Key Takeaways:
- Steam has been used for centuries to relieve sinus congestion, colds and allergies.
- Detoxifying with heat can also help improve circulation, reduce stress levels and release muscle tension throughout your body.
- Regular use of a steam room can help your lungs expel more toxins than normal while you breathe in healthy oxygen-enriched air.
- Sweating removes impurities that are trapped in fat cells, such as heavy metals, free radicals and other environmental pollutants that have built up over time.
Detoxing is often attributed to fad diets and cleansing the body after indulging in excess over the festive period. However, the truth is that detoxification is actually essential to our health and maintaining physical well-being.
Steam has been used for detoxification since Ancient times, and it was often used by the Greeks and Romans to cleanse the body and mind. Steam helps to open the pores and dilate the blood vessels, ridding our bodies of the toxins that build up within them.
In this guide, we explore more about the detoxification process in a steam room so that you can learn more about how it works and the way in which it can benefit your body. That way, you can decide if the steam will be the right decision for you.
What is a Steam Room?
A steam room is an ENCLOSED space where moist heat creates a sauna-like atmosphere. It helps open the pores and RELAX muscles, which in turn can help flush out toxins from your BODY.
Pro Tip: An Infrared sauna or steam shower works in a slightly different way from a steam room. However, a sauna does provide dry heat like a steam room.
The warm air also helps to BOOST circulation and respiratory function, aiding in the detoxification process. Most steam rooms are made of cedarwood or teakwood that has been TREATED with special oils for LASTING durability and comfort.
Many steam rooms also FEATURE aromatherapy oils, chromotherapy lighting, music systems and more for a truly luxurious experience during your REGULAR steam room sessions.
How Does a Steam Room Affect Your Body's Detoxification Process?
Steam rooms have been used for detoxification since ancient times, and it's EASY to see why. The moist heat HELPS open the pores and dilate the blood vessels to flush out toxins from our bodies. This process is known as ‘detoxification’ and can BENEFIT physical and mental well-being.
Pro Tip: When using a steam room, your body temperature increases due to the combination of moist heat and humidity.
As your skin warms up, it CAUSES sweating, which helps excrete toxins through sweat glands on the surface of our skin - this includes heavy metals such as arsenic or lead that MAY enter our bodies through food or water CONSUMPTION over time.
Additionally, your breathing rate also INCREASES when exposed to hot environments like a steam room; this results in an increased oxygen intake which aids with getting RID of metabolic waste products from CELLS within our bodies via respiration - helping us attain overall better health.
Pro Tip: Steam rooms are natural ways to detox and avoid the use of potentially dangerous chemical irritants.
Furthermore, while INSIDE a steam room, your cardiovascular system gets stimulated due to increased heart rate; this further IMPROVES circulation throughout our body - allowing oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood to be DELIVERED more effectively.
What the Sweat Response Means for Your Body
When you’re sweating, your body is LITERALLY detoxifying itself. Your sweat carries out toxins such as heavy metals in fat cells and chemical pollutants that have been STORED in your tissues, as well as EXCESS salt and water, to keep the electrolyte balance in check.
Pro Tip: Sweating can also help to lower blood pressure and improve blood circulation throughout the body, which is excellent for red and white blood cells.
The skin also RELEASES natural oils, which contain essential vitamins and minerals which help nourish and hydrate the skin and MAINTAIN its elasticity.
Combining all these actions helps purify and cleanse your body, leaving you feeling lighter and more ENERGISED afterward.
Increasing Oxygen in the Bloodstream
The steam from a sauna helps to improve the oxygenation of cells and REDUCES carbon dioxide levels in the bloodstream. This is because hot air can hold MORE oxygen than cold air, meaning that when you BREATHE in this enriched air, your body receives a boost in oxygen.
Additionally, improved circulation resulting from the HEAT helps deliver more nutrients to the cells while also PROMOTING faster healing and recovery from physical activities.
How Detoxification Removes Toxins
During the detoxification process, steam helps to OPEN and dilate your pores to allow toxins to be released through sweat. This process can help remove heavy METALS and chemical pollutants that have been STORED in our tissues over time [2].
The warm air also INCREASES circulation and will dilate blood vessels, which in turn stimulates your cardiovascular system and improves the DELIVERY of oxygenated and nutrient-rich blood flow THROUGHOUT your body.
Finally, steam baths can also AID in relaxation by calming the muscles and inducing a feeling of well-being as you detoxify and REMOVE toxins from your body.
Overall Health Benefits
Using a steam room can bring MANY health benefits [1], such as:
- Improved circulation throughout the body
- Cleansing of the skin due to sweat response
- Aids with delayed onset muscle soreness
- Strengthening of the immune system
- Increased oxygen levels in the bloodstream
- Reduction of muscle and joint pain
- Stress relief (from just a single session)
How to Make the Most of Steam Room Detoxification
To get the most out of a steam room, it is important to stay HYDRATED by regularly drinking water before and AFTER your session. Ensure not to stay in too long, as this can lead to dehydration and overstimulation.
It is also best to AVOID using any products on your skin while in a steam sauna, as the heat can cause them to be absorbed more QUICKLY into the bloodstream.
Finally, it is important to note that STEAM baths are not a substitute for medical advice; if you have any health concerns or you’re taking medications, make sure to CONSULT with your doctor BEFORE using one.
How Long Should You Sit in a Steam Room to Detox?
The duration of time you SHOULD spend in a steam room depends on your individual health needs. Generally, most people BENEFIT from spending 10 to 20 minutes at a time in the steam sauna, although this can be adjusted DEPENDING on how your body responds.
If you’re feeling uncomfortable or DIZZY during your session, it is important to stop and rest until the sensation passes. It is also advisable to limit your steam sessions to TWO or three times a week, as OVERUSING a steam sauna can lead to dehydration or other adverse health effects.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a Steam Room or a Sauna Better for Detox?
Both steam rooms and saunas benefit detoxification, although how long you should stay in each may vary. Steam rooms tend to be more intense than saunas, as the temperature is usually higher, and the humidity levels are higher, too.
Should You Shower after a Steam Room?
After a steam room session, it is important to take a cool shower to lower your body temperature, rehydrate and wash off any sweat and impurities that have been released from the skin. Use natural cleansers such as essential oils to enhance the effects of detoxification.
To Conclude
A steam room can be a GREAT way to detoxify and cleanse your body of toxins, impurities, and heavy metals. It is important to stay hydrated BEFORE and after the session to maximize the BENEFITS of this process.
Additionally, it is best not to use ANY products on the skin while using a steam sauna as they may be ABSORBED more quickly into the bloodstream due to heat.
Remember that although a steam bath has many HEALTH benefits, it should not replace medical advice from a doctor; ALWAYS consult with your doctor if you have any concerns or are taking medications.
Sources:
- Hussain J, Cohen M. Clinical Effects of Regular Dry Sauna Bathing: A Systematic Review. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine. 2018;2018:1-30. doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2018/1857413
- Sears ME, Kerr KJ, Bray RI. Arsenic, Cadmium, Lead, and Mercury in Sweat: A Systematic Review. Journal of Environmental and Public Health. 2012;2012:1-10. doi:https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/184745
Content editor, marketer and product tester. A regular contributor for the ‘Home And Garden’ and Modern Homes Magazines, now part of a close-knit team, I oversee all the content on Posh. All roads have led to this job which I love. I get to focus on my love of interior design and health and work with a fabulous team. The role brings me a good level of freedom to my family and me and keeps me productive
