Have you ever dreamed of having perfect skin? We all want to have beautiful, smooth, flawless skin that we see all over social media and advertisements. Because of this, the skincare industry keeps growing every year as people become more interested in self-care [1].
Most solutions the market offers for skin issues only target a specific problem, while neglecting the rest of your body and overall health. Thankfully, infrared saunas have become very popular lately for their large number of benefits, and achieving healthier skin is one of them.
Your Skin Needs To Breathe
For the most part, everyone applies various lotions, sunscreen and sometimes makeup as part of their daily routine; but over time, these tend to build up on the surface of your skin. In some cases, these products can clog your pores. Now add to this mix all the dirt and debris that your skin is exposed to from the environment.
No wonder why our skin breaks out! So, how are infrared saunas supposed to help? They increase the temperature of your skin to about 104°F. This opens up your pores and causes sweating, which aids in flushing out all the toxins on your skin and unclogging pores. The result is a restored and rejuvenated complexion, with a reduced risk of future breakouts [2].
Acne
Acne is a condition that can damage not just skin, but self-esteem. Unfortunately, it's difficult to treat because it has many possible causes, ranging from genes to hormonal imbalances. However, two factors have been identified in the onset of acne and these are sebaceous over-activity and overgrowth of your bacterial flora [3]. Sebaceous over-activity means that the glands in your skin are producing more oil than they should. This excess of oil is what can clog your pores. On the other hand, the overgrowth of bacterial flora happens when the normal bacteria of your skin start to reproduce excessively and end up infecting your clogged pores.
Infrared saunas can be the end of this struggle by treating both factors. With regards to sebaceous over-activity, studies have shown that sweating decreases the production of oil in the skin. It numbs your sebaceous glands and prevents them from working excessively [4]. For the overgrowth of bacteria on your skin, it has been proven that certain substances in sweat have antimicrobial properties and can control certain types of bad bacteria on the skin that are responsible for acne [5].
Get The Hydration You Need
If you are suffering from dry skin, an infrared sauna can be of help. This therapy can hydrate the outer layers of your skin [3], which can come in handy during the winter months when the air is drier and tends to pull the moisture from your skin. It has also shown some promise in patients with psoriasis because these patients suffer from dry skin on a chronic basis.
Achieve Younger-Looking Skin
Infrared saunas use a type of electromagnetic wave that has been shown to increase the concentration of collagen and elastin in your skin. These proteins are responsible for skin elasticity and firmness and tend to decrease over time. Thus, it is important to find ways to promote their synthesis as we age. The effects of infrared therapy aren’t just on the molecular level since studies have shown an improvement of wrinkles and expression lines after a few sessions [6]
Infrared saunas can do wonders for your skin, not to mention all the other benefits they offer for the rest of your body. As always, you should ask your doctor before you start any kind of alternative therapy, especially if you’re on medication for your acne.
Resources:
[1] Garcia Ahiza. (2019). "The skincare industry is booming, fueled by informed consumers and social media." Edition.cnn.com, CNN Business, 10 May 2019, https://edition.cnn.com/2019/05/10/business/skincare-industry-trends-beauty-social-media/index.html.
[2] Griffiths Jessica. (2017). "Are Saunas Good for Your Skin? Here's What We Found Out." Dermstore.com, Dermstore, 22 August 2017, https://www.dermstore.com/blog/are-saunas-good-for-your-skin/.
[3] Whiting David. (1979). "Acne.", Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, December 1979, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1271924/.
[4] Kowatzki D, Macholdt C, Krull K, Schmidt D, Deufel T, Elsner P, Fluhr JW. (2008). "Effect of regular sauna on epidermal barrier function and stratum corneum water-holding capacity in vivo in humans: a controlled study." Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, 2008, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18525205.
[5] Nakano T, Yoshino T, Fujimura T, Arai S, Mukuno A, Sato N, Katsuoka K. (2015). "Reduced expression of dermcidin, a peptide active against Propionibacterium acnes, in sweat of patients with acne vulgaris." Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, National Center for Biotechnology Information, September 2015, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25673161.
[6] Hee Lee Ju, Ryung Roh Mi, Hoon Lee Kwang. (2006). "Effects of Infrared Radiation on Skin Photo-Aging and Pigmentation." Researchgate.net, ResearchGate, September 2006, https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6846512_Effects_of_Infrared_Radiation_on_Skin_Photo-Aging_and_Pigmentation.
[7] Hurly Adam. (2017). "How to Sauna Your Way to Clear Skin." Gq.com, GQ, 3 April 2017, https://www.gq.com/story/sauna-your-way-to-clear-skin.
