What the best facial steamers promise to do for your skin may not seem as dramatic as the best LED face masks or microcurrent devices like the NuFace, but experts say there are benefits to incorporating this spa-treatment-like device in your skin care routine. As part of a weekly regimen that proceeds gentle cleansing, facial steaming can help improve hydration and unclog pores to prep skin for blackhead and whitehead extractions.
The heat can also “improve circulation, which helps the skin appear glowing and refreshed,” says Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and New Jersey. “It may also help to enhance absorption of subsequent products placed on the skin.” Additionally, experts say using a facial steamer can help alleviate congestion from allergies or colds since the steam can soothe and open nasal passages.
People with eczema, rosacea, or active breakouts should hold off on facial steaming, though, as it “could potentially worsen red, irritated, or sensitive skin due to the heat and steam,” says Jodi LoGerfo, a certified New York City–based doctor of nursing practice and family nurse practitioner.
Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City, also warns of overzealous steaming: “Excessive use of a facial steamer can also remove too much of the skin’s natural oils from the surface, potentially making the skin dry, itchy, and irritated.” Lastly, you also want to be mindful of timing. According to experts, the sweet spot for steaming is around 10 minutes of use, up to three times a week for oily-skin types, and once a week for those with sensitive and dry skin.
Our top picks
Ready to try out the best facial steamers? Below are seven that come highly recommended by editors, experts, and reviewers who swear by these gadgets for soft and refreshed skin—plus the criteria we used to evaluate and rate each one:
Functionality
We consider several different factors here, including steam technology, time, and ease of use.
Features
With the basics covered, we considered nice-to-have features, like extractor tools, in our overall rating.
Expert approval
We turned to four skin care experts for their personal facial-steamer recommendations:
- Marisa Garshick, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City and New Jersey
- Brendan Camp, MD, a board-certified dermatologist in New York City
- Jodi LoGerfo, a certified New York City-based doctor of nursing practice and family nurse practitioner
- Blair Murphy Rose, MD, a board-certified dermatologist and clinical instructor of dermatology at Weill Cornell Medicine
We also took Amazon customer experiences into account, as well as reviews from real people who’ve tested these skin care products themselves, including a new mom who’s incorporated a home facial steamer into her postpartum routine.
Our rating system
We assigned a rating from 1 to 5 for every facial steamer on this list, taking into account its features, overall performance, value for money, and expert approval. The overall rating for each product is the combined average of its individual category ratings.
