Bathing culture
What a bathhouse is, and how it differs from a spa, a sauna, a hammam, an onsen, hot springs, recovery and other formats.
Index
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The wet sauna myth: sauna, steam room and hammam
What is often called a wet sauna is a steam room. Understand how it differs from a Finnish sauna, why löyly matters and why hammam means something else.
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Types of sauna: dry, steam, wood-fired and infrared
Compare electric, wood-fired, steam, infrared and smoke saunas. Learn what changes in the bathing experience and the build, and why a dry sauna can have steam.
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Sauna: what it is for, the types, the benefits and how to use one
What a sauna actually is, the difference between dry and steam, what the research says about benefits and risks, and how a first session works for beginners.
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Cold plunge and contrast therapy: benefits, risks and evidence
Sauna, cold plunge and rest make up contrast therapy. Here is what the research shows about benefits and recovery, what is marketing, and which risks call for caution.
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Bathhouse, spa, recovery and hot springs: what changes between bathing spaces
Almost every place with a sauna and an ice tub calls itself a bathhouse. The difference is not quality: it is program. What the place sells, and how long you stay in it.