7 Amazing Skin Benefits from Sauna Bathing

Our skin is the largest organ of our body, so of course, we want to take good care of it. When considering adding another element to your skincare routine, the endless number of products or services can be overwhelming. Plus, as seasons change your skin needs and requirements also change. One option that benefits skin year-round might be something you haven’t even considered. Infrared sauna therapy! Yes, you can experience amazing skin benefits from sauna bathing.

Sauna bathing has been around for thousands of years, and we’re still continuing to discover the health benefits it provides. Added to your skincare routine, it can enhance not just how you look but how you feel. Part of that is because it can help heal, detox, cleanse, restore and so much more.

Let’s find out why a sauna is a wise option by exploring how it can improve the health of your skin, safely and non-invasively.

Sweating

When taking part in a sauna session, one of the first things that you’ll notice is the beads of sweat that form all over your body. The longer you stay in the sauna, the more you sweat. This is a normal occurrence, of course, because sweating is the way for your skin to regulate your body temperature. Your healthy body temperature is 98.6 degrees, and recommended sauna temperatures range around 120-140 degrees.

One great way to detox is by sweating. Seen recently in a 2019 Healthline article, “Sweating helps the skin remove heavy metals, in chemical elimination including BPA’s (bisphenol A), and with PBA’s (polychlorinated biphenyls) and bacterial cleansing.”

Too many toxins within the body that aren’t being properly eliminated cause long-term problems. Infrared sauna sessions promote detoxification and support liver function, especially when your body becomes overloaded.

Acne Reduction

As infrared and the sweating that results helps you detox, it also helps rid skin of acne and acne-related issues. Bacteria, clogged pores, and blocked sweat glands contribute to acne growth and can leave unsightly scars and blemishes. When the body is detoxing through sweating, it targets those acne and acne-related issues.

teen in mirror

Taking part in regular sauna sessions can help with achieving skin that’s clean, clear, and free of acne and can help prevent future acne breakouts. Just be sure to towel off or wash up right afterward to remove the cocktail of bacteria on the skin.

As Marina Peredo, M.D. of Skinfluence NYC explains that “Sweating releases a high amount of salt, which needs to be washed away immediately after sweating…the combination of salt, sebum, and bacteria contributes to breakouts.”

Weight Loss

When the body is in an environment that’s hotter than its normal regulated temperature, it works harder to maintain a level of homeostasis. Spending time in an infrared sauna helps burn calories by way of thermogenesis, defined as “the dissipation of energy through the production of heat.”

From a recent article in Fitness Blender, “A healthy male of 185 pounds burns 42 calories in 30 minutes of sitting. To find the number of calories this same individual burns while sitting in a sauna, multiply those calories by 1.5 to 2 in order to get an estimate. In this case, he would burn roughly 63 to 84 calories.” 

While a sauna certainly shouldn’t be a replacement for regular physical exercise, it can have a beneficial effect on our weight and our metabolism. By raising our heartbeat through increased temperature, our body is naturally increasing its energy output. Combined with eating healthier and exercising you can potentially achieve a healthier weight. Remember, some weight loss in the sauna is through water loss and sweating, so it’s important to stay hydrated.

Better Circulation

You might wonder what blood flow has to do with better skin. As a matter of fact, it has a LOT!

Infrared heat causes the blood vessels in the body to dilate. More dilated blood vessels promote increased circulation, expediting the process of healing the skin. If you have skin trauma including cuts, bruises, and scarring, the increased blood flow helps heal injury sites more efficiently.

blood circulation

As published in News Medical Life Sciences in 2019, Since infrared therapy enhances and improves circulation in the skin and other parts of the body, it can bring oxygen and nutrients to injured tissues, promoting healing. It helps ease pain, relieve inflammation, and protect against oxidative stress.”

On the same note, people with cardiac or heart issues, high blood pressure included, should consult a medical professional before using a sauna.

Collagen Production

Collagen products have been flooding the market in the past few years, a fairly new option for slowing the aging process. One of the most plentiful proteins in the human body, collagen is a building block of our skin made up of amino acids. It’s what makes us look nice and healthy. So, it makes complete sense to want to keep your collagen production going strong!

face glow

As we age, collagen production does decrease, but you can use a sauna to help reverse or slow the aging process. Sauna bathing helps promote collagen growth, improving its elasticity and health. Check out this information from a 2006 study by Yonsei Medical Journal

The content of collagen and elastin produced by the fibroblasts increased after infrared radiation was proportional to the duration of irradiation exposure. Following 6 months of treatment, all patients reported good (51-75%) improvements in skin texture and roughness.”

Maintaining a healthy diet and exercise paired with sauna sessions can result in younger, more collagen-producing skin.

Sounder Sleep

What does sleep have to do with the skin? You’ve probably slept poorly and noticed your appearance the next day being somewhat drab, pale, or drawn. Healthline reports, During sleep, your skin’s blood flow increases. The organ rebuilds its collagen and repairs damage from UV exposure, reducing wrinkles and age spots.” The better you sleep, the better your skin will look and feel.

When taking part in infrared sauna sessions, not only will you relax, but it helps balance hormones in the body, including melatonin which helps with sleep. Another 2015 study shows that infrared sauna therapy helped to minimize symptoms in individuals that experience chronic fatigue. The result shows that:

“Perceived fatigue significantly decreased after therapy, although no significant reductions were observed during therapy. In addition, a negative mood, including anxiety, depression, and fatigue, and the performance status significantly improved after therapy.

So, a sauna session before bedtime can be the perfect solution when having bouts of insomnia in addition to ensuring a sounder night between the sheets.

Healthier Scalp And Hair

We’ve already talked about infrared helping increase collagen production. Collagen and improved elastin production don’t just help with your face, arms, and legs, it also affects your scalp. Saunas carry more blood to the hair follicles, in addition to the other parts of the body. This encourages cell regeneration which directly promotes hair growth.

Some studies encourage the use of red light, or near-infrared, to help reduce hair loss along with stimulating hair growth post-chemo treatment or hair transplant. For this reason, chromotherapy is a great option for your sauna.

Man enjoying chromotherapy in Inspire 3 sauna

It’s important to keep in mind that as the sauna causes sweating you’ll also get build-up on your scalp of excess bacteria and sebum, or oil. For this reason, you’ll want to make sure you rinse off your hair and scalp after a sauna session.

Takeaways

Is sauna use good for the skin? The answer is yes, for a multitude of reasons.

From helping with acne issues,  hair growth,  blood circulation, better sleep, and more, the benefits of regular infrared sauna use for the skin are tried and true. Sauna sessions can be a positive addition to your skincare routine while improving your overall health.

An infrared sauna should not be seen as a substitute for certain skincare routines or conditions, but rather as a supplement. It’s important to discuss sauna use with a doctor or dermatologist before taking part in sessions.

Health Mate is the leading manufacturer of infrared saunas for the home. Our infrared saunas are made with 100% natural, whole wood that is naturally anti-bacterial and sustainably sourced. For more information on our line of infrared saunas for sale, contact us today!