HOW DO A STEAM ROOM AND SAUNA DIFFER?
A steam room has a very high humidity, often as high as 100 per cent with a temperature of around 45°C, whereas a sauna uses dry heat with a much higher temperature of up to 75°C. Both are effective at forcing your body to work up a sweat but some people find the dry heat of a sauna irritating to their sinuses. Far-infrared saunas are different again, using far-infrared radiation, which penetrates deeper into the skin for enhanced detoxification. While this may sound dangerous or like something from a sci-fi film, it is actually very safe, proved by their use in hospitals to warm newborn babies. HOW DO THEY WORK? Increased sweating stimulates the removal of toxins. A special type of sweat – known as ‘insensible sweat’ – collects toxins as it passes through your tissues as it works its way to the surface of your skin. These toxins include lactic acid, urea and heavy metals including copper, lead and mercury. The increased circulation that occurs as your skin heats up and your body opens
