Is sweating good for skin? Find out what a dermatologist says

We often hear people telling us to sweat it out in a gym. It means working out hard to stay fit, but you can enjoy the health benefits of sweating without going to the gym! The thing about sweating is that it will happen whether you like it or not. When the temperature goes up, you will sweat a lot. You might fear that if you sweat more, you will get dehydrated. But you don’t have to think all things bad about sweating. It is believed that sweating is good to clear skin. Read on to find out what a dermatologist has to say about it.

To get to know about the skin benefits of sweating, Health Shots connected with Dr Rashmi Sharma, Senior Consultant Dermatologist, Fortis Hospital, Vasant Kunj, Delhi.

Why do we sweat more in summer?

You might have noticed that summer is the time when we sweat a lot. That’s if we aren’t sitting a room with an air conditioner on. Turns out, our internal body temperature is within a narrow range of temperatures between 91.76 and 100.76 degrees Fahrenheit. Dr Sharma says that on exposure to high external temperatures, our body has to work in order to cool itself down and keep its internal temperature within a safe range. The mode by which our body does this is sweating. The body’s ability to regulate its internal core temperature is called thermoregulation and that process is what initiates sweating.

Sweating is good for skin

You might try out different home remedies or face wash to get rid of sweat. But it’s not all that bad! According to Dr Sharma, sweat is important to maintain the body temperature. Sweating can make you feel sticky, but it also makes your skin feel fresh. Fitness enthusiasts must have noticed that after an intense workout, they sweat a lot. But there’s also glowing skin behind all that sweat. Sweating is great for skin for the following reasons.

• Improves blood circulation.
• Removes toxins.
• Gives a glow to the skin.
• Kills the harmful bacteria as there is presence of dermcidin in the sweat which has an antibacterial property.
• It minimizes the growth of harmful bacteria and prevents acne breakouts.
• It acts as a natural exfoliant.
• It removes salt and water and prevents build-up of dirt, grime and make-up.
• It brings natural hydration to the skin and acts as a natural moisturiser.

How much sweating is good for you?

While there is a wide range on how much people can sweat, it depends on many factors such as environment, medications, health conditions or a lack of certain vitamins in your diet.  However, on an average, a person can sweat 0.5 to 2 litres an hour during physical activity, shares the expert. It’s true that sweating helps to get rid of the toxins in your body that can harm you. It is essential as if these toxins are not released in the form of sweat, they can damage your skin. That includes you ending up with acne and blocked pores. But you should know that excessive sweating can cause dehydration and increased risk of infections.

There can be secondary bacterial and fungal infections on the skin leading to multiple skin-related issues. It can affect your social, emotional and psychological health too. Increased sweating can even lead to dryness of the skin. As they say, too much of anything is bad.