Do you know the existence of saunas dates back to somewhere around 2000 BC in northern Europe? This old practice has turned into a modern phenomenon to help people find moments of relaxation during their busy schedules, not just in Europe but across the globe. That’s because of the many benefits, including beauty benefits of a sauna. 

As per popular belief, saunas were invented by The Finns and used as baths. These baths were a source to cleanse the body and soul. Initially, they were built from logs and rocks and heated with the help of a central fire. Since there was no proper heating system or gas these days, saunas took one and a half days to heat up, and the heating lasted 12 hours.

People must’ve had to book a sauna a day before! But not anymore. Saunas have become increasingly popular and accessible over the decades. They’re used to relieve stress and improve overall well-being. There are also several beauty benefits that go hand in hand with heading to the sauna.

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What Are The Beauty Benefits Of A Sauna?

There is a wealth of beauty benefits you’ll enjoy when you go to a sauna. It helps firm your skin, preventing premature aging, including fine lines and wrinkles. Then, it helps you de-stress mentally, a necessity to create beauty from within. Additionally, the heat from the steam opens your pores and detoxifies them, resulting in clean, healthy-looking skin.  Here are some of the other beauty benefits of a sauna that you’re going to enjoy. 

Improves Skin Strength

Collagen is a building block of our skin that prevents wrinkles and sagging. Besides foods like eggs, bone broth, and artificial creams, saunas help produce collagen. The production of collagen enhances our skin, giving it a youthful appearance. All the dead skin cells and debris accumulated on the skin are easily removed by spending an hour in the sauna. This is one of the most noticeable beauty benefits of going to a sauna. 

Relaxing

Tired of your daily routine and need some relaxation? Go to a nearby sauna to relax. The heat and warm ambiance of the sauna help to relax all body muscles. Most saunas also have massage therapists who remove all knots and relieve your neck and shoulders from stiffness.

The human heart rate rises, and the blood vessels dilate in the sauna’s surroundings, which increases blood flow and is beneficial for overall health. The quiet place without distractions is the perfect getaway to relax for a few hours from the usual noise and pollution of the outer world. True beauty comes from within, which is one of the many reasons it’s important to de-stress. 

Anti-Aging

One of the steam’s most famous beauty benefits is its anti-aging power. Several studies have found a connection between anti-aging and saunas. Sauna exposure allows us to sweat, removing all dead skin cells and replacing them with new ones. The heat further helps our skin to breathe and function properly- keeping it as young as ever.

Clears Out Pores

Clogged pores can cause acne and dull skin. Instead of buying expensive cleansers and creams to clear your pores, you can spend a few hours in a sauna to achieve the same effect. This beauty benefit from a sauna is one of the most budget-friendly ways to deeply clean your pores. 

Immune System

Saunas include several activities, such as ice swimming, that improve well-being and contribute to fixing the immune system. Regular bathers suffer less from the flu and tend to have a low CRP. However, please don’t forget that it won’t help if you’re already coughing or sneezing.

Better Sleep

Insomniacs should try the sauna because it helps regulate sleep. It improves sleep quality and increases it as well. 85% of individuals who visit a sauna have reported that they can sleep peacefully without disturbance after their sessions.

Stress Management

Stress management and beauty go hand in hand, making it a key benefit of heading to a sauna. Instead of taking stress-relieving pills, try a day in the sauna to relieve stress and feel light-hearted. Those hours spent in the ambiance will provide muscle relaxation and help you detach from all the world’s worries for the time being.

Burn Calories

The high temperatures inside a sauna increase the heartbeat, just like when exercising. If you stand up, you will lose some calories. However, don’t spend hours inside a sauna to shed pounds, because that won’t happen.

Prevent Fluid Retention

Sweating in a sauna helps eliminate toxins and excess liquid in the body. It aids in weight loss and helps the body move freely without feeling weighed down.

