Steam baths and steam showers are purchased by homeowners predominantly because of luxurious designs, the stress-free relaxation time afforded to those who use them, and for the assistance in boosting a property’s value.

Steam baths also produce dozens of benefits, some you may not necessarily be aware of and others less publicized. For the people who take a steam bath regularly, they regularly find themselves in better health, with more mental wellness, glowing skin, and feeling more relaxed. Some of the most well-known benefits of steam baths are helping a person breathe better, improved circulation, rejuvenated skin, and more. These aside, here are some surprising steam bath benefits you may not think of when you take a session.

Steam baths reduce acne

Acne’s a problematic skin condition to treat. Most doctors will recommend oral medications. Plenty of products exist on shelves in retail that claim to help. One of the safer, chemical-free treatments for acne is a steam bath. Steam offers a gentler approach to acne, opening up pores which can help to wash away pimple-causing oils. A steam bath also improves circulation, bringing oxygen and nutrients to the skin’s surface. Even if you don’t have acne, as a skin treatment, everyone walks away from a steam bath looking and feeling better about themselves.

“Can a sauna kill cancer?” Infrared heat, encapsulated in an infrared sauna, shows a lot of promise that it could be used as a preventative to cancer and to help in treating certain symptoms of cancer.

Infrared saunas were developed as a more efficient version of a traditional sauna, boasting stronger health benefits. The detoxification and the initiating of the body’s natural healing response to heat has been shown clinically to produce many interesting benefits. Our bodies process heavy metals and come into exposure with chemicals every day that are absorbed throughout our circulatory systems and tissue. A sauna’s a way to pull out the bad stuff from our bodies, helping create healthier, more relaxed human beings. But what about cancer – well, infrared saunas and cancer do have a connection.

Why cancer’s such a big problem

Every year, there are roughly 1.9 million new cases of cancer diagnosed in North America. Approximately 700,000 people will pass away from cancer next year. Though treatments are improving and research is in full force towards finding a cure, cancer rates continue to grow. Chances are, if you haven’t been diagnosed yourself, you know a friend or family member who has experienced this issue.

Back pain affects so many of us. Be it from genetics or a chronic condition, something environmental, a temporary tweak from lifting something, or a stiff back from work, back pain’s one of the most common pain symptoms in the world.

There are many pharmaceutical medications given for back pain, all with health risks. There are tips on how to reduce or avoid back pain but they don’t always work. For some, back pain is unavoidable after a day’s work. For others, it can become chronic, slowly affecting one’s functioning and quality of life.

An infrared sauna reduces and treats back pain at the source, with no side effects and without posing significant health risks. Infrared sauna isn’t just about heat, either. A sauna’s about circulation, targeted heat deep into the tissue, and bringing oxygen-rich blood to the areas of your body that need it. You’re kicking the body’s natural pain-killing response into high gear, simultaneously as your healing speeds up as well.

What is the cause of your back pain?

Approximately 80 percent of adults experience back pain at some point in their lifetime. If you can deduce what the cause of it is, if there’s a way to modify your behaviour or avoid what’s caused you such discomfort, of course you’ll want to do it. Unfortunately, this isn’t possible for everyone.

A hot tub or a sauna, which is better – an interesting question, we admit. There are advantages to both, each built from a similar philosophy of using heat as a means of relaxing, de-stressing, healing, and inspiring positive health benefits.

A hot tub may seem sexy, indulging, and like you deserve it. And heck, you do! That said, a hot tub costs a lot to operate, can be difficult to install and maintain, and it’s a major purchase. Comparatively, a sauna – especially an infrared sauna – can be a lot more attractive. Here’s a breakdown on saunas and hot tubs.

What’s it like in a hot tub?

A hot tub can be a very social experience, arguably more than a public sauna. A hot tub’s particularly seductive when it’s very cold out. It can be like sinking into a hot bath. The water’s swirling hot can be addictive and it can be exciting to step into what’s essentially a heated pool during the coldest months of winter.

