I Tried Audrey Hepburn's Steam Facial

It goes without saying that Audrey Hepburn is at the top of the list when it comes to fashion and beauty icons. Wanting to emulate the star and get her radiant skin, I tried Audrey Hepburn's steam facial to see if it would give me the same bright glow. According to Good House Keeping, the star did the facial twice weekly without fail.

To make the steam facial happen, I needed things that I already had in my kitchen cabinet — a teapot, water, and a glass or ceramic bowl. Talk about DIY beauty at its simplest! I set up shop in my kitchen to get to work.

Since it's officially cold and windy out here in Brooklyn today, I was feeling pretty hesitant Audrey Hepburn's steam facial would end up leaving my skin feeling dried out instead of hydrated. However, for the sake of research, I boiled the water and took the steamy plunge.

My (male) roommate walked in about two minutes into me standing over a bowl with my face covered in a towel and freaked thinking I'd injured myself, but otherwise, there were no mishaps of any kind and the steam felt so good on my skin. I feel like I get similar results when I take a shower and then splash my face with cold water at the end, but this feels more special and indulgent.

Here are the steps for how to recreate Audrey Hepburn's steam facial:

• Heat a pot of water until boiling
• Pour boiling water in to heatproof bowl until halfway full
• Stand (or sit, I suppose) with face over bowl, but not touching water and cover the back of your head with a towel
• Let steam soak into skin four about four minutes

See the results for yourself, below.

The Before Pic

There's a little mascara on my face, but otherwise nothing else.

The Set-up

Literally, this is all you need!

Steamin' Up

I suppose I can understand why my roomie would've been confused. I spent four minutes totally getting steamy.

After

Bright and glowy!

The Verdict

I think I'd have to do this regularly over a long period of time to notice any major changes, but my face definitely feels a little brighter and not dried out in the least. If you don't have time to go through all of the motions of boiling hot water and standing over a bowl, you can consider buying a humidifier and keeping it near your bed at night.

PureGuardian 10-Hour Ultrasonic Table Top Humidifier, $19.88, jet.com

A humidifier is an especially useful tool to have during the winter months when your skin is feeling extra dry. Steam and sleep? It doesn't get much easier than that, ladies and gents.

Images: Author's Own; Courtesy of Brands