Brain Health

The time spent in a sauna benefits the brain due to the heat and humidity. It improves brain health and mental well-being, protects from aging, and keeps the mind fresh and young. As per research, people who go to a sauna at least 4 times a week are less likely to get dementia, heart stroke, and Alzheimer’s.

Boost Cardiovascular Health

Saunas reduce the risks of heart disease and improve blood pressure. Moderate sauna sessions increase the heart rate to 100 beats per minute, and higher temperatures lead to 150 beats per minute.

Chronic Inflammation

Sauna may reduce chronic inflammation and help the body deal with the stress that causes inflammation.

Social Therapy

Wanna hang out with friends while relaxing? There’s no better place than a sauna. It’s a place for social therapy, especially for adults, who can chat and relax simultaneously.

Clears Sinuses

No one feels pretty when walking around with a congested head and a tissue box in their hand. To feel beautiful, it’s essential to take care of yourself. That’s how many of the health benefits of a sauna go hand in hand with the beauty benefits of a sauna.

The heat inside the sauna room is excellent for removing the sinuses and clearing your head and nose. It opens all mucous membranes inside the body and clears all blockages restricting breathing.

Why does Finland have so many saunas?

Finland is known as the land of saunas. The country has over 3 million saunas for a population of 5 million. That’s a mindblowing figure for a country where saunas outnumbered cars.

Finns love saunas. Because they understand its benefits and the comfort it brings while living a strenuous life. With its distinctive loyalty that marks the enjoyment of a sauna, Finland quickly takes the crown as the best place to enjoy the sauna.

Finns believe that it’s a place of purity, which is why some of their women give birth in saunas because they’re lined with soot that resists bacteria. They also believe it to be a poor man’s pharmacy as it heals people, and if the sauna fails to cure someone, nothing else will work.

Saunas have been a historic part of Finland’s existence, and the people believe they are a place of healing and relaxation that keeps them going.

What is unique about the Finnish sauna?

A Finnish or dry sauna differs from standard steam rooms or wet saunas. The temperature is set around 80 to 100 degrees, and humidity is kept around 5 – 20%. The dry heat is used to relax people.

There are four different types of Finnish saunas:

• Tropical Bath
• Bio sauna
• Russian Sauna
• Steam bath

The Finnish sauna has two elements: structure and element.

The sauna structure is made of wood and equipped with benches and a heater to heat the interior. The floor is made from solid treated wood, whereas its grill is formed using thermo aspen wood.

The heater is used to heat the sauna to 80 to 100 degrees. Electric heaters and saunas also warm the stones, raising the temperature. High-quality materials like oak are integral in retaining the heat inside a sauna. Other modern elements, such as stainless steel and glass, allow bathers to see outside.

How To Use A Sauna

1. Allow your body to get used to room temperature.
2. Don’t heat the sauna directly to 80 degrees, and let the intervals do their work, so your body gets used to it.
3. For the first 10 minutes, don’t exceed the temperature. The humidity might be annoying, but don’t throw water on the stones.
4. First-timers might feel dizzy initially. Try getting up from the bench.
5. Regulate body warmth using the shower in the sauna
6. Take some rest
7. Wrap yourself in a bathrobe and lie down for 10-15 minutes.
8. Now, go for the second interval of 10 minutes and repeat the above steps, and let your skin get softer and suppler.
9. Remember to moisturize your skin at the end.
10. Take snacks like yogurt, fruits, and herbal teas. Avoid alcoholic drinks.

People Who Need To Avoid Saunas

Saunas aren’t for everyone. Not everyone can tolerate the heat; some people also suffer from claustrophobia. Here’s a list of those people who need to avoid saunas:

• Suffering from heart diseases
• Having frequent chest pain
• People with heart failures
• Pregnant women
• Suffering from epilepsy
• Recently had surgery- unhealed wounds.
• People taking antibiotics
• People on drugs or alcohol
• Children

Always consult with your doctor before you go to a sauna to be on the safe side.

