Steam or Sweat to Cleanse Your Pores?

Our pores are probably one of the most frustrating little demons that plague our lives. You can literally go to bed at night with a face of flawless beautiful skin only to wake up to 5 nasty devilish looking blackheads looking back at you. What is worse is that it always seems to happen when we have a big day that day. Whether we are 15 or 50 it never fails. We follow all the beauty regimes, try the strips, loofahs, scrubs, facial peels, masques, and so on and so forth. Some people swear that sweating is the best way to remove all those impurities out of your pores and others say steam is the only way to go.

So what is the best way to clean out your pores? Steam or sweating?

Sweating.

It isn't glamourous and despite what people say it doesn’t make women glow. It's sticky and stinky, but when our bodies do it we feel that we are ridding our bodies of toxins and all those nasties that get caught in our pores and cause pimples and blemishes. However, research shows that your skin only benefits to mild or moderate sweating. Sweating purges the skin of dirt, impurities, oil and bacteria. However, once you sweat the impurities that you sweated out stay on your skin. As you cool down your skin begins to reabsorb them. This can lead to irritation and rash. So, it is important to wash away the impurities right away. Excessive sweating is also a problem. They can actually predispose people to skin infections such as warts and tinea. People who sweat excessively are more prone to rashes and eczema.

Steaming.

There is nothing like a good steam. I love steam showers and even just a simple sink and towel method feels wonderful. It is wonderful when you have a stuffed up nose. But are they as good or even better for your skin than good old fashion sweating? Steaming actually hold hands with sweating because when you steam you sweat, but unlike sweating which is a natural process you can actually do your skin harm by steaming. If you get too close to the steam too fast you could potentially scald your skin, which can leave behind a scar. Professionals advise against getting any closer than 12-18 inches to the water. If you let too much heat get near your skin, the increased blood flow could lead to broken capillaries.

If you know how to steam properly it can offer some big benefits. If you are a person who is prone to mild acne steaming can help clear up your skin. The moisture softens the surface layer of dead skin cells and helps free them including dirt, bacteria and other trapped matter that could be causing your breakouts. However, if you have severe acne steaming can sometimes make it worse. The big thing with steaming is that when you steam it also increases perspiration and stimulates blood circulation. So, with steaming you also get the benefits of steaming and sweating. However, before you start any steam regime you should check with your doctor.

The main thing to consider when you are trying to figure out your skin care regimen is the type of skin you have. Your best bet is to talk to a dermatologist about your concerns and see what they recommend. Remember we can't replace our skin so we have to do everything we can to properly take care of it.