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Wait A Second: Do You Have "Sauna" Skin? Yep, It's A Thing

Jamie Schneider
Author:
February 22, 2024
Jamie Schneider
Former Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
By Jamie Schneider
Former Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Editor
Jamie Schneider is the former Senior Beauty Editor at mindbodygreen. She has a B.A. in Organizational Studies and English from the University of Michigan, and her work has appeared in Coveteur, The Chill Times, and Wyld Skincare.
Woman emerges from a sauna wrapped in a towel
Image by Studio Firma / Stocksy
February 22, 2024
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Trends ebb and flow, but dewy, aptly hydrated skin will never go out of style—the beauty crowd just has a knack for coming up with different nicknames. Think glass skin, dolphin skin, glazed donut skin…'and now, sauna skin? 

Yep, beauty fans are officially sweating in the name of skin care. (It's not a bad idea; breaking a sweat is great for skin health!). But you don't have to hop into an actual sauna to hop on the bandwagon—allow me to explain.   

What is sauna skin? 

Simply put, it refers to how your skin would look after a sauna session: supple and refreshed, with a sheen of sweat. It was the makeup inspiration at the Collina Strada fall/winter 2024 show during New York Fashion Week, as models sported dewy, high-gloss finishes that made them appear intentionally sweaty.

If your sauna sesh comes with a side of redness and flushing as opposed to juicy shine, well, same. To be absolutely clear, my ruddy complexion post-sweat does not resemble the glass-skinned models sauntering down the runway. 

But redness is not necessarily a bad thing! It's a normal body mechanism in response to heat. "One of the homeostasis mechanisms used by the body when body temperature increases is to carry more blood to the surface of the skin so that heat loss from the skin increases," board-certified dermatologist Hadley King, M.D., once shared with mbg. "This entails peripheral vasodilation—or widening of the small blood vessels found in the skin so that more blood is carried through them. This can cause a red, flushed face, particularly noticeable in fairer skin types." 

Redness aside, sauna bathing comes with some skin benefits. Research shows infrared saunas, in particular, can promote healing and collagen production1; and anecdotally, some people just love how their skin looks after the fact. "People do feel like after being in a sauna that their skin has sort of a nicer glow to it," board-certified dermatologist Jeremy Fenton, M.D., of Schweiger Dermatology Group, tells mbg. 

Summary

"Sauna skin" refers to skin so dewy and supple, it looks like you just left the actual sauna. However, it can also allude to the flushed, ruddy complexion many experience after a post-sauna sweat.

How to achieve it—without an actual sauna

To achieve sauna skin, simply head to the sauna and start sweating. There are plenty of reasons to do so, aside from dewy skin! But if you want to nail the look without the flushing and redness that comes with it? That's where these tips come into play: 

1.

Plump skin internally 

Have you ever seen a complexion that looks seriously lit from within? To achieve this radiance, it helps to start, you know, within. I'm not saying that drinking water is the No. 1 secret to glowing skin (though it is important to reach your daily quota), but there are plenty of supplements formulated with ingredients to keep your skin hydrated. One of our favorites is hyaluronic acid. 

You may already use a hyaluronic acid serum—and good on you!—but you might want to double down by taking it orally too. Oral forms of HA, you see, have been shown to support skin hydration and appearance. In fact, one study found that people who took 120 milligrams of hyaluronic acid a day for eight to 12 weeks experienced better skin aging2 (fewer wrinkles and more supple skin) compared with those who took a placebo. 

It's usually a complementary active to other ingredients like collagen, which only elevates its skin-loving benefits—you can browse our favorite formulas here

2.

Use humectant serums 

Humectants are literally water magnets, board-certified dermatologist Ava Shamban, M.D., founder of SKINFIVE, tells us. "They work to help pull moisture from the air into the upper layer of your skin to keep the skin cells hydrated, plump with a firmness and bounce." Sounds like the sauna skin ideal, doesn't it? 

Here's where your hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and aloe vera serums come into play. Find some options here, but don't forget to layer an occlusive (cream or oil) on top, or that water can easily evaporate on the top layer of the skin and leave it drier than before.

3.

Highlight areas with a barrier balm

To really emulate the post-sauna sweat, I like to dab a barrier balm on the high points of my face. That way, I can replicate all the dewy shine, sans flushing. 

You might be wondering: Why use a barrier balm and not a standard highlighter? To which I say: You totally could use makeup, but highlighters tend to include some shimmer particles that often read sparkly instead of sweaty. 

I find an oil-based balm much more natural-looking, yet it catches the light exactly where I want it. Stick formulations, such as the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Skin Barrier Repair Balm or Hero Cosmetics Glow Balm, make it easy to reapply your faux sweat on the go. 

The takeaway 

"Sauna skin" is really just another way to describe a dewy, refreshed, glowing visage—with or without an actual sauna. Of all the buzzy beauty trends out there (some of which are questionable), this is a look we can get behind, so long as you know your limits when it comes to sauna bathing. For those who can't tolerate the heat (like those with rosacea), feel free to rely on the hacks above—plus others here—to secure your glow.

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