What’s the difference between a steam room and sauna? What are the pros/cons of each one?
Rochelle J. emailed us at expert@sweetspot.ca, and Shizen Spa Director Laurence Ruptus answered:
Steam rooms and saunas are both hot baths. A sauna uses dry heat and a steam room uses moist heat. Saunas have very low humidity, which means they can be much hotter than steam rooms. They're usually between 80°C and 100°C, whereas a steam room stays at about 40°C.
Both
saunas and steam rooms have therapeutic benefits:
- Cleansing and rejuvenating the skin
- Easing muscle tension
- Promoting relaxation and well-being
- Enhancing detoxification processes
- Improving blood circulation
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Steam Rooms |
Saunas |
| Pros |
Regular use can help keep your skin smooth, soft and glowing (we all love that!) The heat produced in a steam room can provide temporary relief for muscle and joint pain. Additionally steam has been used as an aid to ease congestion and provide relief for respiratory ailments. |
The increase in body temperature in a sauna causes reactions in your body that are identical to its defense against bacteria and infection, tricking your body into boosting your immune system. As your body increases sweat production to keep cool, your heart has to work harder. This actually provides many of the conditioning benefits of aerobic exercise (that's right, the benefits of a cardio workout while lounging in a sauna!).
|
| Cons |
A steam can be a breeding ground for germs and bacteria due to the warm, moist conditions. If the steam room is properly cleaned and disinfected this should not be too much of a worry.
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If you are a sufferer of itchy skin, the dry heat of a sauna can exacerbate the problem. |
Laurence Roptus recently joined Shizen Spa and is now the Spa Director for the Pantages Hotel Toronto Centre and Cosmopolitan Toronto. She started her career 20 years ago as an esthetician/make up artist in Paris. After 5 years with Yves Rocher she decided to start her own company.
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