The bathhouse has long been considered a symbol of health and longevity. Our ancestors did not yet have all the benefits of civilization and washed in a simple Russian bathhouse, so one can only envy their health and fortitude. Taking a steam bath means healing your body. Steam helps cleanse the skin, helps remove waste and toxins, and rejuvenates the body. To enhance the benefits of the bath, you should use brooms. What types of bath brooms there are and what their health benefits are – we’ll find out in our article.
Which broom is better for a bath?
First of all, it should be made from natural materials. The most popular brooms for baths are oak and birch. Brooms made of bird cherry, fir and juniper are not inferior to them. But first things first.
Oak broom for a bath
Oak brooms are great for people with oily and problematic skin. They also cope well with skin diseases. Essential oils contained in oak broom cleanse the skin, moisturize and nourish it, and also normalize the production of sebaceous glands.
The benefit of oak brooms is that they help calm the nervous system, relieve fatigue, tension, improve mood and sleep.
The functioning of the heart and the entire circulatory system is normalized, skin problems go away. The best brooms for a bath: oak broom
Linden bath broom
More and more often, people use birch and oak brooms for baths, although linden is not inferior to them in its wonderful properties. It has excellent diaphoretic properties, which cleanses the body well. Vitamin C contained in linden strengthens the immune system and increases the body's resistance to various diseases. It is good to use a linden broom in a steam room if you have cold symptoms.
Linden flowers have a positive effect on the condition of the skin - small wounds and abrasions go away, the skin heals faster, elasticity and healthy color return. Linden also calms the human nervous system.
Eucalyptus bath broom
A eucalyptus bath broom is simply irreplaceable for respiratory diseases, especially for cleansing the airways. The smell of eucalyptus perfectly kills germs, improves breathing, and rids the nasal mucosa of pathogenic bacteria.
Eucalyptus broom normalizes blood circulation, relieves pain in joints, heals cuts on the skin and bruises.
Eucalyptus helps to relax and shift attention from difficulties, worries, problems, calms, puts thoughts in order.
Juniper bath broom
Juniper broom has excellent bactericidal properties, helps fight high body temperature, if present. The only thing is that it is not recommended to steam in a bathhouse for a long time in high heat; 10 minutes is enough.
A juniper broom heals wounds on the skin, rids the body of toxins, and relieves nervous tension. Specialists first warm up well, and then use a broom, so the body will receive more benefits. The juniper broom is quite prickly, so it is better to massage it with light and quick movements.
Fir bath broom
A fir bath broom can strengthen the immune system and kill all germs in the air.
If you regularly spend time in the steam room with this broom, you can forget about colds for a long time. Fir contains beneficial oils, which, when exposed to steam, fall on the skin and penetrate deep inside, providing a healing effect.
Spruce broom for a bath
Spruce broom is a coniferous species. It copes wonderfully with wounds on the skin - essential oils, when applied to the body, quickly heal them, and the steam from the spruce branches helps cleanse the lungs.
Many women use a spruce broom to combat fat deposits. With regular use of a spruce broom, you can forever forget about cellulite and say goodbye to extra pounds. Under their influence, fats begin to be burned more actively, the skin tightens, becomes smooth and elastic.
After using a spruce broom, it is better to rest for a while, wrapped in a blanket.
Bamboo bath broom
A bamboo broom is somewhat different from our usual understanding of a bath broom. A bamboo broom is a combination of several bamboo sticks; it is quite rigid, but at the same time its action is very effective. It is able to cope with pain by drawing it out, which is why it is often used after serious complications. Massage with a bamboo broom should be carried out carefully, the impact force should not be very strong.
A bamboo broom also has other beneficial properties - the condition of the skin improves, excess weight and skin problems go away. In addition, bamboo helps cope with stress and depression.
Nettle bath broom
Surprisingly, nettle contains an incredible amount of useful microelements, such as proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, and mineral resins. Thanks to the presence of formic acid, nettle broom has excellent wound healing and tonic properties.
Nettle copes well with skin diseases such as acne, boils, and psoriasis. The smell of nettle has a positive effect on mood - bad health is replaced by good health.
As we can see, the positive properties of a broom in a bathhouse are difficult to overestimate, especially if it is a bathhouse with a wood-burning stove. In addition to the above types, there are bath brooms, which are no less useful and healing. These include brooms made of pine, aspen, cherry, and currant broom. All of them have a pleasant aroma, tone the skin well and treat respiratory diseases. It is best to knit them in early summer. Which of these brooms is better is up to you to decide.
Birch broom for a bath
A birch bath broom is one of the favorites for bath procedures. Birch broom fights acne on the face and skin rashes, and perfectly cleanses the body of salts. Very often, experts recommend using a birch broom for those who have kidney problems.
Birch broom treats and prevents bronchial asthma and has a beneficial effect on the lungs. It is also able to treat coughs of varying severity.
Experienced doctors know that taking a steam bath with a birch broom guarantees recovery from diseases of the musculoskeletal system.
For women, a broom eliminates figure imperfections, skin imperfections, and even stretch marks - they become less noticeable. The best brooms for a bath: birch broom
Collection rules: key points
Traditionally, the collection is carried out from the so-called weeping birch. These are tall trees with strong and long branches. The most suitable are birch trees that have not bloomed; they have more elastic twigs and velvet leaves. Choose branches that grow in the shade; their leaves are more delicate.
Advice! Choose trees that stand in the shade, near bodies of water. Their branches and leaves are more juicy and tender.
Do not cut the entire bunch from one tree. Firstly, in this way you are harming it, and secondly, it will be impossible to use it for mating anymore, since its branches will become stiffer and its leaves coarser. How to make a bath broom from birch:
- Collect branches from different trees in the same area;
- Choose branches that are lowest to the surface of the pond;
- Do not cut branches where there are flowers, they will be tough;
- Branches should be straight, no longer than 60 cm;
- Cut branches in one motion without damaging the structure of the branch;
- Use sharp scissors and be careful not to damage the cut branches.
Before knitting a broom, you need to dry the branches a little in the shade.
Carefully! Do not use wire for garter, only thread, otherwise you will get scratched in the steam room. Do not tie the rods too tightly; they will not dry well.
How to properly dry and steam a steam room broom?
There are several secrets on how to dry and store bath brooms. But first they need to be prepared. The simplest thing is to buy it. This can be done in an online store, or purchased inexpensively in specialized places. However, in this situation, you cannot know how high quality it is and where the leaves were collected for it.
The rules for preparing a broom yourself are simple: branches are cut only in dry weather in the morning, it is better to choose a place away from the city. Ideally, in a forest with clean air, there is less dirt.
Rules for drying a broom for a bath
By following these simple recommendations, you can prepare a bath broom no worse than the one you bought:
- Before drying a broom, you should not wash its leaves;
- The branches for the broom must be partially cleared of leaves;
- It is best to dry the broom in the shade.
The leaves of the broom should be folded with the curve downwards. Dried brooms should be stored only where there is no sunlight, otherwise there is a risk of them drying out. As a result, their therapeutic effect loses its power.
Rules for steaming a broom for a bath
There are some differences in what water to soak a bath broom in. It is enough to rinse fresh ones with warm water and leave them to dry, while dry ones are usually rinsed and kept in water for about 20 minutes. Hot water is only suitable for very dry branches.
To make the bathhouse filled with the aroma of medicinal herbs, do the following: the broom should be soaked in water 11-12 hours before the bathhouse, and then wrap the leaves in a damp cloth. With this method of steaming, the broom will serve for a long time and will not lose its properties. There is no need to pour out the remaining water - you can spray the stones in the steam room with this water and use it yourself.
How to steam a broom from the refrigerator? Rinse in cold water and apply, after holding it over stones in the steam room.
The above-described steaming methods preserve the tonic and healing properties of the leaves, and steaming with it in a bathhouse will be not only a pleasant, but also a useful pastime.
