Saunas and steam baths have been used in medicine and cosmetology for centuries. After steaming, a person usually feels younger and characterizes the state with the formulaic “as if born again!” And it’s not in vain. People often go for a steam bath to solve some skin problems, for example, to get rid of acne. The steam room has a positive effect on a healthy body, including accelerating metabolic processes. But in case of illness, the consequences of this procedure are unexpected.
How does a bath act on the entire body and specifically on the skin?
It has been proven that the sauna is not as safe as it seems. It has a beneficial effect on a healthy person: it strengthens the immune system, trains blood vessels, and removes toxins. But if you are sick, you need to visit the steam room after carefully weighing the state of your body, and sometimes even after coordinating the visit with your doctor.
The steam room is a catalyst for metabolic processes in the body, which is complemented by aromatherapy, all kinds of skin cleansing, toning and immune strengthening procedures. With the right approach, it is also a simulator for the cardiovascular system.
Increased temperature and humidity force organ systems to work in accelerated mode. The blood quickly transports substances, pores open in the epidermis, and the secretion of the sweat glands increases. The excretory system begins to rapidly remove toxins from the body through the skin, increasing the load on them to the maximum.
When heading to the bathhouse, remember that it has the greatest effect on the heart, blood vessels and skin. It is important to calculate the intensity of procedures and time in the steam room based on the condition of these organs.
How can a bath help?
The high humidity and temperature characteristic of a steam room have a very interesting effect on the skin - they activate sweating, remove harmful substances from it, and dilate pores. Essentially, there is a deep cleansing of the skin layers. Even just going to the bathhouse is great for problem skin. But the cleansing and general health effect will be two or three times stronger if you combine bath procedures with cosmetic ones. Or rather, with cleansing face masks. Prepared skin - warmed up and with enlarged pores - will respond to the mask more actively than with conventional home treatments.
The effect of baths on problem skin
If visiting a steam room is strictly contraindicated for people suffering from pathologies of the cardiovascular system, then for some skin diseases, bath procedures are beneficial.
Most dermatological problems are only an external reflection of processes occurring inside the body. Therefore, when planning to use a bathhouse as a remedy for acne, it is important to understand the reasons that caused their occurrence and the type of rash.
Acne occurs due to a number of factors that the bath has absolutely no effect on. Among them:
- Hormonal imbalances.
- Problems in the digestive system.
- Viral diseases.
- Allergic reactions.
- Genetic predisposition.
- Using cosmetics of dubious quality or unsuitable for your skin type.
Therefore, there is no need to wait for a miraculous effect in treating acne after a bath. On the contrary, inflammatory processes on the epidermis after visiting the steam room will most likely bloom in full bloom the next day. Thus, the bath does not affect the source of the problem, and sometimes aggravates its skin manifestations.
The situation with black dots is different. To solve this issue, the steam room is perfect. It still does not eliminate the root cause of the disease (unless it is inappropriate hygiene), but it helps to quickly remove its skin manifestations. Due to increased sweating, the pores, enlarged by high temperature, are cleaned, washing out the “garbage” that has accumulated in them.
In case of inflammatory dermatological processes (including acne, blackheads, pimples), the bath is not considered a means of treatment, and sometimes even causes harm. But to eliminate comedones, visiting the steam room can be safely used.
Pros and cons of sauna for acne
On the plus side, the dry heat of a sauna can open up pores. Potassium and sodium in sweat act as exfoliating agents to remove dead skin cells. On the downside, if sweat doesn't wash off quickly after 15 minutes of greasy sweating, it can cause additional breakouts and pimples on the skin.
When the skin cools down after a sauna, sweat and sebum get into the pores, so you may get new pimples. Staying in the sauna for more than 15 minutes can also dehydrate the skin, which will make your face look even worse. Remove all makeup from your face if you are heading to the sauna. because when you sweat, your makeup melts and clogs your facial pores, causing new pimples to appear on your face after the bath. When you're done, wash your face with a gentle acne cleanser to get rid of trapped sweat and debris.
Also, do not expect a bath, even when used correctly, to perform miracles in curing acne, even through the abundant removal of toxins from the skin. Data shows that through sweating you can only expel a small part of the toxins that you have in the body, approximately 1 - 3% Although While this 1% can be of great help in the process of treating acne and pimples, it is important that you maintain overall skin health and do not rely on steam baths or saunas as a detoxification and acne treatment mechanism.
To detoxify the other 99% of toxins in your digestive tract, your kidneys and your liver need to be working as well as possible. There is also no point in drinking copious amounts of alcohol and then using a sauna to detoxify. If you want to detoxify, do not drink alcohol or go to the sauna with a friend to relax.
How to properly clean clogged pores in a bathhouse
To effectively cleanse pores in a steam room, you need to follow the rules that will help you achieve maximum efficiency and not aggravate the problem.
- Increase your water intake before visiting the steam room. This will speed up the elimination of toxins through sweat.
- Don't head straight to the steam room. First, take a warm shower, which will prepare the dermis for temperature exposure. Massage your body with a hard washcloth, removing the stratum corneum. Use soap or shower gel to cleanse your skin of external dirt, dust, and germs.
- In the steam room, place a personal, pre-washed and ironed towel or sheet on the shelves.
- Limit your first visit to the steam room to a few minutes. This is an adaptation period that will help prepare the skin for further processing.
- When the skin is covered in perspiration (which means the pores are opening and the cleansing process has begun), rub the problem areas with a washcloth. This effect promotes a deeper cleansing than before in the shower.
