The core of spa thermal treatments are steam rooms and saunas. Both are designed to enhance wellness by increasing blood circulation, opening and cleansing pores and reducing stress, however, each has a distinctly different feel.
Traditionally saunas have a hot dry heat of up to 110°C with very low humidity. The addition of water onto the sauna rocks produces a hot steam known in Finnish as lőyly which spikes the heat and humidity for a short period. Steam rooms or hammams on the other hand are much lower in temperature typically 40-45°C with humidity levels up to 70% which can leave the bather’s skin feeling soft and moisturised. Preference is very much divided as the experiences are quite different and from experience we find male bather preferences lean toward traditional sauna and female bather preferences toward traditional steam rooms.
In commercial spa environments where both thermal treatments are available to guests, there is little wrong with sticking to the two traditional cabins with their differing levels of heat and humidity. But what if you are developing a home spa with space for just one cabin and you and your partner have differing preferences in steam and sauna? In the past, one preference would override the other leaving the cabin used less frequently and not delivering on the originally anticipated enjoyment. Now, there is a solution.
On a recent trip to the Helo factory in Finland, Aegean Spas were introduced to BWT (Bio Water Technique). A superb innovation from industry leaders of the past one hundred years, the addition of BWT to your sauna heater allows for multiple sensations and sauna experiences. The BWT water container fits between the heating elements of a number of BWT-ready sauna heaters to produce varied steam and humidity levels within a traditional sauna.
To maintain the traditional hot and dry sauna, the container can be left without water and the heater set to 80-100°C to deliver a high temperature, low humidity, intense sauna sensation. A Flexi-sauna can be created by adding water to the BWT container and setting the heater to 60-80°C resulting in more humidity, lower temperature and an overall more gentle sauna experience. Those bathers with strong preferences toward steam rooms can add water to the BWT container and set the heater to 50-60°C to enjoy long gentle sessions with enveloping steam. Bio-aromas can be added to the more gentle saunas to add a new dimension to your sauna experience.
BWT is available in all Aegean saunas by incorporating one of the following Helo BWT heaters: Havanna, Fonda, Roxx, Ringo Robust, Ringo Black or Himalaya.