Owning a sauna or steam shower at home, not a whole lot of maintenance is required. Unfortunately, for some, they find themselves with a problem in smell or appearance such as in mildew or mold. How to get rid of mold, mildew, or bad odors from a steam sauna done right prevents it from returning. Although you may see a bad smell or appearance of mold to be embarrassing, recognize that in some homes, it happens. Albeit rare, if or when it does occur, a timely response is best. Here are some ideas on where to start in tackling ugly sauna smells.

Can a sauna actually grow mold?

Yes, a sauna can grow mold – just like any bathroom or shower can. Bacteria and mold love breeding in environments like a sauna. Any place with heat and moisture provides optimum conditions for mold. If it’s not properly cleaned, mold in a sauna will grow and eventually it can cause permanent damage. The quicker you notice that there’s mold and the faster you respond, the better. Ideally, you will also want to see if there’s a leak or anything out of your control influencing the appearance of mold or bad smells.

The health consequences of bad smells and mold

You aren’t using a sauna to become an unhealthier person. Quite the opposite. Mold in large amounts is dangerous to our health and the consequences can be severe, particularly in homeowners prone to health complications. Mold can cause skin irritation, eye irritation, coughing, nasal congestion, throat irritation, a compromised immune system, and even lung infections. In case you didn’t already have enough of a reason to wash away and clean mold in a steam sauna or steam shower, the risk to your health is another.

All over the world, saunas are used for the many health benefits they bring. They’re not just about relaxing in the comfort of a heated room. When you walk out of a sauna, you can feel like a whole new person – energized and ready to tackle the rest of your day or night.

Twenty minutes in a sauna 4-7 days a week is all a person needs to reap hefty health benefits. The joy of a sauna is you’ve just got to sit and allow the heat to penetrate. To get those benefits though, just like with exercise and diet, you’ve got to follow through and not self-sabotage. From preparing yourself before you go in to what you do afterwards, here is how you get the most from your sauna experience and intensify the positives you receive.

Drink lots of water before

Before you enter a sauna, you want to have made sure you consumed 8-16 ounces of water. What you’re doing by drinking water is equipping your body for a therapeutic sweat. As the infrared sauna heat draws out sweat, with it comes a mix of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. In a twenty-minute sauna session, you can lose up to half a litre in water and sometimes more. When you aren’t hydrated well enough, your body isn’t going to be able to get out those toxins at the same rate and you run at an increased risk of dehydration.

Browsing all these Black Friday deals, Cyber Monday deals, December holiday sales, and Christmas gift buying guides that seem to drop this time of year, have you ever thought about a home sauna for you and your family?

A home sauna’s one of the best gifts you can give a person for the holidays. Unlike giving them something which is only going to last a little while or which they’ll use and then forget about, a sauna comes with a little more responsibility and impact. The commitment to a sauna doesn’t need to be more than twenty minutes a week and it comes with major health benefits! Here’s every major reason we can give for buying a sauna as a holiday gift for yourself, your parents, or someone in need.

Who is a sauna for?

A sauna is for anyone who likes going to the gym or fitness, anyone with a chronic health condition, or anyone who wants to have their own little spa at home. In all honesty, everyone deserves their own sauna in their home that they can use whenever they want. Having a rough day? Overstressed? Just want a few minutes to yourself to decompress? A sauna does all these things.

Once you’ve made the choice that you want to buy a sauna, the next step is selecting which type. There are 4 main types of saunas available in North America, with dozens of features and customizations one can add in. The right sauna for you will depend on budget, what sort of experience you’re looking to receive from it, and where you intend to install it.

Traditional saunas

A traditional sauna maintains some of the highest heat of any sauna. Traditional dry saunas use temperatures sometimes as high as 195 degrees Fahrenheit. This can be very overwhelming to someone who is sensitive to heat which is why this isn’t a preferred sauna type. A traditional sauna’s also going to take more power to run, usually up to 6 kilowatts in comparison with an infrared model which only uses roughly 1.6 kilowatts.

