Steam baths are usually a common scene when you enter a high-end gym and fitness center in the UAE. Much more when you visit spas and relaxation centers. It’s part of the pampering experience especially for residents and expats who want nothing but the best relaxation treatment available.
Like massage, steaming provides good benefits to body, mind, and spirit. Different cultures believe that when you include steaming in your lifestyle, you will appreciate the culture more and the idea of using heat to warm your body.
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Types of Baths to Relax Your Body
The use of steam baths and saunas has been known as a social ritual in order for a person to relax. The soothing and muscle-relaxing properties of these wet facilities have always been valued especially in the hospitality industry. In fact, steaming has been found good for respiratory health, skin care, physical wellness, wellbeing, holistic health, and many other benefits. Here are different types of steam bathing for your reference.
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Moroccan Bath
Moroccan Bath, also known as Maghrebi, is an old traditional cleansing ritual. It is done in order to clean, whiten, and soften the skin of your body while relaxing your tired nerves and muscles. The Moroccan Bath will help you take care of skin and body with the most relaxed kind of ritual they have.
Most of the time, the bath is done in 3 stages. First, the rinsing ritual will be done in order to cleanse your body. At this stage your skin is treated with a special Moroccan soap that delicately softens the skin. Second is the steaming where they will allow you to relax in a private steam room. Last is the exfoliating where your dead skin cells will be exfoliated, allowing new layers of skin to come. If you’re planning to have a Moroccan Bath in Dubai, you will find that many hotels and establishments across various districts offer this service.
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Turkish Bath
The Turkish Bath, also called Hamam, is a kind of steam bath that permits you to choose from variety of options. You can go to a traditional Hamam or hotel to receive this bath. Typically, you will have the chance to pay and select the service you want.
There are 3 types of services for Turkish Bath: Self-service, traditional style, and other styles. In the Self-service, you will bathe yourself. You have to bring your own shampoo, soap, and towel during this session. It is recommended that you try other services such as the traditional style and aromatherapy oil massage so that someone will wash and massage you.
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Finnish Sauna
Sauna has been a part of the old Finnish culture and you may discover sooner or later that this activity is just normal in Finland. Since it is a part of the old tradition, it’s hard to trace back its roots but surely, the earliest versions came from 7000 BC.
In a Finnish Sauna, men and women have separate rooms. You must also shower first before you enter the sauna so that you are clean before the steaming session. People who get this kind of sauna also observe silence as Finnish sauna is better with calm and quiet environment.
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Whirlpool Jacuzzi
Haven’t heard of Whirlpool Jacuzzi yet? For those who are wondering, it is the type of steam bath wherein you will soak your body in a whirlpool bathtub. This whirlpool bathtub is a self-contained jetted tub and its main purpose is to relax and massage your tired muscles through the use steaming water.
Different types of whirlpool tubs exist such as size, configuration, and materials. You can have this in a sauna place with this kind of steaming bath. Expect that you will get the same benefits of mild massage and relaxation.
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Russian Bath
Your Russian experience will never be completed without visiting a Russian banya. It is known as the Russian bath so if you’ve just heard about it, it’s time to know more about this kind of steam bath.
During your Russian bath, expect that it’s better to do it naked. No need to worry because men and women are in a separate room. It’s also recommended that you don’t overdo banya since the main purpose is to sweat a lot and detoxify. If you overdo it, the tendency is that you will feel light headed and woozy. It’s also fine to accept beating of birch tree branches from a stranger.
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Infrared Sauna
An infrared sauna is different from a traditional sauna. Instead of using heat to warm the air, infrared sauna uses light in order to create heat. The light does not heat the air around you but it directly heats your body so that you can perspire and enjoy the benefits of sauna.
Using infrared saunas will help you treat chronic diseases like high blood, dementia, and congestive heart failure. Since there are no adverse effects, it might be a good option. It’s important that you know how you can improve your health through natural remedies like steams.
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Japanese Bath ceremony
Japanese bath is something you would want for unique cultural experience. Some say that it may be a little intimidating but once you get used to it, it might become one of your hobbies to take a Japanese bath. This kind of steam bath has a proper process from entrance bathing.
The entrance is usually marked noren wherein a blue flag signifies men and the red flag signifies women. There is a change room that has the lockers and basket to store your clothes. After taking off your clothes, you need to wash your body then soak in a bath where you can relax and enjoy.
Although all of these baths uses steam or heat to relax body parts, each has a unique process. If you can observe, each came from different culture such as Japanese, Finnish, and Russian. You will eventually learn about each culture and the origin of these baths as you try each one of them. You can choose from whatever steam bath you want to try or you can try them all and see what steam bath works for you. All of these provide good health benefits as well so don’t hold yourself back as these are another way to have an enjoyable body experience.