Do Saunas Help With Acne?

Many people with acne are always keeping a lookout for helpful remedies that can soothe and mitigate their flare-ups. 

While pharmaceuticals and topical treatments can help with this condition, chronic acne sufferers often want to supplement such treatment with gentler ones like sauna exposure. 

Less intrusive methods, like time in a sauna, can be used in order to take a break from prescription treatments like antibiotics or harsh ointments.   

This article will answer the important question: do saunas help with acne? It will provide all the important information related to this question, and explain the answer with the necessary amount of detail. 

And finally, products relevant to using a sauna for acne treatment will be reviewed. After reading this response to the question, anyone should be able to make an informed decision on using a sauna for acne treatment. 

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Do Saunas Help With Acne? The Answer 

Put simply, saunas do seem to help with acne, but in a somewhat indirect way. Basically, the heat and steam from saunas do two things to help clear up acne.

So do saunas help with acne? Yes, or at least, they can. 

That said, they are often not enough to clear away acne for some individuals. Some acne is persistent, while issues might go away after a single cleanse.

Since there are different types and severity levels of acne, people with skin conditions should make treatment choices based on their specific situation. 

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How Do Saunas Help With Acne? The Explanations 

First, the sauna conditions increase the size of pores while also making the skin sweat. This process flushes toxins, oil, and dirt from facial pores, thereby clearing the pores of things that cause acne.

This cleansing alone can help clear up current and prevent future acne. 

The second way the conditions in a sauna help with acne is by increasing blood flow. The heat and steam improve blood pressure while still lowering the heart rate. 

This combination of states helps the circulatory system deliver nutrients to blood vessels close to the skin’s surface, such as those vessels beneath acne breakouts.

By providing facial tissue with increased nutrients and blood flow, saunas can help clear up acne. 

The combined effects of increased blood flow and pore size produced by time in a sauna can be noticeable. Many people who report having tried the treatment claim to have found success with it after a few attempts. 

A period of routine use during an acne flare up is probably better than a single sauna treatment. Of course, other people with acne might still need more serious, targeted treatment.

Anyone who enjoys the sauna will benefit from conditions that are good for facial skin. 

And since pores shrink from the cold in the winter, using saunas preventatively to help keep acne at bay during colder seasons might be smart. If the weather is hot already, saunas might not be as helpful for acne control.  

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The Exceptions

While saunas are commonly used to treat acne, steam and heat can actually worsen one type of acne: cystic acne. 

Moreover, it is not always the case that sauna conditions will adequately grow pores for the type of cleansing that breakouts require. In addition, not all toxins will simply flow out when the pores open, so more direct cleansing might be necessary too. 

Some toxins and oils will not lift up out of pores effectively enough under sauna conditions alone. 

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Relevant Products

Obviously, the product most relevant to using sauna conditions for acne is a sauna. Many are also available for public use for free or a small fee. 

Alternatively, there are facial steamers such as No products found., that reproduce sauna conditions for exposure to the face. 

These types of products have been fairly well-received, and are far more affordable than installing a home sauna, or even than buying a membership to a club or community centre with one. 

For people committed to steam and heat treatments for skincare reasons, a home sauna might be a perfect choice. 

In addition, anyone, but especially people with acne, should wash the sweat off their face after using a sauna. No products found., for instance, would help clear away sweat and oils brought to the skin’s surface in a sauna. 

Such soaps should be used alongside lots of water so the face is rinsed well after the sauna. Any soap left on the face might defeat the product’s purpose by clogging pores itself. That’s why people with acne should rinse thoroughly.

Moreover, other cleansers are designed to open pores and help clear them of the toxins which typically cause acne. 

For instance, Proactiv produces a popular No products found.. This cleanser has special properties that help lift acne-causing toxins out of pores more directly than saunas might be able to do.

This soap in combination with heat and steam could be a winning combination for acne mitigation. 

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Conclusion 

Depending on the type and severity of a given acne breakout, one effective way to soothe and clear it up is using a sauna. The heat and steam create conditions that increase blood flow and pressure and enlarge facial pores. 

This combination of effects helps flush pores which might be holding the oils, dirt, and toxins that cause acne. In addition, saunas can be used preventatively to keep the skin of the face clear and clean. Doing this will go a long way in keeping acne breakouts away. 

On the other hand, these conditions might not be totally sufficient for clearing up acne, while sauna treatment isn’t recommended for cystic acne. 

Overall, anyone who suffers from acne should have a good idea of the possible benefits from sauna use after reading this article. With the information provided above, people with acne can make an informed decision on their sauna treatment options. 

See also:

• Why Do Saunas Make You Feel Tired?
• Does a Sauna Help With Sore Muscles?
• How Often Should You Use a Sauna? And For How Long?