A traditional sauna creates benefits from heating the air, through a stove. As the temperature of the air increases, so does the body. This initiates a cooling process responses that moves more circulation to the surface of the skin and which also opens pores to facilitate sweating. Although extremely popular years ago, traditional saunas no longer receive the same attention from business managers or homeowners due to their operating requirements predominantly.

You may have noticed recently the trend of hot yoga and combining fitness with sauna-level temperatures. The impact that heat has on the body can be severe, especially for a body that isn’t used to such high level of exposure. Alternatively, even with someone who is in pristine conditioning, they can run into trouble trying to complete a workout under strenuous sauna heat.

If you’re concerned about doing yoga, tai chi, endurance exercises, or strength exercises in extremely hot conditions, we want to highlight what the risks are, what the science says about fitness activity inside a sauna, and what the ideal approach is between your sauna and whichever workout you prefer.

Using hot yoga as an inspiration

The best example of combining heat with fitness is in hot yoga. All that ‘hot yoga’ is is regular everyday yoga performed in hot, humid conditions. The exact temperature a hot yoga class is ranges from 90 degrees to 108 degrees Fahrenheit. Please note that these temperatures come below what you’ll find in any infrared sauna, dry sauna, traditional sauna, or steam room.

All of us have thoughts and preferences on our home and lifestyle, and the decisions we make that define these things. For some, they may look at their home and not have any space for a sauna. Or, they may think they wouldn’t get any benefit from a sauna installed inside their bathroom or elsewhere on their property. While you can certainly opt for not having a sauna, investing in a sauna is worth it for the health benefits.

Location

The first objection a lot of us have to buying a sauna is the question, where are we going to put it? The answer may not be so obvious. If it’s an infrared sauna, you don’t need a water source meaning it doesn’t require a bathroom installation like a steam room or traditional sauna. Therefore, you can set it up in your garage, in a guest room, in your bedroom, or even build it outside in a separate room altogether. It’s up to you where you want to put your sauna. Surely, somewhere in the house there’s space!

Luxury

Before we get into the health benefits, is it worth it to invest in a sauna – if you’re into luxury, absolutely. Saunas have been used for hundreds of years, used to heal and restore the body. Sauna designs are more luxurious than ever, allowing you to choose materials and features to customize your experience the way you want it. Imagine having your own spa at home – that’s exactly what it’s like with a sauna.

Fight-or-flight is something you may have heard of spoken about as a natural physiological response to an event. For example, if someone’s experiencing a traumatic event, is being attacked, or there’s a threat to their survival, in that moment they are sent into a state of hyperarousal or an ‘acute stress response’. It’s believed to originate in the nervous system as a beginning to whether someone will stay and fight or flee. This sort of response occurs in human beings and animals in nature frequently.

Now imagine if you were stuck in this constant state of fight-or-flight. That’s a lot of stress to put across the body. A number of hormones are secreted in higher than average amounts such as norepinephrine and epinephrine. There’s also an effect on a person’s estrogen, testosterone, cortisol, neurotransmitters like dopamine and serotonin, and how the body adapts to stress. Anxiety can develop from fight-or-flight, muscle tension, and some doctors even suspect some chronic conditions could be linked to it.

Emotional wellness impacts your life, everything from your social status to physical health. Emotionally, when we aren’t well, we can’t navigate life in a confident, level-headed manner. Carrying out everyday activities can become a challenge.

If you want to strengthen your emotional wellness and mental health, a sauna’s a great opportunity to do just that. It’s hardly a cure-all however a sauna increases circulation, relaxes muscles, eases stress, and does a lot more. In helping foster more positive emotional wellness, we’ve put together a short list of some emotional wellness and mental health tips we think are worth following.

What is mental health?

Mental health refers to cognitive thinking and harnessing one’s attention to stay focused. Cognitive thinking such as processing information, memory making, and understanding new information is all involved with mental health. Under the subject of mental health, there’s the emotional, psychological, and social well-being.

Wood in a bathroom, sauna, steam room, or steam shower is not something oftentimes chosen traditionally in North American design. We like to opt for more luxurious materials, without maintenance or risk.

