Recently, I got to try and review Dr. Dennis Gross’ somewhat newly launched at-home skin care device, the Dr. Dennis Gross Pro Facial Steamer.

What is Facial Steaming?

Facial Steaming is known to have many benefits for our skin and our bodies. The moisture of steam can soften the stratum corneum, which is the outer layer of the skin that may include dead skin cells, bacteria, dirt, and all kinds of triggers that lead to breakouts. It largely helps people who have mild acne (note I said MILD) as it helps remove these acne triggers. The heat and moisture can also improve the perspiration and blood circulation which stimulates the detoxification of our skin and body.

Who Shouldn’t Use It?

But for those who have severe acne, they should be careful and check with dermatologists before they use it, since the humidity and the heat from steaming can generate a risk that breaks capillaries under the already severe-conditioned skin. 

Personal Use and Opinions

The Dr. Dennis Gross Pro Facial Steamer is very easy to use. There is only one button that turns the steamer on and off. After filling the back of the steamer with purified water, or clean tap water, turn on the facial steamer. It’s going to automatically generate about nine minutes of steam. In the video demonstration for using this steamer, I noticed the model put her face in less than 4 inches away from the machine. But when I tried it, I found it intolerably hot to be 4 inches away. Actually, my perfect distance for using this steamer is about 8-10 inches away.

I like how delicate and exquisite Dr. Dennis Gross designed this facial steamer, but I don’t think it’s worth its price. For $150 dollars, you get this machine that only does one thing: turning water into steam. I mean, isn’t that exactly what my $80 humidifier does? There are no buttons to adjust the heat or temperature of steam, nor can I switch to a more powerful mode or a more gentle mode. Also, I can’t prolong the duration of the steaming; the only way I can make it steam for over 9 minutes is to take out the little retainer, refill it, and put it back in, which is somewhat inconvenient.

In addition, it’s advertised to be travel-friendly. Although it’s very light in weight, the size of this facial steamer is bigger than a regular kettle — not exactly convenient to throw into an already packed suitcase. Also, the proclaimed micro-steam technology used in this steamer can’t be found anywhere else on the internet, and the brand itself did not provide any elaboration of what this technology is and how it works in this facial steamer. Given all these factors, I believe there are more affordable alternatives out there that do the same job.

How To Incorporate Into a Skincare Regimen

Dr. Dennis Gross recommends following the steaming with their best-seller Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Peel Pads. In fact, I really like that product. The ingredients of this peeling product very well conform to the mission statement of this brand – potent and effective. It uses very powerful exfoliating ingredients for step one such as glycolic acid, salicylic acid, lactic acid, and citric acid. These AHAs and BHAs allow the peels to exfoliate both surface and deeper levels of the skin, hence maximize the effects and create a better skin condition to absorb the ingredients in the following steps. In step two, there are a tremendous amount of replenishing ingredients, such as retinol, ascorbic acid, and tocopheryl acetate that both improve the texture and make the skin look more even, as well as repair skin from photo-damaging. 

In fact, it’s generally recommended by skincare experts to have an exfoliation after facial steaming, because softening of the stratum corneum makes it easier for the exfoliator to work on the skin and hence boost the effectiveness of the exfoliator. In addition, because the active ingredients are more likely to penetrate our skin if our skin is softened and when the dead skin cells on our face are removed, facial steaming also helps improve absorption of our entire skin care routine.

Things to Consider

Here are some factors we need to take into consideration when facial steaming: 

First of all, the temperature of the steam. If the steam gets overly hot, it may burn our skin (yes, that happens). For those who have rosacea or a fungal infection, high temperature can be very detrimental. It’s important to find out what our skin’s perfect steaming temperature is, otherwise the facial steaming is not different than just leaning our head over a pot of boiling water. 

In addition, we also need to be careful with the frequencies of facial steaming. Some experts recommend facial steaming no more than once a week, but Dr. Dennis Gross recommends using it 3-4 times a week. So I really think it’s a personal decision to make after trying different frequencies and finding out what works best for your skin based on your individual needs.

Bottom Line

I do like the design of Dr. Dennis Gross Pro Facial Steamer. I think it’s really pretty, lightweight, and I do like the steam it generates. However, I do believe there are cheaper facial steamers out there that do just as well as this one, and that actually provide more features, like heat/temperature control. But, if you like the finer things in life and don’t mind shelling out more for a brand name, then the Dr. Dennis Gross Pro Facial Steamer is a go.

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