BestReviews is reader-supported and may earn an affiliate commission. Details
Menu
 
Expert Shopper Beauty & Personal Care

Best facial steamer

Which facial steamers are best?

Moisturizing and cleansing your skin is important, but it’s also crucial to steam your face to help beautify your complexion. There are so many facial steamers out there for use at home. Using one is an affordable beauty treatment that is effective, safe and simple. The Kingsteam Nano Ionic Facial Steamer is a first-class facial steamer and is a great addition to any daily beauty regimen.

What to know before you buy a facial steamer

Learn about the benefits of facial steaming

There are several benefits to using a facial steamer:

  • Flushes impurities from your pores.
  • Plumps up wrinkles and fine lines.
  • Increases blood flow to offer a healthy glow.
  • Softens the layer of dead skin cells on your face and makes it simpler to wash or exfoliate them away.
  • Improves mild acne and softens blackheads, which makes them simpler to remove.

After facial steaming, your skin will also be more receptive to facial treatments like moisturizers and serums. It’s also extremely relaxing and gives you something nice to do for yourself at the end of a long, hard day.

Understand how to use a facial steamer

It’s fairly easy to use a facial steamer. You simply need to wash your face with a gentle facial cleanser, remove all of your makeup and pat your face dry. Then fill up the reservoir with distilled water, turn the facial steamer on and wait for it to start creating mist. Hold the facial steamer a safe distance from your face, no closer than 8 inches away, to reduce the risk of burns.

You can then steam your face for several minutes, about 3-5 minutes at first. Check your face every couple of minutes to ensure you’re not too flushed or swollen. After you’re done with facial steaming, you can pat your face dry again and gently exfoliate your face to get rid of any impurities, including blackheads and dead skin. Apply the moisturizers and serums you want, then empty the reservoir of the steamer and allow the steamer to dry completely before putting it away.

Find a facial steamer that heats up quickly

Some facial steamers create mist within seconds, while others take at least a few minutes. Look for a facial steamer that heats up quickly if you are in a hurry.

What to look for in a quality facial steamer

Capacity

A good facial steam session can last up to 10 minutes. The average home facial steamer needs a reservoir capacity of at least 90 milliliters of water to work for 10 minutes. There are some steamers on the market with bigger reservoirs.

Adjustable steam direction

Some facial steamers have flowerlike spouts that enable you to adjust the direction of the steam or mist. Others have a flared bowl that fits fairly close to your face for a thorough treatment, but you can’t adjust the direction of the steam. This is purely a matter of what you prefer.

Microsteam

The top facial steamers mix an ultrasonic vaporizer with the heating element to create very fine water vapor, which penetrates your skin for improved results.

How much you can expect to spend on a facial steamer

Facial steamers range in price from about $20-$100, depending on the quality and features.

Facial steamer FAQ

How much do personal facial steamers cost?

A. Large professional facial steamers tend to be fairly expensive, usually costing up to $200, if not more. Small tabletop facial steamers meant for personal use cost about $25-$50. 

Is steaming safe for all skin types?

A. Facial steaming is safe for most individuals, but it can also lead to additional oil production, so it’s best to steam your face once per week or less if you already have fairly oily skin. 

Those with extremely sensitive skin might react poorly to facial steaming, so they should keep their sessions fairly short and hold their faces farther away from the steaming device until they know how their skin will react.

How regularly should you steam your face?

A. People with dry skin shouldn’t steam their faces more than twice a week, while people with oily skin fare well with just one session per week.

What’s the best facial steamer to buy?

Top facial steamer

Finishing Touch Flawless Face Steamer

What you need to know: The constant stream of warm steam helps unclog pores and leave your skin glowing. 

What you’ll love: It runs constantly for 15 minutes on a full tank of water, which is long enough for most uses. The dual-sided adjustable mirror is great for those using steam to set their makeup. It has a sleek design that looks good left out on a vanity. 

What you should consider: A handful of people find the steam too weak. 

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon and Ulta Beauty

Top facial steamer for the money

Kingsteam Nano Ionic Facial Steamer

What you need to know: This facial steamer creates nano ionic steam for the best results. 

What you’ll love: It maintains a safe, constant temperature to avoid burns or scalds. You can add essential oils for aromatherapy. It’s compact and easy to fill. 

What you should consider: Some users wish it held more water so it could continuously steam their faces for longer. 

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Worth checking out

Vanity Planet Aira Ionic Facial Steamer

What you need to know: It’s a great choice for lovers of aromatherapy, thanks to three essential oil baskets, 

What you’ll love: It has a large water reservoir. It produces ionic steam, which penetrates the pores more effectively for a deeper clean. 

What you should consider: Some users report inconsistent production of steam, but this appears to be a fault rather than normal. 

Where to buy: Sold by Amazon

Want to shop the best products at the best prices? Check out Daily Deals from BestReviews.

Sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter for useful advice on new products and noteworthy deals.

Alex Kilpatrick writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.

Share this post: