Sauna Accessories for an Even Better Sauna Bath - 902

By Pertti Olavi Jalasjaa

Experienced sauna bathers know just how valuable the right sauna accessories can be. Often, it is these accoutrements that distinguish a sauna session that is truly superior from one that is merely second-rate. Used properly, sauna accessories can help a sauna bather create an ideal ambience for a decidedly delectable dip in the soothing heat of a sauna.

The following list spotlights some of the more common sauna accessories used by sauna bathers around the world.

Loofah sponges – When used as a bath sponge, the loofah, a very popular amenity in Asian baths and European spas, is known to produce a mild glow and to revitalize the skin. It is a natural, organic, cleansing sponge with a reputation for improving blood circulation, exfoliating dead skin cells, and promoting healthy skin. The loofah sponge’s stimulation of blood circulation on the skin has been credited as a relief for rheumatic and arthritic sufferers. Sometimes referred to as loofa or luffa, loofah is environmentally safe, biodegradable, and a renewable resource.

Sauna brushes – Many sauna aficionados enjoy scrubbing themselves with sauna brushes as they perspire in the sauna heat. Whether it has a long handle for those hard-to-reach places, a detachable handle or no handle at all, a sauna brush is a handy implement for helping to cleanse and massage a sauna bather’s skin. The soft natural bristles of most sauna brushes facilitate skin exfoliation and can help make a sauna bath quite refreshing and invigorating for the bather. Using a sauna brush properly can also improve blood circulation, so to not have a sauna brush among your sauna accessories and supplies is simply unjustifiable.

Sauna buckets –The main purpose of sauna buckets (also called sauna pails) is to hold water during traditional Finnish-style rock sauna baths. Many experienced sauna bathers like sauna buckets that are made of cedar, pine or copper. If you buy an all-wooden sauna pail, remember to empty it after each use and to store it upside down. As well, since intense heat can cause wood to expand and contract, you should consider purchasing a liner for your sauna bucket to help prevent leakage.

Sauna fragrances and essences – Birch, pine, spruce, eucalyptus, menthol, lemon, lime and wintergreen are just eight of the appealing scents available in today’s all-natural sauna fragrances. Add a few droplets of sauna fragrance to your loyly water and surrender yourself to the olfactory rapture. Why not combine sauna therapy and aromatherapy for a powerful one-two punch of pure voluptuous pleasure?

Sauna headrests and backrests – Complete comfort in a sauna can be realized with the use of these important items. A sauna headrest or pillow cushions the head of a reclining bather, while a sauna backrest offers support, relief and luxury to, as its name indicates, the bather’s back. If the bather chooses, a headrest or backrest can serve just as effectively as a footrest.

Sauna ladles – Also known as sauna dippers, sauna ladles are as vital to proper traditional sauna bathing as sauna buckets. One or two scoops of water tossed over the hot rocks of a Finnish sauna create the vapor or loyly that many sauna connoisseurs insist helps define an authentic sauna bath. While many sauna ladles are made entirely of wood, some feature copper or stainless steel scoops and birch, cedar or pine handles. Some ladles also have attached leather straps.

Anytime you place water on the rocks in a sauna heater, be sure to use a ladle or dipper. By doing so, you’ll keep your hand away from the resulting steam, preventing a possible steam burn. As well, using a ladle puts you in control of the amount of water you pour onto the sauna rocks and therefore also the humidity level in the sauna.

Sauna peg racks – Sauna peg racks are for anyone who wants or likes to have a place near or in the sauna room to hang their towel or bathrobe. Wooden racks with four, five or six dowel peg hooks are popular with bathers who find pleasure in sharing their sauna baths with family or friends. Peg racks such as these are sometimes called towel racks or clothes racks. Hanger is another word that is commonly used to identify a peg rack.

Sauna soap – Regular bath or shower soap may be too harsh for some sauna bathers, but sauna soap typically works very well on tender sensitive skin. Long-lasting, hypoallergenic soap with either a pine or birch fragrance is a popular choice of many hot sauna fans. Additional bath and body products can be used either before or after a sauna session to help cleanse and moisturize your skin.

Sauna timers – Sauna timers help sauna bathers keep track of how long they’re in the sauna. They’re reassuring devices for people who think they might fall under the spell of the hypnotic-like heat. Traditionalists might prefer the simple 15-minute sand timer, while folks with contemporary tastes may opt for a 90-minute electronic timer or the more modern, programmable model that’s often part of a sleekly designed control panel and offers time-delay and automatic shutoff safety features. Since wearing a wristwatch in a hot sauna poses obvious risk, the sauna timer is certainly a practical sauna accessory.

Sauna whisks – In Finland, a sauna whisk is called either vasta or vihta. In its most traditional form, the vasta or vihta is a thick cluster of young, tender, leafy birch twigs used to promote blood circulation and cleanse a sauna bather’s skin once perspiration has sufficiently softened it. The bather actually flagellates him or herself with the twigs after dipping them in water. Although the amount of force used can vary from bather to bather, this activity is not supposed to be painful or sexual, but it can be shared, as many Finnish sauna enthusiasts see no wrong in asking someone else in the sauna to slap them with the twigs. Inflexible traditionalists may insist that bundled birch twigs make the best sauna whisks, but, in some countries where birch is difficult to find, cedar or pine is sometimes used. When the twigs are birch, cedar or pine, the slapping action releases a pleasant fragrance into the air. Other choices include oak, maple, mountain ash, hazel and eucalyptus.

Thermometers and hygrometers – By definition, thermometers measure temperature by using materials that change in some way when they are heated or cooled. In a mercury or alcohol thermometer, the liquid expands as it is heated and contracts when it is cooled. A hygrometer measures the moisture content or the humidity of air or any gas. As sauna accessories, thermometers and hygrometers are available separately as two items, combined as one, or in package sets. They are essential instruments for any sauna bather who wants to monitor and control the temperature and humidity within a sauna.