Get Steamed

By Karen Werner

The Benefits of Steam Therapy

The North American sweat lodge, the Turkish hammam, the African Sifutu, the Jewish Shvitz, all around the world, for thousands of years, people have used steam to promote well-being.

And why not? Steam promotes relaxation, relieves muscle tension, soothes congestion, and stimulates the lymphatic system. It increases blood circulation, boosts the metabolism, and helps the body detoxify itself. Vasodilation caused by high temperature allows important nutrients to come to the skin’s surface, improving its elasticity and appearance. Steaming eases bronchitis, allergies, and asthma, fights stress, and even promotes collagen production.

That’s why steam rooms are a mainstay of spas, and why experts recommend you arrive about thirty minutes before your appointment to steam. Sheryl McCormick, the spa director at The Phoenician Centre for Well-Being in Scottsdale, says it’s important to steam before a massage because the steam warms up the muscles, allowing the massage to penetrate deeper. “If you’re having a detoxifying treatment, like a scrub, wrap or facial, it’s also really good for opening your pores so your body can absorb the nutrients from the products being put on your skin” she says.

What’s more, there are real benefits to be had from steaming after a treatment. First, steaming speeds up the elimination of toxins that the massage puts into motion. “It’s almost like a detoxifying treatment after a massage” McCormick says. Steaming also helps get rid of lactic acid buildup, so you won’t be sore the next day.

Of course, there’s no reason to limit yourself to steaming at the spa. At home, one or two hours after a meal, shower off but don’t wet your hair. Drink a glass of tepid water and then enter your steam bath, sauna, or steam-filled bathroom.* You can increase the cleansing by massaging in a salt rub, such as La Natura’s Lemon Verveine Body Glow Sea Salt Rub, an amazing scrub infused with eleven botanical oils (www.lanatura.com). Or, put eucalyptus, spearmint, or pine oil in the room, which are good for respiration. After about 10 minutes, shower or bathe in cool water to close your pores, lower your body temperature, and stimulate circulation. As a treat for the complexion, you can massage in ice pieces that you’ve made in advance with juice, green tea, or milk. Finish off with another glass of water or, as the Finnish prescribe, a small glass of beer, which is thought to be highly relaxing.

Then say skol to a treatment with such wide-ranging health, beauty, and stress-relieving benefits.

*Pregnant women, children, senior citizens, and people with health conditions should consult a doctor before using a steam bath.