Sauna Or Steam Room: Which Is Better For Your Skin & Acne?




steam room for helping with acne

The sauna and steam room are both associated with relaxation and wellness, but also have several benefits on the body. We often forget about the benefits both the steam room and sauna can have on your skin, complexion and blackheads. If you had to pick between the sauna or steam room, which would be better for your skin? Which room is better for improving your skin in terms of removing blackheads and acne? Or does the secret to perfect, acne-free skin lie with using both the sauna and steam room together? See our answer below in terms of is the steam room or sauna better for curing acne:

Sauna Or Steam Room For Clearing Acne & Blackheads:

Most people rely on the steam room to help them keep their skin clear; prevent spots, blackheads and acne. Most health and fitness centres having spa facilities, it’s good practice to end a gym session with a 10-15 minute period in the sauna and steam room, if you have time. People who regularly use either of these spa facilities often notice a reduction of number blackheads on their nose and cheeks, for example.

You will find the steam room is busier than the sauna, so do people perceive the steam room to be better for their skin and acne compared to the sauna? Or, is it something to do with seeing the steam in the air and instantly feeling the moisture touching your skin compared to just pure dry heat from the sauna?

Does The Steam Room Clear Spots, Blackheads & Improve Complexion?

Skincare Benefits of the Steam Room | Sauna vs. Steam Room

The steam room is great for removing impurities and toxins in the skin by using moist heat. As you may know already, heat opens up the skin’s pores in the face. This allows for the moisture in the room to penetrate pores and clear out all the toxins/impurities. Helping to improve the appearance of acne and your skin’s complexion.

 

Heat also increases the bodies natural rate of perspiration, a process which moves toxins and impurities to the surface of the skin. The moisture in the air then helps remove the toxins, as stated above.

Blackheads and spots form when pores in the face become blocked with dead skin, naturally excreted oils and sweat. All ‘stuff’ our skin naturally excretes – a possible flaw in the human design?

As outlined above, the steam room removes these impurities from our pores so perfect for keeping your skin spotless, free from blackheads and acne.

See Also  10 Benefits Of Using The Steam Room

You should always aim to end every work-out with 10-15 minutes in the steam room. Not only is the steam great for skin but the heat helps reduce oxidation stress on the body. This reduction in stress helps to boost muscle growth and improve recovery time between each workout.

Maintaining Good Skincare By Using The Steam Room

The key to achieving good skincare is to use the steam room consistently; the first couple of times you use the steam you will notice that your skin may appear worse, but it is in fact healthier. How? All of the toxins and impurities which laid deeply penetrated in the skin are raised to the skin’s surface for excretion. The action can result in skin blemishes and spots in the first few instances.

Once you get past this stage you will notice a big, positive change in your skin’s appearance. The tip to maintaining acne free skin is to use the steam room regularly, around 3 times a week for optimum results. Enough time to prevent the build up of oil, dead skin and dirt in your pores causing blackheads.

Here are 4 steps to enhance the action of the steam room on the skin, making it’s acne fighting properties even better:

  1. Shower before entering the steam room, this will wash away oils, sweat and dead skin.
  2. Avoid using any lotions/creams before using the steam room as this can inhibit the steam room’s acne fighting properties.
  3. Dry yourself before entering the steam room – entering the steam room wet can inhibit the skins natural ability to sweat which is essential for removing impurities and toxins.
  4. Take a cool shower after the steam room. The cold with help to close your pores inhibiting anything from entering your pores and potentially blocking them, undoing the steam rooms benefits.

Are you aware of all the other benefits of using a steam room? Read our article on ‘10 Benefits Of Using A Steam Room‘ to see what other benefits there are in addition to fighting blackheads and acne.

The Benefits Of The Sauna For Clearing Spots, Blackheads & Improving Complexion:

Skincare Benefits of the Sauna | Sauna vs. Steam Room

Just like the steam room, the sauna has several health and skincare benefits. The sauna uses dry heat and it is this heat which is great for both opening pores and improving circulation. The increase in temperature opens up the pores increasing the bodies own ability to excrete toxins and impurities.

The enhanced circulation is your bodies own response to the increase in temperature, resulting in supplying the skin with more oxygen and nutrients, leaving skin looking healthy, refreshed with a natural glow shortly after.

Sauna Or Steam Room? Which Is Better For Clearing Spots, Blackheads & Improving Your Complexion?

The sauna and the steam room both have great skincare benefits; helping to clear acne, spots and blackheads. Our advice from our research and own experiences would be to use both of them together to get the best skincare results.

Start with the sauna to open up the skin’s pores and improve circulation. Improving blood flow to the face, then end with the steam room for its skincare cleansing and acne fighting benefits.

If you don’t have time to use both the sauna and steam room, then opt for the steam room over the sauna as the the extra moisture in the room tips it as the front runner for being better for your skin and clearing acne.

How Can I Get The Steam Room Benefits At Home?

Not everyone has access to a steam room at their gym, or home for that matter. But, it’s really easy to get the benefit from the steam room at home, without building a steam room in your bathroom.

A facial steamer is a great way to benefit from the skincare benefits of a steam room, but in the comfort of your own home.

Facial steamers work in the same way as a steam room but only on the face; opening pores and excreting the contents of the pores.

How do you use a facial steamer? It couldn’t be easier. Just place you face into the device, which in turn releases steam onto your face. In the same way that a steam room helps to improve the health of skin, the steam clears blocked pores and improves the visibility of the skin.

Recommended Facial Steamers:

Below our some of the best reviewed facial steamers that we recommend:

Hangsun Facial Steamer FS80 to help acne

1. Hangsun Facial Steamer FS80 

Includes both a facial sauna and inhaler functions to satisfy your different needs. It includes a full face steamer, a nose steamer and a measuring cup.

This face steamer features an aromatherapy and essential oil function. You can add 2 to 3 drops of your favourite essential or aromatherapy oils into the water, then enjoy a nice and comfortable facial spa at home.

Buy it now – £25.99, Amazon

YUNI Facial Steamer to help acne

2. YUNI Facial Steamer

Deep pore cleaning: soothing steam opens pores to help remove dirt and bacteria. Helps remove dead skin cells and helps increase the absorptions of nutrients and moisture.

It is very easy to use, just fill with water and add a few drops of your favourite essential oil. It can lift your mood and relieve stress from stressful and tired day.

Buy it now – £16, Amazon

Facial steamers will help to clear blackheads and improve skin health when used regularly, we recommend using 1-2 per week in order to see the benefits of steam on your skin.

As you can see these facial steams are also relatively cheap. So you can enjoy the skincare benefits of a facial steamer for the a fraction of the cost of a monthly gym membership to make use of the steam room.