Before reading this article, please note that this information should not be seen as medical advice and that you should talk to your healthcare practitioners prior to lifestyle changes.

Infrared saunas are generally safe for the skin, but certain precautions should be taken. The heat from infrared saunas can cause dehydration, so it’s important to stay hydrated during and after a session. Additionally, prolonged exposure to high temperatures may lead to skin dryness or irritation. To minimise these risks, limit sauna sessions to recommended durations, moisturize the skin afterwards, and consult a healthcare professional if you have any concerns.

Are Infrared Saunas Good For Your Skin?

Yes, infrared saunas can offer several benefits to your skin. They enhance blood circulation, which subsequently delivers essential nutrients to the skin. This can result in a brighter and healthier appearance. Over time, regular users might notice tighter and more youthful-looking skin.

However, like everything, moderation is key. Overexposure or not taking adequate precautions might lead to skin dryness or irritation due to the heat. It’s always recommended to keep sessions within suggested durations and moisturize the skin after each session. If you have any skin conditions or concerns, always consult with a healthcare professional before diving into the infrared sauna experience.

How Long and Frequent to Sauna for Skin Benefits?

For optimal skin benefits, we suggest at least a 15-minute infrared sauna session, three times per week at a temperature of 45°C – 55°C. The sauna experience, particularly the increase in blood flow beneath the skin, delivers essential oxygen and nutrients. Sweating, triggered by the elevated skin temperature, aids in unclogging pores. Therefore, the advantages aren’t dependent on the sauna temperature but are a result of the body’s increase in core temperature due to the infrared heat.

Do Saunas Help Clear Skin?

Yes! Infrared saunas can help to clear your skin through increased circulation and detoxification. Research studies have shown promotive effects of far-infrared rays on full-thickness skin wound healing and a reduction of fine lines, wrinkles, skin roughness, and intradermal collagen density increase.

Sauna sessions can have several positive impacts on skin health, including:

• Moisture Retention: The skin’s outer layer, the stratum corneum, is essential for moisture retention. Higher water retention in this layer ensures a smoother skin texture and diminishes the appearance of fine lines.
• Skin Redness & Inflammation: Evaluating skin redness can provide insights into factors causing inflammation, potentially leading to premature aging.
• Transepidermal Water Loss (TEWL): A high TEWL signifies a weakened skin barrier, often resulting in dryness and early aging.
• Epidermal Blood Perfusion: Blood flow in the skin’s epidermal vessels impacts its health and look, as essential nutrients and oxygen are delivered via blood.
• Surface Skin pH Balance: The skin’s pH is vital for its protective barrier against external stressors. An imbalanced pH can cause dryness and early aging.

Because of the way infrared light penetrates your skin and heats you gently, this helps to break down and push toxins out of your skin as you sweat. Increased blood flow can also help to pump nutrients to your skin cells leaving your skin feeling more rejuvenated too. After your sauna sessions make sure you drink plenty of water, clean the sweat off your skin and rinse yourself with cold water to boost all those lovely benefits and close your pores.

Do Infrared Saunas Dry Out Skin?

While infrared saunas are not specifically known to cause skin dryness, dehydration can occur if you aren’t careful. Always ensure you are drinking enough water before and after your sessions to prevent skin dehydration.

Do Infrared Saunas Help Acne, Eczema and Psoriasis?

Yes, infrared saunas can clear skin pores and help acne by reducing blockages in the sebaceous glands, the primary producers of the skin’s natural oil. The focused infrared light penetrates the skin, targeting these glands and promoting clearer pores due to the body’s heat response.

It’s best to consult with your healthcare professional, but individuals with other skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis (dry and scaly skin patches) have reported benefits after using infrared saunas. 

Do Infrared Saunas Tighten Skin and Prevent Aging?

Infrared saunas can help tighten skin by promoting collagen production and improving blood circulation. The heat from infrared rays penetrates the skin, stimulating the production of collagen, which can improve skin elasticity and firmness. This process detoxifies pores and can produce anti-aging effects, leading to a smoother and more youthful complexion.

Do Infrared Saunas Give You A Tan, Vitamin D or a Sunburn?

No, infrared saunas don’t result in tanning since they lack UV rays. This means you can relish the skin benefits without the UV exposure risks. It’s also worth noting that infrared saunas do not contribute to vitamin D production as the sun does. And because there’s no UV exposure, there’s no risk of sunburn.

If you are already sunburnt, infrared saunas will not help sunburn and could make the symptoms worse. Given the skin damage is felt as heat, using a sauna to stimulate this response further will slow the healing process of damaged skin cells. 

Do Infrared Saunas Help Cellulite?

Infrared technology is recognised for its unique ability to aid in toxin elimination, which is linked to cellulite treatment. The infrared heat promotes enhanced circulation, expands blood vessels, and reduces blood pressure. This facilitates the release of toxins previously trapped in the fat, which can then be processed by the body’s natural detox mechanisms, including the liver, kidneys, lymphatic system, and skin through perspiration. However, it’s important to note that the definitive effectiveness of infrared saunas in addressing cellulite is yet to be confirmed, as comprehensive scientific research on the topic is still in its infancy.

Talk To The Experts

Still contemplating if infrared saunas are good or bad for your skin? Enquire today to consult with our infrared sauna experts. They can provide more insights and help you understand if infrared saunas are right for you.