Before the sauna: shower, dry off, no cream
The house rules of most saunas start the same way: shower thoroughly and dry off well. The shower removes sweat, deodorant, make-up and the remains of skincare products. That towel-dried skin starts sweating sooner is a rule of thumb; as far as we know, nobody has measured it.
Three reasons are usually given for not applying cream before a round. None of them has been studied for the sauna:
- The film does not stay on your skin. Fats and waxes soften in the heat, mix with sweat and end up on the towel and the bench. That is why applying cream before a round is not welcome in many saunas.
- Sweating. Whether a film of cream hinders sweating has only been measured for sunscreens during exercise, with mixed results. In 20 people cycling in a warm environment, the local sweat rate was lower under a mineral sunscreen than without any cream (Aburto-Corona & Aragón-Vargas 2016). In a more recent trial with nine people, sunscreen did not change the sweat rate (Fisher et al. 2024).
- Scent. Essential oils smell stronger in the heat; in a shared cabin, not everyone appreciates that.
Remove make-up and sunscreen beforehand. How to do that with mineral sunscreen is explained in How do I wash off mineral sunscreen?
What heat and sweating do to the outer skin layer
There are few measurements of skin in the sauna. The best known comes from Jena in Germany: 41 healthy volunteers aged 20 to 49, one group with regular sauna sessions and one without. After two rounds of 15 minutes each at 80 °C, water loss through the skin and the skin's pH were raised. Both values came back down, faster in the sauna group; in that group, the outer skin layer was also more hydrated (Kowatzki et al. 2008).
The authors call their work exploratory; it does not allow any promise for your own skin. What can be said: a sauna session changes the skin surface temporarily, and it settles again. For the background, see The skin barrier explained simply and Occlusion and TEWL.
Two Finnish review articles state that the sauna itself does not dry out the skin (Hannuksela & Ellahham 2001); incorrect washing habits may do so (Hannuksela & Väänänen 1988). It therefore seems likely that someone who takes several hot showers on a sauna evening, uses a lot of soap and rubs hard with the towel washes off more of the skin's own oils than usual.
The routine at a glance
| When | What you do | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before the first round | shower, dry off well, no cream | usual house rule; a film ends up on the towel and the bench |
| Between rounds | rinse off with cool water and no soap, dry off, rest | You would have to wash cream off again before the next round. |
| After the last round | rinse off, pat dry, cool down, moisturise | A film of fat has its most pronounced effect on slightly damp skin. |
| In the evening | reapply on dry areas, hands, feet and lips | The product has the night ahead of it. |
The timings follow the usual house rules and experience. Only the third point is backed by a source (Sethi et al. 2016).
After the last round: rinse off, cool down, moisturise
- Rinse off. Cool or lukewarm, not hot. You only need soap where you would normally use it.
- Pat dry. Pat rather than rub; your skin may stay slightly damp.
- Cool down. Your body keeps sweating for a while. Wait until your skin feels cool; how long that takes differs from person to person.
- Moisturise. Oils, butters and waxes bring no water with them; they hold back what is in the outer skin layer. They have their most pronounced effect on slightly dampened skin (Sethi et al. 2016). If your skin is already dry, dampen it or apply the Aloe Vera Serum 99.6% first and put oil or butter on top; see Combining aloe vera serum with oil or solid cream.
An oil suits large areas, for example the Body Oil - Lemongrass with lemongrass essential oil. For dry areas such as shins, elbows and knees, a solid butter is richer, for instance the Solid Body Butter - Beeswax & Aloe Vera, which contains no essential oils according to its INCI list. More on this: Body Oil or Body Butter – Which One When? and Why are shins dry and flaky in winter?
Lips, hands and feet
- Lips: They have no sweat glands and hardly any oil glands; see Why do lips dry out so quickly? A thin layer of balm does not end up on the bench. Apply it before the round and again afterwards, for example the Lip Balm - Lemongrass with lemongrass essential oil.
- Hands: Apply cream after you have dried them for the last time, not in between; creamed hands leave marks on door handles and loungers. According to its INCI list, the Solid Hand Cream - Beeswax contains no essential oils.
- Feet: Dry between your toes. Foot cream such as the Solid Foot Cream – Rosemary & Sage, which contains essential oils, goes on only once you have left the wet area: creamed soles slip on wet tiles.
