Luxuriating in a sauna is an excellent way to relax and refresh yourself. There are also several health benefits associated with the regular use of the sauna. A sauna helps you maintain beautiful and youthful looking skin and endows you with a sense vitality and well-being. But you can easily make the pleasures of your sauna experience even more sublime by choosing the right sauna accessories.
A sauna is basically and traditionally a Finnish steam bath, but the good thing about the more developed version of the modern sauna is that just by itself it looks grand and inviting. The sauna comes with the wiring and the lights already installed right at the time of the purchase. Additionally, with certain models even the heater and all other necessary accessories are built in or fitted on prior to the purchase.
These accessories usually include the thermostat or the bi-metal thermometer, a wood bucket and a ladle. The heating stones can also be bought as accessories. Traditionally, the quintessential accessories for sauna would tend to be the wooden ladle, the wooden bucket, the thermostat, and the wall lighting. But apart from these, there is also the set of more luxurious sauna accessories, which could include a sauna stereo to set the tone and mood for your sweat session by playing your favorite music.
Since the primary material used to build a sauna is wood, wooden accessories are generally preferred as they complement the texture and feel of the sauna ambience. Apart from the wooden ladle and wooden bucket already mentioned, wooden accessories may also include a wooden sand timer or hourglass and a wooden towel rack.
While ordering your accessories you can also choose from amongst a host of wooden or glass sauna doors and window sections in various designs. This ensures that your sauna is open to natural light, which is a great advantage since the use of direct artificial lighting within the sauna room is usually advised against. So, wherever you set up your light points always that they are suitably covered. The best arrangement is when the lighting has been installed behind wooden panels. You should also make it a point not to paint or varnish any wooden surface in the interior of the sauna, as this would release chemicals and toxins when exposed to the sauna heat.
The wonder of the sauna experience can certainly be enhanced with the aid of judiciously chosen accessories. Every sauna aficionado is sure to have their own list of ‘must have’ products and accessories. But when selecting accessories, care should be taken that, these items merge in well with the sauna environment. A simple rule of thumb is that the best sauna feel is the natural feel: so stick to wood as much as possible, with a touch of natural fabrics, like cotton.
Here are some more guidelines to select the right accessories for your sauna:
1. Sauna fragrances contribute marvelously to the sheer sensuous pleasure of the sauna. Essential oils and natural fragrances are either mixed in with the water or poured directly over the hot stones in the sauna. You should try extracts of pine, eucalyptus, or birch for lingering and invigorating fragrances.
2. Thermometers and hygrometers can come in very handy in a sauna. A thermometer helps you measure and monitor the temperature level in the sauna while the hygrometer allows you to measure the humidity levels. Together these instruments enable you to maintain the sauna at your desired temperature and humidity levels to derive your required results. You could also get a timer to ensure that you don’t overstay in the sauna.
3. A few wooden pails with dippers or ladles help to impart your sauna experience with a pristine charm. You could try handcrafted pails and ladles made of Finnish pine. These would not only look great but also make the entire process more authentic and appealing.
4. You could try wooden stools and chairs, not only because they are more comfortable than the typical narrow wooden ledges in a sauna, but also since they would help accommodate more people.
5. Another very useful accessory is a set of skin brushes, with wooden handles. These are excellent for exfoliating the skin and gently messaging the body all around.
6. To ensure that extra comfort, try to get wooden back and leg rests to match your wooden sauna stools and benches.
7. To best complement the sauna décor, the lighting should be subtle and soothing. Sauna lights should be well insulated and steam-resistant. But remember that soothing light does not mean darkness – a well-lit sauna is definitely safer, with less chances of slipping, tripping, or any other accident with such a lot of hot water around!
8. Another great idea is a fog-resistant mirror, so that you don’t have to strain your eyes at a steamed-up mirror or keep having to wipe the mirror surface to get rid of the moisture covering it.
9. You are also sure to find a towel rack very handy. Fasten the rack on the wall outside the sauna and hang up your towels and bathrobes. This makes sure that they are near whenever you need them.
10. Soft, plush towels, preferably cotton, are a must-have. These can be rolled up for use as back or head rests as necessary or as cushions when you want to lie down.
11. Sauna buckets or sauna pails – These are the buckets used to store water in the traditional Finnish rock saunas. Sauna connoisseurs favor buckets made of cedar, pine, or copper. If you use a wooden sauna pail, remember to empty it out after every use, and to keep it upside down. Also, since intense heat and moisture can warp wood, remember to buy a liner to treat your sauna bucket to prevent leakage.
12. Sauna soap – Ordinary soap may be too harsh under sauna conditions. Sauna soap is specifically intended for sauna conditions and provides tender and sensitive skin care. These are long-lasting and hypoallergenic soaps, with birch or pine scented soap being the two most popular choices among sauna bathers. Apart from this, special bath and body products for cleansing and moisturizing the skin may be used before and after a sauna session for optimum effects.
The value of the right sauna accessory is known to every experienced sauna bather; for these accessories often spell the crucial difference between an average sauna session and a first-rate one. Properly used, the right blend of sauna accessories can transform your sauna into your piece of the fountain of youth on earth.