Clarin's researcher says facials may be bad for your skin

I've been steaming my face once a week on and off for years and I've gotten nothing but good results.

My dermatologist did extractions once a month when I had acne in high school and college and tears would roll down my face. Every time I left his office, my face looked like someone had been playing darts on it. But now 20 years later, most people cannot believe I am as old as I am and I am so glad I toughed it out and let him clean out my face every month. Besides, who wants all that "junk" just lying under their skin exposed to the world? As long as you take care of your skin and with a little help from a professional every now and then, you can't go wrong.

HEY!!!!!!!!YOA!!!!!!! I get facials every week. Right now, getting my sixth microbrasion, series...Live in Florida, so lots of sun... Swear by them, steam, in small doses. Find people, Men & Women, looking very close to my face.. Trying to figure, does she get injections, and etc? Does hep give the youthful appearance...Thank you estheticians, everywhere!!!

What a load of Pish-Posh...I have been steaming my face once a week, then follow with a face mask (homemade) for over 30 yrs now. People think I look 10 - 15 yrs younger than I am.. Ladies! Keep on steamin!!

I highly disagree. I am also an esthetician and cannot believe this! Steam is a necessary part of a facial due to the fact that it helps open the pores for easy extractions. ( while I DO agree that some skin therapists get carried away with extractions, they are Sometimes indicated.) Extractions of comodones (blackheads) are the only way to release the oxidized, trapped bacteria. Otherwise they can harden and become impossible to get out- even with steam.
The meat analogy is ridiculous- meat is MUSCLE not the same as your skin surface! Yea, scarring and bacteria will occur if the extractions are not done properly.

I've got news for product fiend", clarins is CRAP for your skin. Have you ever researched the ingredients in their products? If not, check out environmental working groups site- they are scientists that have done studies on skincare products.
www.exg.org/skindeep

Well...I'm glad about the no extractions! That hurts anyway!

I've been an Esthetician for 8 yrs, and that is bull____. If you go to someone who knows what they're doing, steam that should be at least 25" away from the face, and only applied for about 3 min., opens the pores, it doesn't cook the face, and extractions (if done correctly) are very beneficial!!!! then apply a mask that is appropriate for your skin type, and will tighten the pores & the right moisturizer will feel soothing, and give you a great feeling, and should leave you very rested, and give your face a glow

I'm an esthetician as well and I do not agree. I would also like to add, that there are steam machines out there with ozone, that actually helps kill bacteria on the face.

Okay, Yahoo is pimping this site as 'great writing for women'. Ahem. It's "scarring" not "scaring", "temperature" not "temperate", and can we have at least one more scientific opinion?
This looks like it took two seconds to write. No offense, Product Fiend - I don't know if they're paying you the time it takes to research or proofread. But Yahoo people: this writing is not exactly top-notch.

You would never need to steam, go to a dermatologist, or any drastic costly measures if you use Arbonne's anti-aging products. I use them and people always think I am 15 to 20 years younger than I am. I promise you they work if you use them!!

I'm calling bullshit on this one. My face is indeed like a steak , a steak that's covered by a terribly useful protective layer of skin. If you were to peel back the skin and apply steam well of course that's not going to make me look any younger.

aristinasimo... do not bully

What's your take? To steam, or not to steam?

moderation!

I have been having facials once every 3 months and found tht extraction actually improves the skin texture ,removes ugly blackheads and clears pores.I believe after 30yrs of age all women need to get facials done regularly,specially if their work rerquires going a lot outdoors.Getting it done by a trained professional is must.

I believe that steaming and extractions can be useful. My daughter has been on a new skincare line for acne that cleared her up very nicely. There remained one stubborn blackhead...so off to the esthetician for that one. She looks perfect now. I was so impressed with this product that I started using their products for aging and brown spots..I am very happy with the results. Good skin care is now a priority. I wish they had this stuff when I was younger, then my skin would not have been so damaged. Take care of that face!

I also do not agree, I am 39 years old and have been steaming my face often for the last 20 years! I am always told that I look 10 years younger than I am and although I attribute most of that to religously using sunscreen, I do believe that the steaming helps skin look better and stay youthful!

to steam .. my sisters an esthetician and she gives me facials all the time .. she steams me up and handles those extractions for me .. i've never had an issue except for one reaction to a peel .. and it's because i have sensitive skin .. i don't know .. the extractions never hurt, but always actually helped .. the heat always made it easier to do the extractions .. and she always makes sure my face is clean before hand so the whole dirty face with wide open pores thing doesn't even make sense .. now facials by yourself? probably not such a good idea .. but done by a professional? there should be no issue .. if you have concerns it's your responsibility to let your esthetician know.

As an Esthetician, I agree with the other colleagues. Steaming in moderation at 18 or 25 inches away with the ozone is one of the fastest ways to extract blackheads and whiteheads. It conditions the skin and also releases trapped impurities. Extractions when done correctly, does not mark nor scar the skin. Leaving the blackhead in stretches out the pores leaving "craters" and indentations in the skin. Not pretty...

Oh, and before the grammar police pull me over, I spelled "practitioner" incorrectly. Sorry about that.

i used to get them a couple times and every time i did, they would end up burning my skin. it may have been because it was jsut my skin type but im pretty sure that it was jsut too much for the skin its-self.

I had a facial years ago and the pain involved with the extractions made it one of the most stressful beauty treatments I ever endured. Time went by and I decided that maybe it was just an isolated experience and that the pratitioner was just poorly trained. I subjected myself to it again and it was just as horribly painful as the first time so no more. My face looked awful afterwards. And it didn't feel fresh or clean - just beaten and abused. How can that be good for your skin? I'll live with a few blackheads, thank you very much. I'm not paying someone $80 to inflict pain with no visible improvement in my skin.