7.2 Cleansing, Steaming, and Extraction Methods

Where these steps fit

In the classic facial (Section 7.1), cleansing comes first, steaming softens the skin, and extraction follows any exfoliation. In the NIC practical's Basic Facial section, the candidate cleanses the entire face, exfoliates manually, steams the face with a towel and removes residual product completely, then performs massage and a mask. Extractions are not part of the practical, but they are part of the theory exam's "methods of extraction."

Cleansing

Cleanser types

Technique

1. Remove eye and lip makeup first with a gentle remover on cotton pads. Use soft strokes from the brow down over the closed lid, and support the skin while doing it.
2. Apply the cleanser with fingertips or a brush, working upward and outward in small circles over the neck, chin, cheeks, nose, and forehead.
3. Remove it completely with warm, damp sponges, cotton, or a facial towel. Residue left on the skin can irritate it and interfere with later products.
4. A second cleanse (double cleansing) is common when makeup or sunscreen was heavy.
5. Tone: fresheners and toners remove the last residue and leave a refreshed feel. Astringents contain more alcohol and are reserved for oily skin. Products with little or no alcohol are better for dry and sensitive skin.

Cleansing also lets you look at the skin bare before analysis. In the practical, "cleanses entire face" is one of the evaluated tasks.

Steaming

Why steam?

Steam softens sebum and dead surface cells, warms the tissue, increases circulation, and hydrates the surface. That makes extraction easier and helps products spread. NIC's own sample items treat moisturizing the skin as a steamer function alongside softening sebum.

Using a facial steamer

• Fill the reservoir as the manufacturer directs; most specify distilled water to prevent mineral buildup. Preheat the steamer and point it away from the client until it is steaming steadily.
• Protect the eyes with damp pads, and position the nozzle at a safe distance. Common guidance is about 15 to 18 inches from the face, adjusted for client comfort.
• Steam for a few minutes. Typical times run from about 5 to 10 minutes depending on skin type, with less for dry and sensitive skin. Stay with the client and never leave a steamer running unattended.
• When finished, turn the nozzle away before switching off. Clean and descale the steamer according to the manufacturer.

Ozone: some steamers have an ozone setting. Ozone is promoted as germicidal, but it can irritate the respiratory tract. If you use it, follow the manufacturer's directions and your salon's policy, keep the session short, and make sure the room is well ventilated.

Towel steaming (what the practical uses)

1. Use a clean towel warmed in a towel cabinet, or soaked in warm water and wrung out.
2. Test the temperature on your own inner wrist before it touches the client.
3. Unfold the towel and place it over the face, keeping the nostrils uncovered, and press lightly.
4. After a short time, use the towel to wipe away residual product (the practical grades "removes residual product completely").
5. Put the used towel straight into the soiled linens container.

When not to steam

For these clients, use cool or tepid compresses, or a warm (not hot) towel briefly, or skip the step.

Extraction methods

Extraction is removing comedones and impactions from the follicles. It works only after the plug has been softened by steam, warm towels, an enzyme or acid exfoliant, or galvanic desincrustation.

Method 1: Manual extraction with gloved fingers

1. Put on fresh gloves, and wrap your index fingertips in cotton or gauze, which can be dampened with astringent.
2. Place the fingertips on opposite sides of the comedo.
3. Press gently down, in, and up around the follicle to lift the plug out. Never squeeze with your fingernails.
4. Move your fingers around the follicle rather than pressing harder in one spot.
5. If a lesion does not release after a couple of gentle attempts, stop. Forcing it can rupture the follicle wall, bruise the skin, or leave a scar.

Method 2: Comedone extractor

• A metal tool with a small loop (or loops) at the end. Place the loop over the comedo and press gently and evenly so the plug lifts out.
• It is a multi-use implement, so clean it after each client and disinfect it with complete immersion for at least five minutes in an EPA-registered bactericidal, virucidal, and fungicidal disinfectant, as 20 CSR 2085-11.020(2)(D) requires. Then store it in the solution or in a dust-tight container.

Lancets and scope

Some esthetics programs teach using a sterile, single-use lancet to open a closed comedo or milium. Missouri's Class E statute and Board rules do not address lancets. If you have not been trained in the technique or are unsure whether it is permitted, do not use one. Never lance pustules, cysts, or nodules. Dispose of any lancet in a rigid sharps container.

Extraction limits and after-care

• Do extract: open comedones and softened closed comedones on intact skin.
• Do not extract: deep cysts, nodules, inflamed pustules with heavy redness, milia (no opening), sebaceous hyperplasia, moles, or any growth.
• Keep extractions brief and focused; prolonged pressure causes redness and swelling.
• Afterward, apply an antiseptic or astringent and a calming, antibacterial, or soothing product. High frequency is a common follow-up (Section 8.1).
• Note what you extracted on the client record, and expect some redness for a few hours.

Scenario: the steamer and the sensitive cheek

A client with oily T-zone congestion also has visible capillaries on both cheeks. The esthetician cleanses with a gel cleanser, then directs gentle steam only toward the forehead, nose, and chin while the cheeks are covered with a cool, damp cloth. Extraction is limited to softened blackheads on the nose and chin, using gauze-wrapped fingers and light, rolling pressure. The cheeks get no heat and no extraction pressure. The esthetician records that heat should be avoided on the cheeks at future visits.