This product is one that was bought for me a while back in the summer (remember summer?) after i had returned from a holiday abroad my skin felt really dry and my pores were enlarged and clogged, no doubt down to the very hot weather,sweating and constantly re-applying of sun screen as i have very fair and sensitive skin that burns very easy and also reacts adversly to most creams, lotions and potions.


I believe this Homedics Spa Facial Sauna was from Argos at the time and is still available today to purchase via Argos for £19.99 with the option of an extended warranty purchased separately as is possible for most electrical products from Argos.


==THE PRODUCT==

The product comes packaged in a strong cardbord box and also wrapped in plastic, there is instructions included, it is mains operated with a 2.5 meter cable, there is no assembly required as the product is in one whole piece which makes a refreshing change as these type of prducts can come in several different pieces usually for storage purposes with various attachments, this unit comes as one so is very easy to un-package and set-up straght away.

The facial sauna is very light and smaller than i expected it to be compared to the bulk of the box! the nice small size comes in really handy though for easy storage, the circular base is made of toughened hard plastic, It has three rubber nodes underneath to prevent from slipping and slidding whilst in use on a flat surface, there is one rubbery power button with an indicator light right above it, then there is a slidder switch above that at the foot of the face mask which allows for adjustable steam control intensity.

The facial guard/mask is specifically shaped to rest the face on during a steaming session, it is also made of toughened plastic and is quite thick with a rubber seal around the lip for comfort during use, the unit looks and feels quite basic and of reasonable quality for the price.

The sauna comes with a 2 years Manufacturers guarantee from Homedics who is a company who over the years have worked hard for their highly regarded reputation in health and wellness related products, their moral being that they strive to produce producst that take the effort out of maintaining your wellbeing, i have purchased and been given as gifts many Homedics products over the years and have always found them to be practical and to deliver in doing what ever they are ment to do.


==HOW IT WORKS==

Easy, you simply pour a small amount of water on the base where there is a tray, there is no small measuring jug with this product but a guide in the form of a min and max ringed line around the tray where you place the water, you only need a very small amount.

Then you plug the cable into the mains and switch the facial sauna power 'on' and wait for it to heat up, this takes a while sometimes and does depend on the amount of water you use but i have found it takes between 10-15 mins to fully heat up ready for use with adequate amount of steam, you use the slidder switch at the base of the steamer guard to control the intensity of the steam.

Then you lightly place your fully cleansed face losely over the mask and let the steam do it's job on steaming your face, ii produces a lot of steam for a small amount of water and i have found that it is sometimes too intense to put my face directly over the face guard, it does feel quite hot too sometimes so i probably sit with my face 6-8 inches above the face guard until the steam has lessened in density and cooled down enough to place my face directly on the face gaurd.



==WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF A FACIAL SAUNA?==

A facial sauna can be used for various reasons, mainly for a deep cleanse of the skin as steam is a really excellent deep pore cleanser, it aides the elimination of toxins by gently lifting out dirt and clearing blocked pores and blackheads by opening them up, a good facial sauna encourages extra oxygen and nutrients to your skin which helps the skins overall suppleness and looks.

A sauna can cleanse, hydrate, feed and relax the skin's surface aswel as penertrating deeper into the layers of the skin, the facial sauna can also be used with a few drops of essential oils to increase the effects of the cleanse, i have used a drop or two of tea tree oil to maximise and promote healing, fight infection and clearer skin, Chamomile as an anti-inflamatory calming and soothing essential oil that also helps ease headaches and occaisionally a single drop of olbas oil or a few menthol crystals when suffering from stuffy blocked nose, sinuses or head colds.



==NOTE==

It is not recommended that you use this product on children.

It is not recommended that you use this product for longer than the recommemded 20 minute session.

It is recommended that you clean the product after every use by rinsing tray and wiping down.

It is not recommended for daily use ( 3 x a week is perfect)



==MY THOUGHTS==

I think this facial steamer is good, it works well and does what it is meant to do, also helps medically when needed but there is a missing quality that i cannot put my finger on, it is a very basic facial sauna that does not really look that appealing or of very high quality, some added features would have done wonders with this product, it just seems very bland and boring.

As i have discovered it can be tempremental to the amount of water you put in and does have a tendancy to be quite hot, there is ample amounts of steam that goes on and on and perhaps the variable steam control switch could have worked better than it does.

I feel it could heat up a little faster than it does do, sometimes after a 15 minute wait you lose interest, this product could definetely have been better an if i am totally honest i would say i personally have benefited more medically from this product than cosmetically, the first two weeks of use after my holiday it did unblock and un-clog my pores and purified my skin back to it's normal look but after that i have never just used it on it's own with just pure water so i cannot say 100% that my clear and good quality skin is just down to using the product itself rather than the products i have chosen to use along side and with it to promote the condition my skin is in today.



==WOULD I RECOMMEND?==

I would recommend this facial sauna as a cheaper version of a basic steamer, i am pleased that it has multi-usage and that it is small, light and easy to store, as well as easy to use, it is effective as a product and does deliver what a facial steamer should, regular use leaves your skin looking and feeling fresher, cleaner and a lot more supple but i am not so sure it would deliver this same feeling if used without the essential oils,but still.... for the price it is worth it compared to salon and spa prices.


www.argos.co.uk
www.Homedics.com


I have rated this product a basic but something missing 2 out of 5


Thank You for reading.


My Reviews appear on DooYoo and Ciao.

mojo-mojo
mojomojo