The benefits of regular hot baths and sauna sessions are no new found trick, they have been around for centuries and we have more access to them now than ever before. If you, like me, crave heat intensely during winter, then you’re probably already familiar with the slew of benefits they can provide the body and skin. If you’re heat therapy curious or still confused on how to optimise the skin benefits, then welcome to my guide on how to prep and treat the skin before, during, and after your sweat session.

First Things First

Saunas and baths instigate blood flow and sweating, triggering the right type of stress on the body, resulting in cellular health benefits and increased detox. Specific to the skin, the flow draws essential nutrients to the tissue and cells, decongests the lymphatic system, and softens hardened keratin (cell) build up.

Let’s start with the basics. These are the foundations for supporting the skin before sauna and heat exposure.

1. Dry brush
Dry brushing is done on dry skin, before water and before heat. It gently exfoliates the surface, supports lymphatic flow, and prepares the skin to release. Use light pressure, slow strokes, always towards the heart.

2. Clean skin
Remove SPF/makeup with a gentle cleanser (oil cleansing is ideal). This is not about scrubbing or stripping, just cleansing the surface so your skin doesn’t further absorb it all.

3. Avoid drying or active products
Skip clay masks, acids, retinoids, or exfoliants the day of. Heat already increases skin sensitivity and permeability. This is not the moment to challenge the barrier.

4. Do not leave the skin bare
Dry heat saunas can dehydrate tissue and provoke redness, itching, or irritation. A light protective layer of tallow helps the skin stay supple and buffered.

5. Only use products you are comfortable sweating off
Ideally you will be dripping wet during this whole charade, so keep the expensive serums and creams for later.

During the sauna, we want to stay hydrated and mineralised. Sweating is a loss of electrolytes, not just water, so sip fluids slowly rather than drinking large amounts at once. Mineralise your water with a pinch of high quality salt or a clean electrolyte blend. Look for options without artificial sweeteners or unnecessary additives. I personally like blends such as PUSH Flow (salty raspberry flavour without sweeteners) or Unflavoured Redmond Re-Lyte Hydration Mix (add a squeeze of lemon for flavour) or to keep it simple, Celtic sea salt.

When I’m in a hot hot sauna I will cover my face with a damp cloth since the air can be intensely drying (this helps with breathing too). Commonly, there is some sort of cold plunge or rinse between sauna session bursts (which is also fabulous for toning the skin) I use this as a time to apply more protective oil/tallow before going in for another hot round. So, broken down it should look something like:

Heat + sweat for 15-20mins
Sip + hydrate during
Break for cold plunge + reapply tallow
Back in the heat
Rinse + Repeat

Post-sauna or bath is when your skin is softened and most receptive, this is the prime time to work in all your yummy hydrating, moisturising, and nutritive products. Bring out the whole arsenal, but leave the acids for another time. Give the skin a proverbial tall drink of nutrients and then follow it up by drinking a very real one (I like to rehydrate with a savoury bone broth). Enjoy your plump and glowing skin, all flowed up and protected.