Selection principles
When choosing a linden broom in a store or market, you need:
- Sniff the bunch. If you smell rot, you need to continue looking for a better option.
- Try to bend the broom. If the branches begin to crack and break, the raw material procurement technology has been violated.
- Shake the bundle by the handle. If a lot of leaves fall off, it means the branches were dried incorrectly.
You also need to pay attention to the handle. It should fit comfortably in your hand without rubbing your skin.
How to steam in a sauna correctly?
In order to achieve the therapeutic effect of a Russian bath, you need to steam according to the rules. Ideally, have two brooms; massage with them should be easy and quick.
The temperature in the steam room should also be controlled. If the bathhouse is very hot, then the waving movements of the broom should be done carefully, and, conversely, at low temperatures you can swing the broom more actively.
The bath broom should not be allowed to be dry; it is better to constantly moisturize it. Warm or cool water, or the one in which the broom was soaked, is suitable here.
All massage movements must begin from the back area; the skin must first be warmed up. There is no need to hit them hard; this can only cause harm. Experienced bathhouse attendants know that to begin with, you should fan yourself with a broom from your feet to the side of your head - this way the body gradually warms up and prepares for further massage. And only then move on to other actions.
There are several types of bath massage with brooms:
- Stroking - with light movements a broom is moved over the body, starting from the feet, ending with the head;
- Compress - combined with stroking - the broom should be pressed to a certain area of the body, for example, knee hollows, calves, buttocks, back;
- Quilting – light movements of a broom over the body, reminiscent of “strokes”, alternates with stroking;
- Patting is good to do with two brooms, touching the body with quick and precise movements, the broom is fixed in one position;
- Whipping - echoes the previous type of broom massage, only after it stroking is used immediately;
- Rubbing – good to use after bath procedures; lightly press the broom against the body with your hands and move it in different directions, rubbing the skin;
- Poultices are the same as a compress, but last longer, are effective at high temperatures in the bathhouse, and increase the heat in the body;
- Stretching - use brooms to “stretch the body” in opposite directions, one broom moves the hand towards the legs, the other - in the opposite direction, this technique helps well with pain in the spine.
Using these types of broom massage, you can get rid of many health problems. However, they should be used after thoroughly warming up your body. It is better to do this on your second visit to the bathhouse.
The benefits and harms of baths
Our Russian bath has been famous for decades due to its beneficial properties. Let's dwell on them.
The health benefits of Russian baths
What are the health benefits of a bathhouse with brooms? Steaming is a great way to get rid of many diseases, namely:
- Pain in joints, back, muscles;
- Disturbances in the functioning of the autonomic system;
- Headaches, migraines;
- Kidney failure;
- Cold symptoms, cough.
In addition to the fact that a bath can relieve many ailments and prevent illness, it also has a positive effect on a person’s emotional background. Fatigue, nervous tension, and stress go away. During periods of depression, some doctors advise taking a steam bath, as it helps to cope with despondency and bad mood. Together with the steam in the bathhouse, everything bad goes away, thoughts are cleared, and the spirit becomes healthier.
You can and should use cosmetics in the bathhouse. Essential oils, scrubs, and peels are best suited for these purposes. Their use tones the skin and relieves it of keratinized areas. After a bath, it is very useful to drink hot herbal tea, thereby replenishing fluid loss by the body.
Bath brooms enhance the healing effect of steam. Their aroma has a positive effect on both the skin and the internal state of a person - the fresh aroma of the leaves improves performance and relieves fatigue.
Despite the many advantages of a bath, you should steam for no more than 15 minutes. For some people, the bath is contraindicated, since instead of a positive effect it can cause harm.
Methods of application
Application principles:
- Fresh branches do not need to be doused with boiling water before use. Just water them with cold water.
- Brooms that have already been used should be placed in hot water for 2-3 minutes before use.
The infusion that remains after steaming the broom is recommended to be used for pouring over hot stones.
