The skin is an organ and just like every other organ in the body, it needs to be taken care of, eating right and wearing sun protection are two good ways to take care of your skin.

But, did you know sweating is good for you too?

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According to Dr. Mercola, There are many health benefits associated with sweating:

Sweating helps to maintain a proper temperature and keeps one from overheating.
Sweating helps to expel toxins.
The body temperature needed to sweat contributes to killing viruses and bacteria that cannot survive at a temperature higher than 98.6 degrees.
Sweating cleans out skin pores and reduces acne and blackheads.
Sweating improves blood circulation.
Sweating promotes relaxation and helps to relieve stress.

One way to get the health benefits of sweating is with sauna use. “Men who used the sauna (Finnish-style, dry heat sauna) seven times per week cut their risk of death from fatal heart problems in half. Compared to those who only used it once each week.”
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Also, constant sauna use helps skin to detox the rest of your body.

“The use of sweating as a form of detoxification is downplayed by modern medicine, yet it has been valued as a form of cleansing since ancient times. Traditional examples include Roman baths, Aboriginal sweat lodges, Scandinavian saunas, and Turkish baths. According to a systematic review published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health, an array of toxins are excreted in sweat, including arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, flame retardant chemicals, and bisphenol-A (BPA).” (Dr. Mercola)

Different Types of Saunas

Traditional Wet Finnish Sauna

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The traditional wet Finnish Sauna employs the use of hot stones heated by a wood fire or electricity. This stove heats you up from the outside in, this is also a good sauna to use to help improve respiratory health because of the steam it creates. You can also add an essential oil for optimal health benefits.

Dry Finnish Sauna

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These saunas are heated up on the inside like a giant oven. This sauna also heats you up from the outside in just like a wet sauna.

Infrared Sauna

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Infrared saunas will actually heat you up from the inside out (only up to a few inches). These are the best saunas for treating infections, killing bacteria and viruses, and to help with detoxification.

High EMF Saunas

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Some electrical saunas commonly used today can produce a high electromagnetic field (EMF). “This is a problem because we’re fundamentally electrical beings; the cells in your body communicate with each other electrically, and if you’re exposed to an external electrical field, it could interfere with their communication and wreak havoc on your system.” (Dr. Mercola) It is important to test any electrical sauna you use for high EMFs. You can easily check for high EMF with an inexpensive electrical meter.