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Finnish sauna is not dry, the idea is to generate the steam (called löyly in Finnish) after you go in by throwing water on the hot rocks. Best saunas are quite

Finnish sauna is not dry, the idea is to generate the steam (called löyly in Finnish) after you go in by throwing water on the hot rocks. Best saunas are quite moist and not too hot, but the amount of moisture in air is controlled by the bathers. Sometimes this ends up in a competition (who can stand the wettest steam) but that's actually slightly bad manners. For perfect results, I add a little beer to the water I throw on rocks (this is a matter of taste, some say that's not proper; in any case, things like menthol or eucalyptus don't really belong in Finnish sauna steam). As to the positive health impacts, I'm completely agnostic. Or perhaps I think that it's more that healthy people can go often to sauna, not that going often would make you healthier.

Sharlin 10y ago
Relative to "steam rooms" like Turkish bath a Finnish sauna is rather dry (relative humidity under 50%). Keeping the humidity in check is how the 80-100 °C temperature can be bearable in the first place.
- ptaipale 10y ago
  Yes. Finnish spas and some swimming halls have a "steam sauna" which is lower temperature and very steamy, more like the Turkish bath, but still with wooden multi-level benches.
mcv 10y ago
Any sauna is still very dry compared to a real steam bath. You would be boiled alive if a steam bath operated at sauna temperatures. In Dutch saunas (many of which have a sauna room called "Finnish sauna", which tend to be the hottest and driest of all), löyly is not standard, but only done in one sauna room at specific times, and controlled by the sauna personnel. (Dutch saunas tend to be commercially exploited complexes with multiple types of sauna, a steam room, masseurs, etc.) The sudden increase in moisture does help make you sweat more, and a lot of people appreciate that (but not everybody). And it's definitely often with eucalyptus or other fancy oils.

Sharlin 10y ago

Relative to "steam rooms" like Turkish bath a Finnish sauna is rather dry (relative humidity under 50%). Keeping the humidity in check is how the 80-100 °C temperature can be bearable in the first place.

ptaipale 10y ago
Yes. Finnish spas and some swimming halls have a "steam sauna" which is lower temperature and very steamy, more like the Turkish bath, but still with wooden multi-level benches.

mcv 10y ago

Any sauna is still very dry compared to a real steam bath. You would be boiled alive if a steam bath operated at sauna temperatures. In Dutch saunas (many of which have a sauna room called "Finnish sauna", which tend to be the hottest and driest of all), löyly is not standard, but only done in one sauna room at specific times, and controlled by the sauna personnel. (Dutch saunas tend to be commercially exploited complexes with multiple types of sauna, a steam room, masseurs, etc.) The sudden increase in moisture does help make you sweat more, and a lot of people appreciate that (but not everybody). And it's definitely often with eucalyptus or other fancy oils.