Precautions To Take When Going To A Sauna

• Hydrate yourself by having herbal teas or water to compensate for the fluid loss
• 15 minutes per session is enough
• Don’t use antiperspirant spray because it stops sweating.
• Certain medications don’t mix well with the heat. Consult your doctor before coming to a sauna
• Even though a sauna is good for the skin, people suffering from eczema or rosacea must avoid it.
• Men concerned with fertility should avoid saunas because high temperature decreases sperm count.
• Don’t use a sauna if you’re ill.
• People with heart conditions must consult their doctor before using a sauna
• Ensure you take a bath after your sauna session to eliminate the toxins.

Traditional Sauna Vs. Infrared Sauna

Traditional saunas often entice us, but their heat can be overwhelming, and people often struggle to bear it. Infrared saunas are much better because they provide a calm environment bearable by the human body. Infrared rays penetrate deeply into the human body, causing rapid sweating.

Risks Involved In Using Saunas

• Causes dehydration if you don’t have water or spend too much time inside the sauna. This further leads to dizziness, nausea, and higher thirst levels.
• Severe dehydration inside saunas, if not treated adequately, leads to kidney failure, low BP, heat stroke, seizures, unconsciousness, and, in worst-case scenarios, coma.
• It stresses the heart and is, hence, not suitable for people suffering from high anxiety and major heart diseases.
• Affects fertility by reducing the sperm count
• It may cause leg pain due to sudden temperature changes.

DIY Sauna

Is it possible to have a DIY sauna? Why not! Everything’s possible if you’ve followed the proper instructions. Several people don’t wish to go to a sauna for multiple reasons, including the fear of contracting germs, claustrophobia, etc.

Here is a DIY sauna for individuals who feel comfortable in their own space and prefer not to spend money elsewhere. Building a sauna at home from scratch might be costly, around $4000 to $7000, but it’s an excellent investment if you love saunas.

It’s best to hire a professional to build a sauna at home. The procedure takes at least 2-4 days, and the overall expenditure might reach $ 13,000.

• Ensure that indoor saunas are entirely safe.
• The chosen situation shouldn’t have excess humidity or flood risk.
• Choose a location. It could be outdoors, in your basement, or in the bath.
• Rather than building bit by bit, order a sauna kit from Amazon and install it to avoid the tremendous hassle.
• You can use gas, wood, or electricity to heat the sauna. The decision is all yours!
• If building from scratch, choose sustainable materials for the insides
• Don’t forget to install insulation, a vapor barrier, and paneling
• Add aesthetics of your choice

Tools Needed

• Staple gun
• Hammer
• Saw
• Level
• Drill
• Measuring tape
• Pencil

FAQ

How long should you stay in a sauna?

A maximum of 20 minutes are more than enough in a sauna, but it’s best to spend 15 minutes.

How to use a sauna to lose weight?

The sauna can help you lose a few pounds due to excessive sweating and increased heart rate, but it’s not an ideal way to lose weight. Instead, stick with a healthy diet and exercise regularly to lose 1-2 pounds per week until you reach your desired goal. 

Are saunas good for your skin?

Yes, saunas are great for the skin and help rejuvenate dead skin cells. However, people suffering from skin diseases must avoid going to saunas or consulting their doctors before making an appointment.

Where can I find a sauna?

Do a quick Google search. Saunas are usually found in gyms, clubs, and salons.

What is the difference between a sauna and a steam room?

Both are used to eliminate toxins from the body and help people relax via sweating, but saunas use dry heat from rocks or stones to heat rooms. Steam rooms have moisture inside them and operate at a lower temperature than saunas.

In Conclusion

Saunas are gaining popularity among individuals who recognize their health benefits and seek to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Although saunas have various benefits, from improving skin to keeping you relaxed, avoiding their excess is best recommended. People suffering from heart disease and fertility issues should consult their doctors before going to a sauna.

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