In the past few years, things have changed. The presence of wood in sauna design is popular, sometimes making up as much as 90 percent of the material used. Wall, floor, ceilings, and accessories. Saunas normally with a wood theme have been depicted as rustic or country-themed however they go above an antique appearance and have crossed over into communicating a relaxing minimalism-inspired spa environment.

The wood aesthetic

Before we delve into how you can use wood in a sauna and why sauna owners choose wood, aesthetically speaking, wood can be equipped to resemble almost any atmosphere in design. What we mean is that it can be luxurious and high-class, or can be old-style classic, or can resemble something akin to being surrounded in a calming forest. Wood’s been given a very modern edge in the way it’s used today alongside other trends and design options.

Skin is an important part of the body and its appearance says a lot about overall health. Susceptible to damage as we age and external forces such as weather or injury, our skin is at risk every day. It may not seem so but this is the case. The more exposure we have and the less protection we give, the more signs of aging you will have.

Using a sauna, it’s like taking your skin body-wide down into a moisturizer. A sauna should be a part of every person’s healthcare routine. It not only protects the skin and treats the skin but it prevents and tackles signs of aging. In weeks, you can actually come out looking younger than when you started. Here are the top 20 anti-aging sauna benefits you can use for amazing skin.

Helps with sleep

Do you want to really get some anti-aging done? Put on high-effective skin products and get a full night’s rest. A sauna helps with insomnia and sleep issues, allowing your body to rest and reset and giving you time to fully absorb the moisturizers and other products you put on.

‘The best temperature’. Ah, yes. Something that we all chase after in a steam shower or our saunas.

For each person, the temperature they prefer may be a little different but statistically speaking, there are scientifically defined temperature ranges considered to be the safest and which produce the most benefit.

Unless your steam shower, steam room, or infrared sauna is at a gym or hotel, where you have pretty much no control over the temperature, you hopefully have some way in how hot it gets. Before you go to your temperature dial to set up the climate you want inside, here are a few handy tips on how to achieve the best experience with the most health benefits and as not to waste your time inside.

How long you should stay in a steam shower for

The optimal length of time to stay in a steam shower, steam room, or infrared sauna for is 20 minutes. This does not change according to temperature or heat therapy room. Almost every study analyzing these rooms and their benefits suggests to stay in for 15-20 minutes. That said, experienced users can stay for as long as they wish or first-time sauna goers can jump in for 10 minutes or less. It’s all according to how you feel and what you’re looking to achieve. Do remember there are limits to staying in a steam shower or sauna and to approach it with the highest priority.

If you suffer from acute bronchitis, the average family physician in Canada, walk-in doctor, or specialist will recommend any natural treatments or over-the-counter medications to treat coughing, fever, or pain. These pharmaceuticals come at a risk however.

What may work just as well can be time spent in a steam room or sauna. In clearing a cough, calming the body, and providing relief in so many ways, a sauna can outperform many medications such as NSAIDs or acetaminophen. Here’s a little more in how a sauna affects bronchitis.

What is bronchitis?

Bronchitis is the inflammation of the lung’s airways which most often presents in symptoms like coughing, wheezing, a shortness of breath, and in extreme cases, chest pain. In acute cases, bronchitis can last up to 3 weeks and is usually referred to as simply a chest cold. Yearly, up to 5 percent of adults are affected. Common treatments for bronchitis are usually rest and sleep, acetaminophen, and NSAIDs to control fever.

The benefits of using infrared saunas are well understood but what many buyers don’t often consider is how to increase the effects of a sauna or how to elevate the experience. For as amazing a sauna is, there are certain features one can incorporate to further emphasize the reduction in physical or mental symptoms you’re looking to tackle. It stands to reason among cheap ways to do this is through an incorporation of essential oils.

Essential oils and aromatherapy have been used in every culture and time in human history. A plethora of options exist, each oil with its unique benefits or advantages. For example, you wouldn’t want to take the same essential oil for focus and concentration as you would for insomnia. It also stands to reason that adding oils to a sauna or steam room setting is probably different from the experience of applying them direct on your skin or using a diffuser. What are the best essential oils for infrared sauna aromatherapy – here’s our list, as recommended by the experts.

