Did you know that the oldest (thermal) baths are those built by the Romans? Initially, Roman baths were constructed near thermal springs, allowing direct access to their waters. They appeared before the current period and instantly became the core of the Roman people’s cultural life. The intellect of the Roman nobility had no bounds. Poppeas kept 500 donkeys at the bathhouse on the orders of Emperor Nero’s wife. The Empress dipped her well-groomed body in the bath, which was filled with their milk. Bathhouses have appeared and improved in many cultures, and the variety of services and rituals has grown significantly. And now, after centuries, any woman can feel like an Empress and visit a bath, not for the sake of banal hygiene, but to experience the most luxurious bath procedures. Today we have rounded up the best and most common bathing cultures in the world and will tell you about each of them.
Moroccan bath
It is the oldest and most effective cosmetic procedure that can transform anyone, making them shine with radiance. It contributes to deep cleansing and rejuvenation of the skin of the whole body under the influence of steam and natural gels, which are prepared according to ancient Arabic recipes. Moroccan baths still amaze many people with the effect of youth that they give to the body. We advise you to visit the Moroccan bath in Dubai because the procedure includes lying in the steam room and various beauty treatments: spa peeling, foam massage, and many other pleasures.
Russian bath
The Russian “banya” symbolizes the Slavs’ traditions as well as their philosophy of life. The Russian bath’s most essential feature is moist steam, which warms the body and opens the pores. It eliminates toxins and other dangerous chemicals, heals many chronic ailments, and provides strength and vitality, which is why you feel incredible lightness and vigor after using the steam room.
To improve the medicinal effects of steam, hot stones in the steam chamber are commonly poured with decoctions of herbs and kvass. A small board soaked in lavender, jasmine, grapefruit, fir, ylang-ylang, chamomile, mint, or juniper oils can be placed near the stones. Aromatherapy in a Russian bath soothes and rejuvenates the body to perfection.
Finnish sauna
If we consider the sorts of baths available, a Finnish sauna is far easier to construct than a Russian bath. For the Finns, it’s the same sense of national pride, and it’s not for nothing that the word sauna is the only Finnish word that can be understood without translation around the world. Saunas are found in about half of Finland’s homes and apartments.
A fireplace with a chimney and shelves of various heights are included in the sauna. The sauna’s temperature can reach 110 degrees Celsius, with a humidity level of no more than 20%. For many people, it’s tough to tolerate such a microclimate. In addition, the Finns do massage with brooms. However, 10 minutes in the sauna is sufficient for a good sweat. After that, you can jump in the pool and then return.
Georgian bath
This is a completely unique phenomenon that uses healing sulfur springs, which are rich in the mountains of the Caucasus. Initially, such baths were arranged right in the caverns. Still, over time, the process became more complicated, and hot water from the sources began to be delivered through ceramic pipes to special baths, or rather to pools lined with marble.
According to an old tradition, the room was lit with torches. Bathing in pools filled with hot sulfuric water became a special pleasure. The performance of Georgian songs accompanied massages with a hard woolen mitten, combined with eating, and there were even restaurants at the baths.
Japanese bath
The Japanese bath looks very unique: it is a room with a wooden barrel or a chair and a stool. And it all starts in a round furaco barrel with a diameter of one and a half meters and a height of up to 130 cm. The barrel is filled with water heated to a temperature of 45 ° C. Under the bottom of the barrel is a furnace that heats the water. After water procedures in a barrel, you lie down in a wooden tub called an ofuro that’s 2 meters long, filled with sawdust from oak, cedar, linden, or small river pebbles. Sawdust is infused with essential oils, and plant extracts, salt, and other natural ingredients are often added to it. It is recommended to dive into the ofuro with sawdust up to the very neck. Under the box, there is also a furnace that heats the contents up to 50–60 °C.
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