Some like it hot and dry! Or perhaps warm and humid? If you’ve ever visited a public wellness center, you may have wondered which bathing experience is best for relaxing. Do we recover better in a sauna, or is the moist heat of a steam bath preferable? What are the differences between a sauna and a steam bath? Can they even be compared?
In the following article, we get to the bottom of these questions and describe the key differences that distinguish a sauna from a steam bath.
Key differences between a sauna and a steam bath
First, both the sauna and the steam bath help promote physical and mental relaxation, lift your mood, and improve your body’s performance. Both bathing experiences also have a positive effect on the cardiovascular system.
And yet, they are two completely different ways to recharge:
Temperature and humidity
There are clear differences in temperature and humidity.
The Finnish sauna has high to very high temperatures, while the humidity is low. In a steam bath, it’s exactly the opposite. Low temperatures and high humidity cause our body to open all its pores. However, because the temperature is low, there is no hot-to-cold contrast, so steam baths don’t provide the positive effect of vascular training that our bodies benefit from when we use a sauna and then cool down. The steam bath makes up for this with soothing steam that is good for our airways and pampers our skin.
Materials
These significant differences in heat and humidity determine the different materials used in saunas and steam baths.
If a steam bath were lined with wood, we would have to sit on soaking-wet benches, and the wood would become moldy in no time. Steam baths are therefore tiled, allowing the large amount of moisture to drain away freely.
A sauna’s interior lining should consist mostly of wood, as wood has low thermal conductivity. Wood also has hygroscopic properties that create a pleasant indoor climate. The wooden walls absorb heat and moisture to a certain extent, releasing into the room anything they cannot store.
Use
In the sauna, you lie or sit naked on a sauna towel, which protects the sauna bench from sweat and means you don’t have to sit directly on the hot bench. Take off your bathing sandals before entering the sauna.
Because of the high humidity, steam baths have a higher potential risk of germs, and therefore a greater risk of infection from illnesses, fungi, and similar. For this reason, you don’t sit on your towel in a steam bath, especially since it would become soaked in no time. Most steam baths have Kneipp hoses that you can use to rinse and clean your seat before sitting down. If that doesn’t feel clean enough, you can bring your own small guest towel. Public wellness centers offer special seat pads that you can return or dispose of afterward. For hygiene reasons, it’s advisable to keep your bathing sandals on in the steam bath. Otherwise, the steam bath is also a clothing-free zone.
Sauna ‒ hot relaxation
Finnish sauna
The traditional Finnish sauna helps us relax at high temperatures and low humidity. The dry air makes the intense heat bearable. Finnish saunas are kept at 80-95°C, with humidity levels of 5-10 %.
The cycle of heat, cooling down, and relaxation trains our blood vessels and strengthens our immune defenses. A sauna session usually lasts between 8 and 15 minutes, and 2-3 sessions are ideal.
Sauna infusion ‒ an intense burst of moist heat
Pouring water over the sauna heater stones briefly increases the humidity in the sauna and intensifies the heat. Hot air moves from top to bottom, creating an extra heat stimulus on our skin. Essential oils in the form of infusion concentrates added to the water provide an extra touch of relaxation.
When performing a sauna infusion, don’t pour the water from the ladle over the stones too quickly, so it can evaporate completely and deliver the full effect.
Bio sauna ̶ a feel-good atmosphere with warmth and steam
The bio sauna is just the right alternative for many people who find the Finnish sauna too hot. It’s not too hot, but the added humidity helps you work up a good sweat. The temperature in a bio sauna can be set from 45 °C to 65 °C, and the humidity from 30 % to 50 %, using the special bio-sauna controls.
For a pleasant fragrance, herbs can be placed in a container of diluted water above the sauna heater and left to release their aroma. The most effective way to naturally scent the sauna with herbs is with a special bio-sauna vaporizer heater, where the herbs are spread over a sieve and gently steamed.
Because of the lower temperatures, you can sweat a little longer in a bio sauna than in a Finnish sauna. The ideal duration is 15 to 30 minutes, depending on how you feel.
Steam bath ‒ gentle warmth with plenty of humidity
In a steam bath, water vapor is combined with gentle warmth, making it a little easier on the heart and circulation. The temperature is around 45°C, with a warm atmosphere and 80-100 % humidity. Adding essential oils in the form of steam bath emulsions provides an additional benefit. Not only do their aromatic scents delight you when inhaled, but depending on the blend, they can also have a particular effect on the body.
Since the body hardly needs to produce sweat to cool itself in the high humidity, a steam bath is less taxing on the body. Skin temperature also rises less quickly in a steam bath than in a sauna. As with a sauna session, a steam bath should not last longer than 15 minutes.
After the body has warmed up in the steam, there is a cooling and resting phase during which you can relax.
Constantly high humidity triggers a number of positive processes in the body. Above all, a steam bath relaxes the muscles and has a pleasant cleansing effect. The warm, humid climate of a steam bath is especially beneficial for our skin. As the body heats up, the pores open, cleansing the skin and supplying it with oxygen. Anyone with respiratory problems can benefit from the moist mist in a steam bath, as it optimally moisturizes the mucous membranes.
Conclusion
Whether you choose a hot sauna or a mild steam bath depends primarily on your needs and personal preferences. Some people need high temperatures, while others prefer the warm, humid air of a steam bath to breathe deeply and relax. The point is: simply try out which bathing experience feels good and listen to your body.