GabyHot baths and steam treatments can boost the immune system, help manage weight, and lower stress—useful benefits for many people right now. Steam baths may help with conditions such as sciatica, rheumatism, and chronic respiratory problems. However, they are not recommended for acute infectious illnesses, epilepsy, inflammation of internal organs, ischemic heart disease, or bronchial asthma.
Proper Gear
Don’t go to the sauna naked. Essential items include a large terry towel or a natural sheet, a steam-proof hat made of wool or felt, rubber sauna slippers, and sauna mitts. And don’t forget a broom—soft or hard, herbal or wooden, leafy or coniferous.
Oak brooms are the strongest. Oak is antiseptic and can help heal minor wounds, reduce sweating, and lower high blood pressure.
Birch brooms are recommended for bronchitis and muscle pain. Birch can help clear acne, unclog pores, and treat abscesses. A brew made by soaking a birch broom tones the skin, strengthens hair, and helps eliminate dandruff.
Rowan brooms combine strength and flexibility. Rowan is excellent for toning and has disinfecting properties: it can kill microbes and fungi.
Linden brooms have antipyretic properties and can help with colds when used in steam.
Eucalyptus brooms are useful for inhalations during bronchial inflammation, runny nose, and cough. The volatile substances in eucalyptus leaves form camphor acid and hydrogen peroxide in the steam, acting as a natural antiseptic. Eucalyptus can cleanse and brighten the skin, relieve headaches, and help with neuralgia, muscle inflammation, strains, and sciatica. Eucalyptus brooms are harvested from late summer, but their leaves gain healing power through November.
Coniferous brooms made from spruce, juniper, fir, cedar, or pine can help with lung issues and aid wound healing, while the essential oils they release strengthen the immune system and calm the nerves. However, coniferous brooms are not the best choice for sensitive skin and require longer soaking.
Herbal brooms are made from nettle, wormwood, chamomile, and other medicinal plants. Combine nettle with a birch broom, and add bird cherry and currants to birch and oak. You can add tansy, St. John’s wort, mint, fireweed, or rowan to an oak broom. Wormwood pairs well with mint, motherwort, oak, and birch.
Healing Essential Oils
Bring essential oils into the steam room: menthol, lavender, or fir. They can have positive effects on the nervous and immune systems, internal organs, and skin. Add essential oil to a container of hot water (10 drops per 2 liters of water, 20 drops per 3 liters, or 10 drops per 15 square meters), wipe down wooden shelves with this solution, and pour some over the stove.
Important Preparations
It’s better to go to the steam room after mental work rather than after hard physical labor. Rest before any physical exertion. Avoid going to the sauna on an empty stomach or immediately after a meal; wait a few hours after eating. Avoid alcohol before entering the sauna and don’t drink large amounts of liquid just beforehand. Remove metal jewelry to prevent burns.
Take It Step by Step
Before entering the steam room, take a shower and dry off with a towel. Lie on the towel instead of directly on the hot bench. Breathe through both your nose and mouth in the steam room to warm your bronchi and lungs. Don’t rush to use the broom right away; spend the first five minutes simply warming your body. Lightly brush the hot benches with the broom to make breathing easier. When you do use the broom, start from the top and work your way down, from shoulders to feet, alternating 10–15 strokes with a massage motion. To avoid burns and scratches, follow this rule: the higher the heat, the gentler the stroke. Take the broom out with you when you leave the steam room so it doesn’t dry out on the benches.
Traditional Steam Room
A traditional steam room is a humid, hot environment. Stay until the first signs of sweating, usually no longer than 10 minutes. After that, step into the hallway and dry off naturally. Then take a warm shower and return to the steam room. During the second session you can stay a bit longer, but do not stay until complete exhaustion. After the second session, drink warm water or herbal tea. In the third session, give yourself a broom massage, then rest in the hallway and take a shower. Stop immediately if you experience an irregular heartbeat, weakness, dizziness, or nausea.
Finnish Sauna
Dry heat is easier to tolerate than humid steam, so a Finnish sauna can feel simpler to endure than a steam room. Use a Finnish sauna no more than twice a week and limit sessions to no longer than 1.5 hours in total. The day before the sauna, reduce salt intake to 2–5 grams (salt retains fluid that should be released in the sauna). Avoid pickled foods and alcohol. Before the sauna, do 3–4 short sessions, alternating them with a long warm shower and calm rest. Avoid warming infusions such as linden tea before the session.
Infrared Sauna
Infrared therapy works by activating blood circulation without putting extra strain on the heart and blood vessels, rather than by inducing excessive sweating. In a half-hour session, you can burn up to 300 calories. Infrared saunas are not recommended during active inflammatory processes or while recovering from injuries.
Herbal Barrel
This “individual sauna” is made exclusively from cedar, which contains high levels of phytoncides that inhibit the growth of harmful microorganisms. The herbal barrel suits people who have difficulty tolerating traditional saunas. A heating element warms the water and produces steam that does not reach the head. The procedure is done while sitting: inside the barrel there is a bench with comfortable armrests. Sessions last 15 minutes. During this time the body expels about half a liter of fluid, and up to 600 grams of body weight can be lost. Do not shower after the herbal barrel; the active herbal substances that settle on the skin will continue to work for several hours. The cedar herbal barrel can improve blood circulation, reduce cellulite, and help restore skin health. This procedure is not recommended for people with arrhythmia, high blood pressure, a tendency to bleed, during pregnancy, or in the presence of active inflammatory processes.
Stay Hydrated
If your goal is weight loss, avoid drinking for two hours after thermal procedures. Quench thirst with cranberry juice, honey tea, rosehip infusion, or an herbal decoction. Drink warm beverages so your heated body cools gradually. Avoid alcohol in the sauna—do not add extra burdens your body may not handle. Enjoy your steam!
