If you have a gym membership you will probably also have access to a steam or shower facility. A sauna treatment not only removes toxins from the skin, but it also provides a myriad of other health benefits. Perspiration is the body’s natural cooling mechanism and loose vital salts in the process which can leave your skin looking dry.
The Cause of Odour
Contrary to popular belief, perspiration is odourless, but when it comes into contact with bacteria, we experience the familiar scent of body odour. The areas most prone to this unpleasant stench are the armpits, scalp, and pubic area. These areas attract perspiration that contains fat and other compounds. These areas also secrete pheromones, which are nature’s love cupid. Most of us cover up these areas with artificial fragrance.
We may believe that we are not absorbing a high number of toxins on a daily basis, but this is a myth. We absorb chemicals through the products we use on our skin, foods that we eat, and even the water we drink. One way that the body is able to remove these excess toxins is through perspiration.
The Hubbard Sauna Detoxification Program
In a study called the Hubbard Sauna Detoxification Program, the subjects were asked to participate for up to five hours per day, with regular breaks given for rehydration. After the World Trade Center buildings collapsed, there was an incredible level of toxins released through the air. The individuals who assisted in this situation, including firemen and policemen, bared the brunt of this toxin overload. This resulted in deteriorating health conditions including depression, cognitive disorders, and gastrointestinal complaints.
A study took place from Sept 2002 to Sept 2005 called the New York Rescue Workers Detoxification Project. It included over 500 subjects and the results were amazing. The median average of work missed after the 9/11 attack was 2.1, but after the sauna detox program, work absence dropped to just 0.2 days. Health issues, which were troublesome and included emotional and respiratory problems and the requirement of drugs to treat the condition also cleared up. 84 percent of subjects were able to stop taking their medication.
Sauna’s Work the Heart
The American College of Cardiology published a study, which indicated that sitting in a sauna for 15-minutes over a two-week period improved the area that lines the arteries—the endothelial cells—by 40 percent.
Smother the Skin with Coconut Oil
After a sauna you will want to cool down with a warm shower. This will wash away the excess perspiration and leave your skin glowing. Treat your skin to moisture and smother it with coconut oil. This will leave the skin feeling baby soft. If you use the unrefined organic coconut oil, you will also absorb the anti-bacterial and anti-fungal benefits that coconut oil brings. After a sauna, remember to drink lots of water, which will replenish the body’s cells. You also have the choice of whether to mix essential oils with coconut oil, which will penetrate into the deepest layers of the skin—the dermis.
