Not only is your skin the largest organ in your body, but it’s also the most exposed.
This means that it’s more susceptible to external factors, such as the weather and injury, which can significantly impact how quickly it will show signs of ageing.
However, did you know that there’s a new trend in the anti-ageing market that can protect the skin, treat it and reduce these signs of ageing?
Step forward, the sauna.
In fact, if you use a sauna as part of your regular skincare routine, you can keep your skin looking young and glowy with minimal effort required.
Want more details? Read on for the top 10 anti-ageing sauna benefits.
How Do Saunas Work?
Firstly, let’s talk about how saunas work.
If you’ve never used one before, saunas are small rooms that usually have unpainted, wood interiors. Some also include rocks that absorb and radiate heat.
Either way, every sauna is heated to temperatures between 65°C and 90°C.
The idea is to create an environment where your body can sweat profusely to release toxins, ease physical pain and improve your cardiovascular health.
As a result, many people come out of the room feeling well-rested, relaxed and rejuvenated.
What Are the Anti-Ageing Sauna Benefits?
In addition to having many health benefits, a sauna can work wonders for your skin in the following ways.
1. It Reduces Inflammation
Alongside leading to chronic conditions, inflammation in your body can have a serious effect on your skin, causing it to swell, feel hot and look red.
However, having a regular sauna can remedy this by actively reducing any inflammation.
2. It Detoxifies Your Skin
As we mentioned earlier, the heat from a sauna encourages you to sweat.
But did you know that sweating is one of the best natural anti-ageing therapies? This is because it helps to remove dirt, debris and toxins from your skin.
The result? Detoxified pores without an exfoliator insight.
3. It Removes Dead Skin Cells
As well as removing toxins, a sauna gets rid of any dead skin cells.
This is helpful because dead skin often clouds over new skin. By removing it, new skin can be brought to the surface to achieve a younger, brighter complexion.
4. It Heals Your Existing Skin Cells
The heat from a sauna can penetrate deeply into the skin, which consequently increases your circulation and brings more nutrients and oxygen to the surface.
In fact, the longer you stay in a sauna, the more resistant to heat that your cells become.
As a result, your skin will be stronger, healthier and more vibrant.
5. It Creates Healthy New Cells
If you’re trying to achieve a younger appearance, you have to keep your skin functioning as it used to when you were younger.
This is another reason why a sauna can be so useful. In addition to being a natural healer for existing skin cells, it accelerates existing cellular activity and produces new cells.
This means that your skin is younger post-sauna. And when your skin is younger, you noticeably look younger. Fact.
6. It’s a Full-Body Moisturiser
The heat from a sauna also opens your pores and allows them to breathe on their own.
And when you excessively sweat, you effectively moisturise your skin from the inside out, which provides you with a more youthful appearance.
7. It Improves Your Tone and Texture
Because a sauna essentially acts as an all-natural, chemical-free exfoliator, the shredding of dead cells and encouragement of new cells also improves your skin texture.
The increased moisture can also help to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, meaning you can say goodbye to roughness and discolouration and hello to a smoother, more even skin tone!
8. It Encourages Skin Plumpness
Collagen is the natural protein in our body that provides our skin with elastin. However, as we age, our collagen production starts to decrease.
A sauna successfully slows down this process by stimulating collagen, which then gives your skin a plumper, tighter appearance.
9. It Reduces Acne
If you suffer from acne, you’ll probably already know that this is a skin condition caused by a build-up of oil on the skin, leading to constant breakouts.
That said, the heat from a sauna can effectively unclog your pores.
This then results in fewer breakouts and a cleaner, younger-looking complexion.
10. It Reverses UV Damage
Lastly, if you have skin scarring or UV damage, a sauna can help to reduce the appearance of these imperfections.
In fact, people with burns, fading and signs of ageing who have been out in the sun more than the average person have seen significant results when it comes to helping them to look and feel healthier.
How Should You Care for Your Skin Post-Sauna?
When you’re using a sauna for anti-ageing benefits, keep in mind that your skin will need some aftercare.
Sure, the heat from a sauna opens your pores and unclogs them. However, if you fail to wash away any excess sweat immediately, the pores can clog again.
To combat this, rinse off with cold water to help your pores close post-sauna. Apply a moisturiser. Then drink plenty of water to rehydrate your body after sweating.
In fact, any product that you apply afterwards will sink in the skin deeper and more efficiently. Therefore, a frequent sauna-and-product combination can help you see a difference in a matter of weeks.
The Takeaway
Sauna anti-ageing benefits are preventative and can protect you against the external factors that affect your skin on a daily basis.
However, they can also treat existing skin issues. The idea is to use a sauna as a part of your regular skincare routine so you can sweat the years away.
Note that the effects won’t happen overnight. You’re likely to need multiple sessions over the course of weeks.
Having said that, it’s worth sticking with it to ultimately achieve a strong, radiant, youthful-looking complexion.
Look out for the next blog post in the “Cutting-Edge Anti-Ageing Trends” series, “Part 3: Cold Water Immersion,” coming very soon!
