Facials have always been a part of skin care routines but recently there has been an increase in popularity in the beauty arena lately in facial steaming and adding different ingredients to the steaming water for aromatherapy, medicinal, or healing properties in mind whether it be with aromatics, scented oils, or botanicals to enhance the facial experience.  Floral eye makeup looks using botanicals combined with eyeshadows, glitter, and other cosmetic products have been trending lately all over the social media network and beauty market as well as extending into the skin care routines of facials, skin preps, and spa rituals everywhere.  They are simple materials as well as being pocket book friendly that can enhance the beauty of anything they are used with and when used in combination with facials and skin care, can bring an extra level of medicinal healing, aromatherapy and relaxation, or beneficial herbal or holistic properties to it.  They can help or treat different skin conditions such as rosacea, itching, dry, sensitive, and red skin, discoloration and dark spot pigmentation, increase circulation, apply anti-aging properties, and improve hydration.

Facials are something I have always enjoyed and used routinely throughout my life about once a week and when I saw this floral element added to it I immediately became interested in starting them again into a regular facial routine.  Steam is used in facials to deep clean that open up pores, stimulates circulation, and bring hydration  The usual routine for me would be to remove makeup cleansing the face first and then steam my face over a bowl of boiling water tented with a towel over my head to keep the steam from escaping after testing it to make sure it isn’t too hot (water that is too hot can actually burn your face).  After that I usually pat dry, use a toner to follow, an exfoliator, and then put on a mask of choice.  After rinsing off the mask you can really see and feel how soft and glowingly healthy your skin is.

As far as different materials to use for facials there are many things you can use.  You can use dried as well as fresh flowers, medicinal herbs, essential oils, and even some fruit to steam and there are plenty on the market to chose from depending on what are your favorites or what you can afford.  For fresh floral ingredients that you can use there are rosemary, lavender, rose petals, chamomile, eucalyptus, fennel, mint, scented geranium, gardenia, lilac, honeysuckle, freesia, orange blossoms, etc…  Fruits, whether fragrant or medicinal, can also be used depending on the effects or treatment of the skin or on what type of aromatherapy is desired.  Using different fruits like oranges and lemons (the peels of them have the essential oils of the fruit in it that are the strongest and most fragrant),  peaches, pears, apples, strawberries, or your particular personal favorites.  The herbs you can add, fresh or dry, are basil, rosemary, There are also essential oils you can add to your steaming water such as lemongrass, peppermint or spearmint, frankincense, bergamot, ylang ylang, rose hip, patchouli, sandalwood, and wintergreen to name just a few.  Some others to try to hydrate your skin with more are coconut, almond oil, or olive oil and we all know the benefits of these oils that have always been good inside and out (just don’t add to much because it can make your skin greasy).  Your favorite brand of pot pourri or combination can be used as long as there are no harsh chemicals or color additives so there aren’t any harmful or toxic effects to your skin or anything else facial wise.

Regarding ingredients to use for your facial you can purchase them at your favorite holistic or herbal remedy company as well as any botanical or floral shop online or at your local neighborhood store.  Even better, pick some fresh from your home garden or potted on your deck or home kitchen.  There are just as many companies and shops to buy them from online or elsewhere as there are ingredients to select , but a few that caught my eye are Fig & Yarrow, San Francisco Herb Co., Mountain Rose Herb Co., Pacific Botanicals, Whole Apothecary, Muellin & Sparrow, etc… or your local home and garden shop.

For the facial itself add the ingredients to your steaming water (applying kind of the same rules as you would for cooking with dried being more concentrated and stronger with less to add than fresh herbs) with 1 to 2 tablespoons of dried and a bundle of fresh like a “bouquet garni”.  With the fruit or the oils, just use the amount of them for the desired strength of the scent you want or what amount fits the medicinal purpose you are trying to achieve and enjoy!

So, in keeping with the original practices of facials with steam as a step in them and adding the newer floral and herb method as a supplement to them, is an easy, budget friendly, and simple way to increase the benefits to your skin as well as improve your mood and relaxation through aromatherapy with them.  I think using this method is a great way to do that and plan on adding it to my skin care regimen whenever I do a facial!