facial steam can help to cleanse the face, open the pores, increase circulation and, our course, hydrate your skin. Steams, in a word, are “releasing”. It releases impurities from pores, tension from the facial muscles, and aromatics from the herbs.
I’ve found this herbal steam to work well for any type of skin – from dry to oily, to sensitive to normal. It’s delightfully simple, and it looks absolutely gorgeous sitting in a glass jar on the bathroom sink (added bonus). Whip up a batch for yourself, or create and stuff into a little cotton muslin bag and give as a sweet gift. You an use all fresh herbs, or all dried herbs, or a combination of fresh and dry!
Where to buy bulk dried herbs: Mountain Rose Herbs / Starwest Botanicals / Zack Woods Herb Farm