- Finish your first short visit to the steam room with a shower to wash off the sweat mixed with contaminated sebum from your body. Drink water, swim in the pool.
- The second approach can be increased in time. It would be appropriate to use gentle scrubs and gommages this time. Do not overdo it so as not to damage the sensitive skin at this time.
- It is better to refrain from using a broom for the first time. With its help, it is possible to transfer pathogenic microbes from diseased areas to healthy ones. But in other cases, juniper broom is a prevention of inflammatory processes in the skin.
Regular visits to the bathhouse help cleanse the dermis of comedones, tones and trains it, and improves complexion. After such procedures, the skin is more receptive to nourishing creams and masks.
Steaming your face at home
There are several ways to steam your face at home.
Using the bowl
- Step 1: Place a large bowl on the table. Pull up a chair and adjust its height to the bowl. Or you can do it in the sink.
- Step 2: Secure your hair with an elastic band or towel. Use a gentle cleanser or exfoliator to remove dead skin from your face and neck.
- Step 3: Boil water. The amount of water depends on the size of the bowl or sink.
- Step 4: You can add several types of herbs (peppermint, rosemary, eucalyptus, chamomile, lavender) to warm water. Any essential oil can be used.
- Step 5: After pouring water into the bowl/sink and adding essential oils (if using), place a towel over your head and lean over the bowl/sink. Hold your face 6 inches above the bowl/sink.
- Step 6: Adjust the distance according to the temperature you can tolerate. When you need to cool your face, use the corner of the towel.
- Step 7: Perform the procedure for no more than 10 minutes.
We will consider other methods of steaming the face in the following material.
Acne after a bath: causes and methods of combating
Sometimes, as a result of visiting a bathhouse, previously clean skin suddenly becomes covered with pimples and acne. The following reasons for this reaction are identified:
- Using other people's hygiene items (washcloths, mittens, brooms).
- The first visit to the sauna is stressful for the skin. Excess sebum that is not removed properly can clog the pores again.
- Activation of sluggish inflammatory processes as a result of increased temperature.
When visiting the bathhouse, strictly follow the rules of hygiene, use only personal towels and washcloths, and thoroughly wash off any remaining sweat in the shower. During illness, visiting a steam room may result in rashes as a result of the active removal of toxins through the skin.
The described reasons cause a temporary effect, therefore the fight against such acne is aimed at properly cleansing the pores and does not require an integrated approach in the form of strict diets or treatment with medications. High-quality hygiene, the use of peelings and scrubs, eliminating spicy and fatty foods from the diet (to avoid exacerbation). The exception is acne that appears as a result of the introduction of the virus from other people's hygiene items.
Visiting the bathhouse is not recommended for persons suffering from inflamed rashes on the body and face. An increase in the number of acne in this case indicates an increase in inflammatory processes. Treatment of such rashes requires identifying the source of the problem and eliminating it with medication.
Means to increase the effectiveness of acne treatment in the bath
Nutritious
It is recommended to use orange scrub while visiting the sauna.
- Orange mask-scrub. This procedure is recommended for oily skin. Grind dry orange peels and add water. A paste-like mixture should form. Distribute the mask over the skin of the face and body, leave for 10 minutes, then rub a little and moisten with water. If you have sensitive and dry epidermis, then add olive oil to this mixture.
- Mask with honey. Mix 2 tablespoons of liquid honey with 1 tablespoon of dry crushed cinnamon. Apply the mask over the entire body with light massage movements, and then remove the product with warm water. This product disinfects the skin, relieves inflammation, nourishes and softens the epidermis.
Whitening
- Yeast with lemon. Pour lemon juice into dry yeast. Apply to facial skin and leave for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water. This mask will dry out pimples, relieve inflammation and lighten the epidermal layer.
- Banana with milk. This mixture will whiten and moisturize the epidermal layer of the face. Mix half a banana, mashed to a paste, with milk. Apply the mask with a paper napkin for 15 minutes. Rinse your face with water.
- Parsley mask. Using this mask you can remove acne and blemishes after it. Mix a bunch of green parsley, chopped in a blender, with a small spoon of lemon juice. Apply to steamed skin, leave for 10 minutes. Rinse off the mixture alternately with warm and cold water.
Moisturizing
The egg mask saturates and nourishes the skin with the necessary moisture.
- Egg mask. Mix, apply to facial skin and leave for 20 minutes, and then remove by rinsing with warm water. To prepare you will need: 1 yolk;
- 1 large spoon of liquid honey;
- 1 small spoon of olive oil.
After visiting the bathhouse, it is better to smear the skin with a moisturizing or nourishing cream - steamed and clean pores will absorb the maximum amount of beneficial substances from cosmetic preparations.
About contraindications
Let us immediately note that if multiple rashes are associated with internal factors and are purulent or infected, then going to the bathhouse can only aggravate the situation, causing the infection to spread to healthy areas of the face and body. In this case, you should first bring the skin to a state of rest, that is, cure purulent acne, and then restore the skin in the bath. Contraindications include overly sensitive skin, as well as dilated blood vessels on the face. The bathhouse should, first of all, bring pleasure, and if you experience discomfort for any reason, it is better to postpone visiting it until better times.
Replenishing moisture balance
The skin after a bath will look young and beautiful only if it is well moisturized. Wet steam, of course, saturates it with moisture, but at the same time the body loses up to 1.5 liters of liquid along with sweat and toxins removed through the pores. In this regard, it is extremely important to maintain a drinking regime, consuming fruit drinks, herbal teas, and mineral water. And in the case of deep wrinkles on the skin, it is better to cover them in advance with oil compresses, which should be removed before visiting the steam room.
