Swapped my hot towel routine for cool cloths on oily skin

For about 5 years I always started oily skin facials with hot towels to open pores. Then I took a class in Chicago last spring where the instructor said heat can actually stimulate more oil production. She showed me how cool cloths calm sebaceous activity and reduce inflammation right from the start. I tried it on my next three clients and all of them commented their skin looked less red after the extractions. Now I only use warm towels on dry or mature skin types. What convinced me was seeing one client's breakout calm down visibly during the treatment. Has anyone else made a similar switch and noticed a difference in their client's results?

3 comments

3 Comments

seth_shah1mo ago

Honest question, did you notice a difference in how long the redness stuck around afterward? I still do warm towels sometimes on combo skin and wonder if just switching temp mid treatment would help. Also curious if you changed your extraction technique at all when you switched to cool cloths or just kept it the same.

ivanscott1mo ago

You ever had a friend who swears by something random and it actually works? @seth_shah, my buddy Mark tried cool cloths after extractions and said his redness went down way faster, like half the time compared to warm towels. He kept his same technique too, just swapped the temp mid-treatment.

ruby_jones1mo ago

Honestly, I don't buy it. Heat opens pores for better extraction, and closing them too fast with cold can trap stuff inside. @ivanscott your friend might have just had a mild breakout that calmed down on its own.