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.
Benefits of a bath
A trip to the bathhouse has a beneficial effect on the human body as a whole. After it, the skin steams, pores open and sebaceous plugs dissolve. The steam room helps strengthen the immune system, improves the tone of blood vessels and metabolism, and also cleanses the epidermis of impurities, toxins and tones the skin. To get rid of acne on the face, take steam baths. To carry out this procedure, decoctions of medicinal herbs are used. They have disinfectant and anti-inflammatory effects, so they effectively remove acne.
If you feel dizzy while visiting the sauna, you should immediately leave the steam room and rinse your body with cool water.
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.
Indications
Staying in a bathhouse or sauna helps cleanse the body.
Acne appears quite often in people of different sexes and causes a lot of discomfort. Therefore, to get rid of acne, it is recommended to visit a bathhouse, sauna or do steam baths for the face. Many cosmetologists believe that steam rooms help eliminate acne no worse than professional cosmetic procedures. The steam penetrates deep into the epidermal layer, cleanses the skin of dirt and sebum, which clog pores and cause pimples, and provides light exfoliation.
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.
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.
Care after depilation:
- Remember to hydrate. The skin should never be dry, especially in the depilation area. Immediately after depilation, light, moisturizing products with a calming effect, for example, with aloe extract, are suitable. And when the skin has recovered, use creams that suit your skin type.
- Scrub your skin. By removing dead skin particles, you allow new hairs to grow more easily, and the problem of ingrown hairs will not bother you. The first scrubbing should be done no earlier than 3 days after depilation and only if the skin is not irritated. Don't forget to steam your skin thoroughly before scrubbing to avoid damaging it! Repeat the procedure 1-2 times a week.
- Use products for ingrown hairs. If the hair does grow in, do not try to squeeze it out - this may leave stains! To avoid the problem, purchase a special cream for skin care after depilation. It will exfoliate and hydrate your skin at the same time, promoting free hair growth.
Rules for cleansing pores in a bath
Before going to the sauna, you should drink plenty of water - liquid will speed up the removal of toxins and waste from the body. When you arrive at the bathhouse, it is important to rinse your skin with warm water to prepare for temperature fluctuations. Then you should remove dead skin cells using a hard washcloth and soap. Enter the steam room for a couple of minutes first to prepare. Then take a shower. This will help remove impurities and sebum. After this, it is recommended to swim in a cool pool. The next time you enter the steam room, increase the interruption time, apply a mask to your face and body, or perform peeling. Regular visits to the bath will help remove pimples and prevent the appearance of new ones.
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.
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.
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.
