What do cooking, saunas and hot yoga have in common?

These “high heat” activities could be causing your dark spots.

If you’re keeping up with a regular skincare routine, but are still seeing pesky spots on your skin, it could be because of the heat.

It’s getting hot in here…

To understand how heat affects our skin, we first have to understand how melanin works. Melanin is the pigment that gives our skin color, and is responsible for dark spots and tans that are caused by exposure to the sun or UV rays. It is also responsible for the darker appearance of skin when there’s scarring from a wound or acne, as it is our body’s natural response to inflammation.

Science has discovered that the higher your internal temperature, the more rapid the production of melanin.

High-heat activities like cooking, going to the sauna, or doing hot yoga all expose you to higher levels of heat, and have an effect on your overall body temperature. This may contribute to the development of dark spots or hyperpigmentation. Heat also opens up your pores and leaves your skin more receptive and sensitive to impurities and damage.

Do I have to give up these activities forever?

Before all your alarm bells go off, you should only worry if you’re spending copious amounts of time in extremely hot situations — which most of us don’t. Monitor your skin and body temperature.

To err on the side of caution, it’s always best to keep your skin as cool as possible. If you can’t avoid the heat, maintain your skin strength by staying on top of a thorough cleansing routine with products that include brightening ingredients like vitamin B3 and 12-HSA.