Does Sauna Help With Acne? And Is Sauna Good for Skin?

People with acne-prone skin often wake up in the morning with surprise breakouts and then spend the day trying out all remedies to get rid of them as soon as possible. Acne has been a significant cause of insecurity for many, and people are always looking for effective ways to prevent any such surprise breakouts. Saunas can help solve the acne problem through effective and safe use.

Understanding Saunas

Saunas are the perfect way to unwind after a long day, and they come with a lot of health and beauty benefits. Saunas help relax your mind, as well as your muscles and joints – relieving you of all body pain. Along with these benefits, saunas also help with acne – provided you follow a proper routine.

You may have heard many skin specialists say that steam helps open your pores, and many facials involve giving steam to open pores before cleaning them and extracting all the gunk. The sauna does the same for our skin by generating sweat. The dry heat from the sauna increases the temperature, making us sweat. Sweating improves the skin’s PH balance and reduces sebum production. These effects of sweating are favorable for acne-prone skin but to an extent. In this article, we will provide you with all the necessary information you need – to ensure better and smoother skin through saunas.

 

Does Sauna Help with Acne?

People with acne-prone skin are always precautious before trying out any treatment. However, a sauna is proven to be completely safe for acne-prone skin, given that it’s used with precaution. It can help improve the appearance of existing acne and avoid new pimples and breakouts.

Acne is mainly caused by excess sebum which traps the dirt and bacteria from our skin. This process results in the clogging of pores which causes breakouts. However, sweat reduces sebum production, and as saunas make our bodies sweat, they can help control acne. Less sebum means fewer breakouts. As the heat expands our pores, the sweat helps eliminate all the bacteria and gunk from the skin. Cleaning of pores improves your skin texture resulting in smoother skin.

 

How Can Saunas Worsen Acne?

However, a sauna is not always good for the skin. If you’re not careful, it can worsen your skin condition. When the bacteria and gunk are left on the skin for too long, it can result in new breakouts, worsening the acne.

Sauna isn’t a miracle worker that can guarantee clearer skin no matter what the condition is. Unfortunately, there are some cases where you should avoid the sauna as it can do more damage than good. One of the most common examples is cystic acne – cystic acne is of the most severe acne conditions, and a sauna can irritate the skin instead of improving it. Saunas are not really helpful for extreme skin conditions, like cystic acne and rosacea, so it is always best to consult your dermatologist to ensure better safety.

 

Safe Sauna Routine for Acne

It is always better to be safe than sorry, and a little planning can ensure you get all the benefits of using a sauna. We have some tips for a perfect sauna routine to ensure your experience is worthwhile.

Pre-Sauna Routine

  • Firstly, you should always go to a sauna with a clean face – this means strictly no makeup. To ensure your face is clean from all the dirt, it’s essential to wash it with a gentle cleanser. Otherwise, the dirt and gunk sitting on your face can cause acne by infiltrating your skin and further clogging your pores.
  • Secondly, you need to make sure you drink enough water before going into a sauna. The heat from the sauna makes our body highly dehydrated, and dehydrated skin is another leading cause of acne. So to ensure our skin remains free from any new breakouts, it’s always better to go in with enough hydration.
  • Last, it’s always essential to carry your towels when going to a public sauna. Using public saunas always come with the risk of attracting germs from others. Using public towels can increase the risk of rubbing dirt and bacteria on your skin, making your skin worse.

Post Sauna Routine

  • Experts suggest that you shouldn’t stay in a sauna for more than 15 minutes. However, 8-10 minutes is the perfect time for each interval. The longer you stay in the sauna, the higher the risk of the gunk and bacteria infiltrating back into your skin, causing more clogged pores – and more breakouts.
  • The most crucial thing you need to do as soon as you get out of the sauna; is to wash your face with a cleanser gently. This is the critical step in the routine, as this will allow you to wash off all the gunk and toxins from your skin and ensure your pores are cleaned well.
  • Many experts also suggest taking a cold shower after getting out. The cold shower will wash off any left-out gunk and bacteria and close off the pores. As heat expands the pores, the cold water will help contract them and close them back.
  • In the end, it’s recommended to use a moisturizing lotion all over your body, to make sure your skin doesn’t get flaky and is well moisturized.

 

Are Infrared Saunas – A Better Solution for Acne Scars?

Compared to the traditional saunas, infrared saunas also work similarly. The only significant difference is that infrared saunas use heat from infrared light. In fact, Infrared saunas help maximize the benefits of traditional saunas through a more powerful penetration of infrared light beneath the skin. This allows the light to target the sebaceous gland directly and clear off all the excess sebum and dirt. Doing so helps with acne but in a much more efficient way. The infrared light also improves acne scarring through the rejuvenation of skin cells. It helps control acne scarring by getting rid of dead skin cells and promoting new healthy skin cells.

 

Additional Skin Benefits of Sauna

Saunas are good for your skin in more than one way. Besides helping with acne, saunas provide additional skin benefits for a more youthful look. They make the skin plumper and promote an overall healthier look by stimulating collagen.

Saunas are also beneficial for skin conditions like eczema, as they can help reduce irritation. Moreover, they also help in the prevention of such skin conditions. It has been widely stated that stress is one of the major contributing factors to many skin conditions, including eczema. As sauna releases stress from the body, it can help prevent such skin conditions.

Infrared saunas also help with the appearance of wrinkles. They make your skin much firmer and tighter by improving its elasticity, which reduces the wrinkles on your face.

Moreover, by removing dead cells and promoting cell regeneration, infrared saunas brighten your skin. They do so by removing dead skin cells, and bringing back the skin’s natural glow, giving it a fresher look. The growth of new healthier cells also allows the wounds on the skin to heal more quickly. Wounds can allow bacteria to grow – so effective healing will help keep the skin clean.

 

The Final Verdict

The short answer to the question “does sauna help with acne?” is a YES, Saunas help with acne, but they are not powerful enough to help you get rid of all your skin problems. However, they act more like a supplementary tool in improving your skin. There needs to be a proper routine to ensure you avail all the maximum benefits of using a sauna, as there’s always a risk of doing more damage than good.

An infrared sauna is better for your skin than a traditional one, as it helps control acne and brightens the skin, giving you a rosier and fresh glow.

Saunas are proven to leave you feeling good about your skin but, you should always consult a professional regarding your skin condition to ensure maximum safety.