Should you use a sauna before or after a shower?
For many sauna users, showering and sauna use are closely linked. But what order should you do them in?
Sauna use directly before or after showering can impact your experience. It’s important to research and choose the routine that is best for you. Luckily, at Heavenly Heat Saunas, we are experts on all things sauna, and we want you to have the best experience possible. Here is everything you should know about showering before and after using a sauna.
Benefits of Shower Before Sauna
It helps to remove dirt, oils, and impurities from the skin
It is recommended to shower before a sauna session to ensure that your skin is clean and free of dirt, oils, and impurities, which can negatively affect your experience by hindering the detoxification process, causing skin irritation, and potentially clogging your pores. After showering, make sure to dry off completely so that you can start sweating quickly once you’re in the sauna.
Basic Sauna Etiquette
Showering before entering the sauna is a basic rule of etiquette in many cultures, including Finnish tradition. It’s a matter of hygiene and respect for others. This practice ensures that individuals enter the sauna clean, removing any impurities, sweat, or lotions from their bodies. It’s a straightforward rule followed in most public saunas and gym facilities to maintain cleanliness and uphold the tradition of sauna bathing.
Relax your muscles
Taking a lukewarm shower relaxes your muscles by widening your blood vessels, which boosts blood flow and leads to muscle relaxation. Doing this before the sauna enhances the effect, as the sauna itself also relaxes your muscles.
Benefits of Shower After Sauna
Cleanses
The heat in the sauna increases sweating production, allowing you to detoxify your skin by removing toxins, dirt, and bacteria from the skin’s surface. When you shower after the sauna, it helps cleanse the skin by removing any remaining toxins, dirt, and bacteria from your skin.
Cooling Down
A recent study delved into the effectiveness of cold showers in bringing down body temperature after intense exercise.
They enlisted 17 individuals who exercised vigorously until they became significantly overheated. Afterwards, participants either took a cold shower or relaxed in a room with the same temperature for 15 minutes. The findings? Cold showers proved more efficient in cooling down the body compared to simply resting in a room.
This suggests that in scenarios like sauna sessions, where body temperature rises due to extreme heat, opting for a cold shower can hasten the cooling process. However, it’s crucial to avoid immediate cold showers after leaving the sauna. It’s best to wait at least two minutes before showering, allowing your body to gradually adapt its temperature.
Basic Hygiene
After you leave the sauna, you’re usually sweaty. It’s important for hygiene to shower afterward, so you can feel fresh and get rid of that sweaty look.
The Verdict
When it comes to using a sauna, whether to shower before or after is entirely up to personal preference. Showering beforehand can cleanse the skin and loosen muscles, enhancing the sauna experience. On the other hand, showering afterward can help remove toxins and cool down the body. To make the most of both pre- and post-sauna benefits, it’s recommended to shower both before and after your sauna session.
FAQs
How long after the infrared sauna can I shower?
It is not recommended to shower immediately after leaving the sauna. Your body is still sweating and trying to regulate its temperature. A sudden change in temperature from showering can affect your overall health.
What temp shower after sauna?
Taking a cold shower after a sauna can be really helpful. It might boost your lymphatic circulation, keep your skin healthy, aid in weight loss, and cool down your body, which can help prevent high blood pressure.
Reference
Skin hydration and transepidermal water loss after bathing compared between immersion and showering
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33769640
Dry Skin
https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/dry-skin
Physiologic and Perceptual Responses to Cold
https://meridian.allenpress.com/jat/article/51/3/252/112717/Physiologic-and-Perceptual-Responses-to-Cold
Effect of heat stress on vascular outcomes in humans
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6459390
