What Are Steam Showers? How Steam Showers Can Benefit You
Dry saunas have a ton of benefits to offer, as we all know, but did you know that steam showers also have many health benefits? Not to mention that the installation of a steam shower is much easier and takes up a lot more space than a dry sauna does.
A steam shower generator can fit in a small space like your bathroom or closet and be directly hooked to your shower. Many steam showers even have an app that comes along with them that can allow you to heat your shower up to the exact temperature you want without even being home. How convenient is that?
Let’s discuss all there is to know about steam showers, how they can benefit you, and some of the best steam showers you can purchase for your home.
If you are still looking for additional information about purchasing a steam shower generator, take our two-minute quiz and learn which product is best for your home.
What are the Components of a Steam Shower?
In order to understand what a steam shower is, we should first talk about its components.
Here is what comprises a steam shower:
Boiler: This is where the steam is created. Depending on your steam shower model, the heating will be either electric or gas.
Water inlet: The water inlet hooks the boiler to a water source and is how your water gets into your steam shower.
Control unit: A control unit is where you can control your settings like duration, temperature, and automatic shut-down.
Drainage system: This is where your shower drains excess water from your generator.
Steam shower head: It is similar to a regular showerhead and is how the steam gets into your shower.
Additional safety features: Some safety features include pressure relief valves, temperature limiters, and water level sensors.
How is a Steam Shower Different Than a Dry Sauna?
A steam shower uses heat therapy like a dry sauna, but there are many differences between the two.
A dry sauna focuses on heat with mild humidity. This humidity is produced when you ladle a little bit of water on your sauna stones. Dry saunas are much hotter than a steam shower as the heat is typically kept between 160 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Additionally, a dry sauna’s humidity level only hovers around 10% to 20%.
Steam showers also reach a high temperature, but not nearly as high as a dry sauna, as the temperature range is usually 105 to 120 degrees, with the optimal heat being 110 to 115 degrees. This is because the humidity in the steam shower makes it feel much hotter than it actually is. Also, a steam shower’s humidity level soars all the way up to 100%.
Another difference between a steam shower and a dry sauna is the footprint. A dry sauna takes up much more space than a steam sauna, as a steam sauna generator can be directly hooked up to your shower and only takes up minimal space. Essentially, it doesn’t matter what size your home is; a steam shower will fit in any space as opposed to a dry sauna that needs a large portion of a room or a designated spot in your backyard.
A steam generator heats water until it boils, creating the steam you breathe in your steam room. A steam shower is also designed to have great ventilation and excellent air quality, so you won’t breathe any stale or unpleasant air. A dry sauna has a heater that doesn’t produce steam unless you pour some water onto its sauna stones.
Both a steam shower and a dry sauna have amazing health benefits. Now, let’s discuss some of the health benefits of a steam shower.
The Top Five Benefits of a Steam Shower
There are a ton of health benefits that come along with the use of a steam shower.
Let’s break down the top five health benefits:
Improved Skin Health
All it takes is 20 minutes in a steam shower to see its effects work wonders on your skin. A steam shower can greatly improve your complexion and even out your skin tone. The steam produced from steam showers enhances perspiration, which cleans your skin. It also helps expel toxins and sheds the buildup of bacteria, dirt, and dead skin that can be easily wiped off in the shower.
It is also way easier to shave in steam showers versus regular showers, as the steam softens your skin and hair. This also obviously leads to clearer skin without any knicks or razor burns.
Increases Respiratory Health
Are you regularly congested? The good news is steam showers can really help you out, as steam is known for opening your sinuses. The steam shower warms your mucous membrane and encourages you to breathe deeper.
Steam showers also help improve the quality of your breathing as they deliver more oxygen into your lungs, which goes directly into your bloodstream.
Better Circulation
Moist heat therapy can improve circulation, especially in extremities. The humidity in a steam shower helps to widen the blood vessels, which increases your blood flow, improves overall circulation, and provides more oxygen to your cells. This keeps your arteries healthier. Better circulation also aids in lowering blood pressure and increasing cardiac health.
Reduced Stress
In general, heat therapy is a great stress reliever. Because the moist heat helps lower your blood pressure, this takes a lot of stress off you physically from the get-go. The steam also decreases the production of cortisol (the stress hormone) in your body. As your cortisol levels drop, your stress level also drops, so a steam shower is amazing for people who suffer from chronic stress.
If you have trouble sleeping, steam showers will also help, which also plays a factor in stress relief. The humid air soothes aches and pains, promotes relaxation, and settles your mind, resulting in better sleep.
Less Soreness and Better Mobility
Heat therapy helps when you use it for pre and post-workout treatment, leading to better mobility, flexibility, and less soreness.
When using it for a pre-workout, the benefit here is the steam loosens stiff joints. Basically, you will reach maximum mobility when you take a steam shower before a strenuous workout.
As for a post-workout, moist heat penetrates your muscles deeper than dry heat, which soothes muscle soreness and aids in recovery. This heat also increases levels of oxygen flowing through your tissues and muscles, relieving chronic aches and pains and aiding the flexibility of your tissues and muscles.
The Best Steam Generators Available for Purchase
Which steam shower should you invest in to get all of these health benefits? Let’s take a look at the best steam showers you can find for your home.
Mr. Steam MS-E Series 15KW Steam Shower Generator
If you like to have a large footprint for your steam shower, then the Mr. Steam MS-E Series 15KW Steam Shower Generator is the right pick for you as it is perfect for spaces up to 482 cubic feet.
You can choose the iTempo, iTempo Plus, iTempo Wireless Control, or the iSteamX Touch Screen Control to customize your experience. This allows you to heat your steam room from outside your home to the exact temperature you want and maintain that temperature throughout your entire steam sauna session.
Additionally, you can download a user-friendly app to your phone that lets you control your steam generator from anywhere. This means you can heat up your steam room right before your commute home and hop in the second you walk through the door. You can also choose a touchscreen or even wireless option to see when your steam sauna is ready to use.
Kohler 5kW Steam Shower Generator
Do you have a smaller space you would like to use for your steam shower? Never fear. the Kohler 5kW Steam Shower Generator is the right match for you as it is designed to heat spaces that are around 84 cubic feet.
There isn’t a huge risk of moisture damage as it is made with an insulated stainless steel exterior, which will hold up against all of that moist heat.
Its fast response technology is another great feature that provides the user with steam within 60 seconds and consistently maintains the perfect temperature. It is also safe for you to touch with bare hands as it is designed to eliminate the possibility of accidental burns. Lastly, this generator also comes with a three-year limited warranty.
Are Steam Showers Right for You?
As you have discovered, steam showers are not only very convenient to use and take up a minimal amount of space, but they also provide a wide array of health benefits for you to enjoy. If steam showers were never on your radar for heat therapy, we sure hope they are now, as you can experience this amazing moist heat from the comforts of your own home.
My Sauna World offers a large selection of steam shower generators for you to choose from. Shop now and find the best option for your home now.