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Steam baths usually blend a variety of herbs with water steam, vapor, and heat to treat both body and mind with the idea that scented, healing aromas soothe and relax, and through inhalation and absorption can cure internal ailments.
However, mind that steam baths do not necessarily incorporate herbs. Some steam baths only use pure steam (hot water vapor), for instance as is common in the Finnish Sauna.
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At any rate, and perhaps superfluous to say, but when using herbs that become mixed with steam, some herbal knowledge is needed to decide what types of herbs to apply, how much, and when to apply them.
Steam baths are also used for detoxification purposes: heat makes blood vessels widen which increases blood and lymph circulation, and perspiration flows from pores carrying excessive chemical substances, toxins, and impurities to the surface and out of the body.
Other benefits of steam baths include support for weight loss, relief of respiratory ailments such as asthma, bronchitis, sinusitis and allergies, improvement of skin conditions such as acne, eczema and psoriasis, relief of muscle tension and stiff joints, stress reduction, lowered blood pressure, a boost of the immune system, and the reduction of cellulite.
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Furthermore, applications of herbal steam and heat treatments are used in traditional midwifery practices, specifically in the postpartum period.
Herbal steam baths and other steam treatments are carried out in a variety of ways, but they’re all based on residing in a steam-filled area: from covering the head with a towel hanging above a steaming bowl, under a cotton blanket, in a hot bathtub, in tents, in a small room that can be closed, or in full-fledged sauna-like environments, to name a few options.
The herbs used — fresh, dry, base oils, or essential oils, and such — are usually dissolved in a hot or continuously heated water-filled bathtub, bowl, bucket, or other recipient.
Another popular, centuries-old option of taking a (mineral or herbal) steam bath is carried out in mineral-rich water from hot springs, by either bathing directly in those, or by reposing in steam chambers where the hot spring water is led into.
