If you’ve been keeping up with Malta vlog series, you’ll know that I spent every single day in the sauna while I was on holiday. Even though I left the heated wooden box refreshed and light (and extremely sweaty lol) I wanted to know if sitting in a sauna for any amount of time had any real benefits for the skin. After a quick dive online, I was pleasantly surprised at what I found out.
Key Benefits:
Glowy skin
This is definitely a benefit I’m still reaping the rewards for. I swear my skin has been extra glowy and bronzed since returning to London. Sure part of it is probably due to a week away from the polluted capital, but it is actually because of increased circulation. Increased circulation means more nutrients are being carried by the blood to the skin. Board-certified dermatologist Dr. Gilbert, MD, PhD, say this essentially “make[s] your skin look healthier and better.” To maximise the glow, I’ve been taking it easy with makeup and using the Fresh Soy Face Cleanser to gently clean my face.
Cleanses pores
Hopping off the back of glowy skin, this second benefit is a no-brainer. When you sweat, your body is releasing and flushing out all the toxins and impurities. This can mean less acne and pimples which was especially beneficial for me considering none of the skincare products I brought with me contained active ingredients. I noticed that my skin looked and felt so much smoother after a week of constant sauna-living which also contributed to my glowy skin.
Burn calories
This last benefit was a bit of a surprise to me, but made perfect sense when I really thought about it. Because you’re sweating so much in temperatures with highs of up to 75°c, all of that water weight is literally melting off. Some research has shown that an hour in the sauna can burn as many calories as going out for a run – wow!
Anything Else?
However, according to Marina Peredo an M.D. of Skinfluence NYC and Dr. Gilbert, MD, PhD, people with rosacea and atopic dermatitis should avoid saunas because “[they] encourage and permanently alter the number of red blood cells on your face,” meaning that it could take longer to recover from blushing. Furthermore, those with sensitive skin may also be uncomfortable because they tend to have sweat with a higher concentration of salt in it, and this can lead to irritation.
Like I mentioned above, I’ve seen such great results from using the sauna every day that I want to try and use them more often now that I’m home. Do you like using saunas? Let me know your thoughts down below.
alice
xo