Solid creams belong in your bag, not in the cabin: beeswax melts at a little over 60 °C, and butters soften well before that. More in Storing solid cosmetics: heat, summer and winter.
When to seek medical advice?
Cosmetics care for the skin; they do not treat medical conditions. Talk to your doctor before using the sauna if you have a cardiovascular condition; a review article lists unstable angina pectoris, a recent myocardial infarction and severe aortic stenosis as contraindications and advises against alcohol while using the sauna (Hannuksela & Ellahham 2001). In atopic dermatitis, sweating may increase itching. See a doctor if your skin regularly develops hives after the sauna, itches severely, stays red or weeps. If your skin reacts to a skincare product with redness or burning, stop using it.
What customers say
A selection of verified reviews from our shop (collected via Judge.me), translated from German and partly shortened.
“Great product, which is why I have bought it several times. The serum is very good for the face and also for the body; I recommend it to everyone.”
Customer review of Aloe Vera Serum 99.6%, 5 out of 5 stars, December 2025, verified purchase
Frequently asked questions
Should I moisturise before the sauna?
No. You shower, dry off and go into the cabin without cream; in many saunas, applying cream beforehand is not welcome. A thin layer of lip balm is the usual exception.
How long should I wait to moisturise after the sauna?
Until you have stopped sweating and your skin feels cool. There is no fixed number of minutes. Apply while your skin is still slightly damp from rinsing off.
Does the sauna dry out the skin?
According to two review articles, it does not. In one measurement, water loss and pH were temporarily raised after two rounds. Skin is more likely to become dry from frequent hot showers with a lot of soap.
Is the solid body butter easier to apply after the sauna?
Usually yes: a solid butter melts faster on warm skin. In reviews, customers describe that it warms up with body heat. Whether it also absorbs faster then has not been studied.
What does the body butter smell of without essential oils?
Of its raw materials, mainly beeswax. Customers perceive this differently. More in Why does beeswax smell of honey, and why does the scent change?
At forpeople
- Solid Body Butter - Beeswax & Aloe Vera, 40 g, €9.90: water-free; cocoa butter, olive oil, beeswax, sunflower oil, shea butter, aloe vera extract.
- Body Oil - Lemongrass, 100 ml, €16.90: sesame, safflower, sea buckthorn seed and sunflower oil, turmeric extract, lemongrass essential oil.
- Aloe Vera Serum 99.6%, 250 ml, €24.90: contains water; aloe vera juice, citric acid, potassium sorbate, sodium benzoate.
- Lip Balm - Lemongrass, 5 g, €4.90: beeswax, plant oils, shea butter, aloe vera extract, lemongrass essential oil.
More on this: Dry skin after the pool: what does chlorinated water do? · Moisturise before or after climbing? · Dry skin in winter: what helps with cold and indoor heating
From the blog: Less in the bathroom: a skincare routine with three products · Face & Body Oils: Which Oil Suits Which Skin Type?
Sources
- Kowatzki D, Macholdt C, Krull K, Schmidt D, Deufel T, Elsner P, Fluhr JW (2008): Effect of regular sauna on epidermal barrier function and stratum corneum water-holding capacity in vivo in humans: a controlled study. Dermatology 217(2): 173–180. https://doi.org/10.1159/000137283
- Hannuksela ML, Ellahham S (2001): Benefits and risks of sauna bathing. Am J Med 110(2): 118–126. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0002-9343(00)00671-9
- Hannuksela M, Väänänen A (1988): The sauna, skin and skin diseases. Ann Clin Res 20(4): 276–278. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3218900/
- Aburto-Corona J, Aragón-Vargas L (2016): Sunscreen Use and Sweat Production in Men and Women. J Athl Train 51(9): 696–700. https://doi.org/10.4085/1062-6050-51.11.01
- Fisher KG, Cottle RM, Kenney WL, Wolf ST (2024): Sunscreen does not alter sweating responses or critical environmental limits in young adults (PSU HEAT project). J Appl Physiol 136(2): 322–329. https://doi.org/10.1152/japplphysiol.00756.2023
- Sethi A, Kaur T, Malhotra SK, Gambhir ML (2016): Moisturizers: The Slippery Road. Indian J Dermatol 61(3): 279–287. https://doi.org/10.4103/0019-5154.182427
