Too often I get calls from people saying their facial steamer has stopped working! This seems to always happen on a Friday and you have appointments booked over the weekend. It will take a week to get a new steamer and now you have no choice but to spend more money on expedited shipping, rescheduling appointments or getting the dreaded non-steam facial. Follow these simple steps to prevent this from happening to you and losing business.

1 – Buy your facial steamer from a reputable company.

If I had a dollar for every person who called me in a panic and said, “I just broke my steam jug…I need a replacement ASAP!” I usually ask them where they got it and they proudly tell me about the great buy they found on eBay. That price may have seemed good at the time, but now you can’t find a replacement pitcher, thermostat, or heating element to repair your steamer. The new facial steamers are not that expensive these days. Always buy from a company that can provide you with basic replacement parts. It will be worth it in the end and it is only a matter of time before you need them.

2 – Use distilled water in your facial steamer.

I know it can be tempting to just use tap water when you run out of distilled water, but don’t! Most facial steamers require distilled water for a reason. Tap water often contains impurities and other minerals that will collect in the important parts of your vaporizer and eventually cause it to fail when you need it most. Combine this with the fact that a vaporizer with mineral deposits can end up spitting hot water in your customer’s face, causing embarrassment, a repeat customer, and possible lawsuit. The distilled water has been purified through a rigorous boiling process and condensed in a clean container. Using distilled water may not be the most convenient, but it is worth it when you consider the shelf life of your facial and steam clients.

3 – Clean your facial steamer regularly.

To maintain peak performance from your facial steamer, be sure to clean it regularly and follow these simple guidelines. You should never leave water in the jar overnight. Be sure to empty the bottle and let it dry by filling it with fresh distilled water before your next use. Deposits will eventually build up, so run a vinegar and water solution through your vaporizer once a month or more depending on how much you use it.

Put 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in the jar filled with distilled water. Turn on the steamer and let the machine steam for 30 seconds, but don’t turn on the ozone light if you have one. Turn off the facial steamer and let it sit for 15 minutes for the vinegar solution to do its work. Do not leave it any longer as it can corrode the heating coils if left to sit too long. Finally, empty the steamer and refill it with fresh distilled water. Again, steam and let it work for about 10 minutes.

This process should be done away from client rooms or confined spaces, as the vinegar solution can create a fairly strong odor when heated. If the steamer still emits a vinegar odor, repeat the final step by running fresh distilled water through the steamer until the odor is eliminated.

Properly maintaining your facial steamer can take some time, but it’s worth it when you consider the consequences of lost revenue, lost customers, and the cost of replacing it. Always buy from a reputable company so you can get those replacement parts when you need them. I recommend keeping a second glass jar on hand at all times just in case. Lastly, you may want to invest in a mini or portable facial steamer as a backup. It’s not necessarily great for a permanent setup in your treatment room, but it could save the day in a pinch.