When Skin Hits the Sauna

Sep 24, 2026 — Soft Services newsletter

A Field Guide to Sauna Skin Part I

Soft Services — When skin hits the sauna 96 A Field Guide to Sauna Skin Part I A writer, devoted bathhouse regular, and sauna obsessive, Katie Stone joins us again for another newsletter investigation. Her previous guest contributions for Soft Services include: corneometer skin hydration testing, a guide to feeling good in your skin , and a syllabus for the post-holiday comedown . This is Part I of her Sauna Guide.

I’ve read dozens (not an exaggeration) of articles detailing this great sauna boom we find ourselves in—about our bodies’ natural “detoxification” through sweat, the multicultural significance of this ancient wellness practice, the communal benefits of sweating alongside one another—and yet not one of them mentions the effects of shifting between extreme temperatures on our skin. Well, I’m taking it upon myself to do something about it.

Since I’m a devoted bathhouse attendee, and I’ve written approximately 4 of those aforementioned articles, what’s one more? This time, I’m getting to the bottom of what actually happens to our skin in the sauna—because I, like you, want to get the most I can out of my sacred sweat time without irritating my beautiful, yet highly sensitive body. Well, I’m taking it upon myself to do something about it.

Too Hot (or Cold) to Handle First: let’s get on the same page about what exactly is happening, epidermally speaking, when we subject our bodies to the intense temperature changes of a bathhouse. In the sauna, as you’re well aware, our bodies begin to sweat in an attempt to cool itself off. “Sweat glands become activated and release increased amounts of water and minerals,” says Dr. Bonnie Fergie, Sydney-based dermatologist and founder of Bon Elliot .

” Vasodilation makes our skin more malleable and our pores softer, allowing impurities to release through sweat. It’s also what causes redness—something to keep in mind for those with specific sensitivities in this department. “Heat can actually aggravate rosacea, melasma, and eczema,” says Cali Strauhs, esthetician and founder of Strauhs Studios .

” That’s because sweat combines with oil, product residue, bacteria, and friction, causing a reaction alongside and/or separate from the side effects of the heat. Speaking from personal experience, I know that a particularly hot sauna session can leave temporary red splotches across the body. Dr. Fergie assures me that’s nothing to worry about, though.

“It’s usually harmless,” she says, reminding me that vasodilation can create a visible flush in different parts of the body as hot air directly hits the skin. And let me be clear—I’m not trying to fear monger. The sauna is largely good for our skin, in fact.

A 2008 study out of Germany found that regular sauna users showed stable barrier function, increased hydration, faster recovery from transepidermal water loss, and less sebum content on the skin’s surface than their sauna-averse counterparts. Jolie de Feis, esthetician and writer of Hotline Skin , thinks the biggest dermatological benefit is circulation. “Heat improves circulation, helping increase blood flow and the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to the skin.

” Heat is one thing, but extreme cold is another. For those who are brave enough to hit the plunge after their sauna session, your skin might actually thank you. “In general, cold helps to reduce inflammation,” says de Feis. It rapidly contracts blood vessels (vasoconstriction), which pushes the blood inward, causing a sort of pumping effect that makes the skin appear tighter. That said, sometimes the extreme change in temperature can be too much for our bodies to handle.

” The best thing to do is monitor your skin reactions, and go easy. Sauna Skin Sounding Board Katie Stone Substacker and Creative Strategist Dr. A. COMFORT CLEANSE SPEED SOAK CAREA CREAM

Tags: Guides, Body Acne, Dullness, Eczema, Comfort Cleanse, Speed Soak, Carea Cream