Tea tree

Tea tree’s at the top of our list because it’s an unknown must-have you’ll absolutely want to maintain in your essential oil collection. Tea tree is the best essential oil for fighting infections, acclaimed for its immune system boosting properties. As an antiseptic, it can also help when you’re feeling sick with the flu. Like other essential oils on this list, ensure tea tree is thoroughly diluted prior to use.

Rosehip

Rosehip is an anti-aging essential oil that really zeroes in on treating the skin. Some of rosehip essential oil’s most well-known benefits include it being a hydrate, moisturizer, helping with exfoliation, brightening the skin, boosting collagen formation, reducing skin inflammation, protecting against sun damage, and reducing hyperpigmentation.

The spa’s a luxury. It’s relaxation, a de-compressor, and a sanctuary away from day-to-day. It’s not one that’s feasibly affordable for any every day of the week. Installing an infrared sauna, traditional sauna, or steam room at home however, you can have a spa day whenever you so desire! For an ultimate full-day of relaxation and self-care, here’s how to create a spa day for yourself built around your sauna and all the delights you love.

Set aside the time

You can’t have a spa day if you don’t make the effort to actually give yourself the time and opportunity to. Clear your schedule – for literally the whole day. Things might take longer than expected. You don’t want to be rushing or stressing about having to pick up the kids from somewhere or having to make a business meeting. Nothing urgent should be included on your spa day. No errands. No commitments. The ultimate spa day in a sauna is waiting for you.

Get a good night’s rest

You don’t want to miss a part of your spa day by going to bed too late or being far too tired to enjoy it. Give yourself a good amount of time the day before to sleep. If anything, spa day does not actually start on the day itself but the night before. Go to bed at a reasonable time and devour as much sleep as you possibly can.

Reduce stress. Attain healthy, vibrant-looking skin. Treat symptoms of respiratory illnesses, and congestion related to cold and flu. Accomplish all these things when you use a steam shower. Health advantages of a steam shower make up a long list. They’re a great addition to any homeowner’s primary bathroom, contributing to an increase in property value as well.

To get the most out of your steam shower, from a health perspective, there’s a clear right way and wrong way to use it. In the same way, to protect your property and steam shower from damage, there are also certain safety measures which must be taken. As long as you follow recommendations and are aware of the possible risks, a steam shower’s a wonderful investment that’s easy to maintain.

Why you don’t want to stay in a steam shower for a long time

The biggest risk to you and your body is staying in a steam shower longer than you need to. Specifically if you are someone with high blood pressure, the risk is even greater. You only need 20 minutes – not any longer. When you remain inside for a long time, you start to get hypertension. Even a person with normal blood pressure is at risk.

You will end up essentially suffocating your body’s systems with moisture, warmth, and steam. Overheating the body crosses the line between benefits to detriments. Your core body temperature rises, the electricity you’re using will be wasted, and you will end up paying more in utility bills than you need to.

Infrared saunas and steam rooms do some absolutely magical things to the body. Systems strengthen. The heart works better, circulation flows more freely, and even breathing’s easier. Weight loss is attributed to some in their sauna journey but not necessarily all. Burning calories happens in a sauna but how much weight can you lose from it?

There’s a lot that plays into losing weight, with things like nutrition, pre-existing health, and fitness habits all having influence. For the purposes of this article, we are strictly focusing on the calorie burning that happens in a sauna. Even if someone burns a ton of calories on a weekly basis, if they’re still eating poorly or have pre-existing health challenges, weight loss might not come like expected.

Do saunas burn calories?

Yes, saunas and steam rooms burn calories which can help you lose weight! These heated environments not only relax the body but stimulate metabolism, blood flow, the heart, and cardiovascular systems.

Online, there are claims that saunas can help you lose weight. They certainly can but that does not mean it is easy. Whether you deny the benefits of a sauna or steam room, or worship time spent inside one of these rooms, the research is concrete in stating you do burn calories.