For us, sauna is not a spa treat. It is simply what a week looks like where we are from, on the coast of Finland's Bothnian Sea. Saaren Taika is a small, family run Finnish skincare company, and the Bothnian Sea that inspired our bladderwrack skincare is right outside the door of our own sauna. We did not choose the sea and the sauna as separate ideas for a brand story. Where we live, they are the same place.
This guide is the sauna skincare ritual we actually follow at home: simple steps before, during and after heat that protect skin from dryness and irritation, whatever your skin type. It matters most if your skin is reactive, rosacea prone or easily irritated by warmth and moisture loss, but the same steps work for any skin that spends time in heat. Done well, sauna can leave your skin calm and clear. Done without any thought for before and after, it can leave skin dry, tight and flushed for hours.
Why We Build Skincare By The Sea
Our hero ingredient, wild bladderwrack, grows along the rocky shores near our own beach sauna, close enough that we can walk from the sauna to the harvest site in under a minute. We only collect what a storm has already loosened from the seabed. Nothing is farmed, nothing is forced. That limitation is deliberate: it keeps the raw material genuinely wild, and it is why we process it ourselves, in our own facility in Perniö, Finland, rather than buying in a commodity extract.
Bladderwrack has naturally occurring compounds with skin barrier and microbiome supporting properties, which is part of why it made sense to us as the base for a range built for skin that reacts easily. We do not claim that any finished product cures a skin condition. What we can tell you, plainly, is which of our products have been tested, and what those tests found. You will see that distinction throughout this article: an ingredient can have a property, but only a specific tested product can claim a specific result.
This same wild Baltic bladderwrack is at the heart of our exclusive Fucus DuoActive® and Fucus Fusion® actives, used across our Bladderwrack Super Serum, Redness Relief Serum and Bladderwrack and Cactus 24H Face Cream.
Is Sauna Good For Your Skin?
Sauna heat increases blood flow and softens the sebum and debris sitting in your pores, it does not physically enlarge them. Sweating then helps clear that debris, which is part of why many people find their skin looks fresher after sauna. At the same time, heat speeds up how quickly your skin loses water through its surface, faster than on a normal day. Neither effect is good or bad on its own. Whether sauna is good for your skin depends largely on what you do before and after.
We Swim In The Ice Too
Ice swimming is just as ordinary to us as the sauna itself. We are Finnish, and if any nation gets to claim the sauna, it is us. Hot löyly followed by a plunge into freezing water is a normal Tuesday here, and that constant swing between extremes is exactly why we know what skin needs to stay calm, protected and in balance, whatever the temperature does.
Before The Sauna: Start With Clean, Bare Skin
Cleanse before you go in, not after. Remove makeup and heavy sunscreen before sauna so sweat, sebum and product residue are not left sitting on warm skin. Skip thick creams or oils right before heat as well, since they can melt and get in the way of normal sweating. Clean, bare skin is the simplest way to start.
Salt Exfoliation Works Best On Warm Skin
Exfoliate once your skin is already warm. Heat softens dead skin cells, so they lift away with far less scrubbing than on cold, dry skin. If your skin is currently irritated, cracked or flaring, skip exfoliation altogether and focus on gentle cleansing and moisturising instead. Our Bladderwrack Salt Soap pairs sea salt with wild harvested bladderwrack for congested or rough body skin, made using what is left over once the active compounds for our Fucus DuoActive® and Fucus Fusion® actives have been drawn out for our serums and creams, so nothing about our bladderwrack goes to waste. For atopic or psoriasis prone skin, the gentler Veera Salt and Oat Soap uses sea salt with organic oat bran and green clay instead. Massage over damp, warm skin and rinse with lukewarm, not hot, water.
The Few Minutes After Sauna Matter Most
Right after sauna, skin is warm and may feel more receptive to lightweight hydrating products, while the heat and sweating can also leave it needing moisture. This is a good window to use well, rather than skipping it because you are in a hurry to cool down.
Start with the Rose Water Face Mist on slightly damp skin. It calms visible redness and lays down the first layer of hydration while your skin can still use it. Follow with a serum suited to what your skin actually needs.
For visible redness and uneven tone, the Bladderwrack Super Serum combines our Baltic bladderwrack based Fucus DuoActive® and Fucus Fusion® actives with a wider formula developed for visible redness, uneven tone and signs of ageing. In its own independent study under dermatological supervision, this exact serum reduced visible redness by 53% and pigmentation by 40% over 28 days, alongside measured improvements in the appearance of wrinkles, elasticity and moisture loss. These are results for this specific product, from its own study, not a general claim about bladderwrack as an ingredient.
If You Have Rosacea-Prone Or Reactive Skin
High heat can trigger a flare in skin that already flushes easily. That does not mean sauna is off the table. Shorter, cooler sessions, a cooling mist within reach, and paying attention to how your skin responds are a realistic way to still enjoy sauna without pushing a reactive barrier too far.
If your skin flushes easily, whether that is diagnosed rosacea or just skin that reacts fast, it calls for a serum built specifically for that pattern rather than a generic soothing product. The Redness Relief Serum combines the same Fucus DuoActive® and Fucus Fusion® actives with a formula developed for rosacea prone, couperose and reactive skin with a weakened skin barrier. In its own independent study under dermatological supervision, it reduced visible redness by 57% over 42 days, alongside a stronger feeling barrier and clearly less reported stinging, burning and tightness. Apply it after your skin has cooled, when the immediate heat induced flushing has settled.
To seal that hydration in, especially if your skin runs combination or oily underneath the redness, follow with the Bladderwrack and Cactus 24H Face Cream, made for combination, rosacea prone and sensitive skin.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is sauna good for your skin?
Sauna can feel beneficial for many people, but the effect depends on your skin and how it responds to heat. Sauna increases skin temperature and sweating, while prolonged heat can also increase moisture loss and visible flushing, which is why the steps before and after in this guide matter.
Can sauna dry out your skin?
It can, because heat speeds up how quickly skin loses water through its surface. Cleansing beforehand, avoiding heavy products going in, and applying a hydrating mist and serum in the minutes after sauna are the simplest ways to prevent this.
How often should you exfoliate before or during a sauna session?
Once or twice a week is enough for most people. If your skin is sensitive or reactive, start less often and watch how it responds before doing more.
Is sauna safe if I have rosacea-prone skin?
Many people with rosacea prone skin can still enjoy sauna in moderation, with shorter sessions and a way to cool down when needed.
Do I need to be Finnish to do this properly?
No. You need warm, clean skin, a few minutes right after heat exposure, and products chosen for what your skin actually does when it flushes or reacts. The ritual works the same whether your sauna is a traditional wood fired one on the coast, or a cabin at your local gym.
Explore Saaren Taika's Finnish sauna skincare ritual, developed and tested in our own lab on the coast where this all started.
