Traditional or Finnish sauna
A Traditional or Finnish sauna is a type of sauna that harnesses the power of dry heat. Unlike steam rooms, also known as wet saunas, moisture and steam are kept at low levels in a Finnish sauna. In fact, the humidity is typically kept around 5-20% and the temperature is set around 80-100ºCTraditional sauna provide a range of major health benefits, including skin care, muscle relaxation and detoxification.
How does a Finnish sauna work?
The Finnish sauna, have two basic elements: the structure and the heater.
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Structure: This type of sauna is made of wood. The spacious interior room is equipped with benches lining the sides at different heights. The entire interior is finished in wood and the heater used to heat the sauna is usually in the center. The floor is constructed of solid treated wood. The floor grill is made from thermo magnolia or thermo aspen wood.
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Heater: The heater raises the temperature in the sauna to a warm 70-100ºC. They warm up the stones that radiate the heat inside the sauna. These stones are the traditional way to heat this type of sauna.
Benefits of the Traditonal/Finnish or dry sauna
Beyond its cultural and social aspect, the Finnish sauna is a tool that has important benefits for physical and mental health.
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Detoxification
One of the main benefits of a Finnish or dry sauna is that it eliminates toxins, something the body does naturally when it sweats. The high temperatures of the Finnish sauna trigger a deep sweat, which eliminates a large amount of toxins to help purify the body.
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Improved immune function
By accelerating the body’s detoxification processes, a dry sauna helps boost several of the body’s systems, including the immune system.
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Muscle relaxation
The high temperatures inside the sauna combined with the cold-water baths afterwards help to relax muscles. This is true for anyone who uses a sauna, but it is particularly useful after a workout or training session.
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Skin care
High temps and sweating do more than just detoxify: they also help remove dead skin cells. This also helps with cellular renewal and skin care.
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Improved breathing
The high temperatures inside a Finnish sauna help to reduce congestion. The dry air opens the airways for easier clearing of any congestion in the respiratory tract.
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Reduces stress
Last but not least, another benefit of Finnish saunas that shouldn’t be overlooked is that they help to significantly reduce stress. The combined effects of both the detoxification and muscle relaxation as well as the dry sauna ritual itself help users de-stress.
How to use Finnish saunas: traditional tips
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The first step before even getting into the sauna is to rinse off in the bath or shower. Don’t forget that saunas are used for therapeutic, not hygienic, purposes. Which is why the inside of the sauna must be kept clean.
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Bring a towel: users place a folded towel on the bench before sitting down. This serves a dual purpose. The benches are hot, and sitting directly on them can be uncomfortable and even burn the user without the towel. On the other hand, it keeps the sauna clean for other users, since no one sits directly on the same surface if everyone uses a towel.
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That said, even though some people prefer using the Finnish sauna with wet skin, it’s better to dry off before you go in. This promotes sweating and the consequent elimination of toxins.
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Users stay in the sauna for an average of 15 minutes. However, the time varies from person to person: some can only handle 5 to 10 minutes of the dry heat, others 25 (which should be the maximum time spent in the sauna).
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It’s a good idea to cool down after leaving the Finnish sauna. Users can either take a dip in cold water, cool down in an ice room, or slip under an ice fountain provided by the spa or wellness center. Whatever the choice, it’s best to go slowly, starting with the feet and gradually moving upwards. Users can then go back inside the sauna and repeat the entire process again up to a maximum of two times.
What makes the Finnish sauna experience so unique and captivating?
Entering a Finnish sauna is like stepping into another world, a realm where the hustle and bustle of daily life fade away, replaced by the gentle embrace of warmth and the soothing crackle of burning wood.
The heat in a Finnish sauna typically ranges between 70 to 100 degrees Celsius (158 to 212 degrees Fahrenheit), a warmth that seeps into the skin, relaxing muscles and easing tension. Water is gently ladled onto a pile of heated stones, transforming into “löyly”, a soft steam that fills the room, increasing the humidity and intensifying the heat. After warming up, a traditional Finnish sauna experience often involves cooling down through a dip in a nearby lake or by rolling in the snow.
In Finland, there are a variety of saunas, each offering a distinctive experience. Public saunas, once the backbone of Finnish communities, are witnessing a revival, providing communal spaces for social interaction. Private saunas, found in most Finnish homes and summer cottages, offer a more personal, intimate sauna experience.
One of the defining features of the Finnish sauna is its simplicity. Unlike many modern spa-like saunas found in other countries, Finnish saunas typically shun opulence and excess. The design is simple and functional, often featuring wooden interiors and a stove topped with stones. This simplicity reflects the Finnish value of practicality and the belief in the sauna as a place for mental, physical and social cleanse, not luxury.
The concept of “löyly” is another element that sets the Finnish sauna apart. Löyly, a Finnish word with no direct translation in English, refers to the steam that’s generated when water is thrown onto the hot sauna stones. This steam is the life force of the Finnish sauna, altering the room’s humidity and heat, and creating the characteristic sauna sensation.
The Finnish sauna experience also involves a unique tradition of using “vihta” or “vasta”, a whisk made from fresh birch branches. Gently slapping the skin with the “vihta” in the warm sauna stimulates circulation and releases a fresh, earthy aroma that heightens the sauna experience.
