45–50°C eucalyptus & peppermint · Included in every session
Steam Room
The steam room sits at half the temperature of the sauna, which makes it easier to stay in longer, breathe more deeply, and let the aromatherapy do its work. For some people it becomes their favourite space in the building. For others it’s the transition point, somewhere to ease into the heat before the sauna, or to wind down before the mineral pool.
It’s infused with eucalyptus and peppermint throughout every session, not as an add-on, not as a scent diffuser plugged into a wall, but built into the steam itself. And it’s included in every Haven session alongside the Finnish sauna, ice bath, and heated magnesium mineral pool.
Sauna vs steam
Same heat, very different experience
People sometimes assume the steam room and sauna are interchangeable, a hot room is a hot room. They’re not. The temperature and humidity profiles produce genuinely different physiological and sensory experiences, and they complement each other in a circuit rather than duplicating each other.
- 85–90°C dry heat
- 10–20% humidity at rest
- Intense, penetrating heat
- 10–15 min per round typical
- Best for cardiovascular and deep muscle benefit
- 45–50°C humid heat
- 95–100% humidity
- Softer, enveloping warmth
- 15–20 min per round comfortable
- Best for respiratory, skin, and aromatherapy benefit
Neither is better, they do different things. Using both in a single session gives you more range than either alone, which is why they’re both included in every Haven booking.
Try both in one session.
BOOK A SESSIONAromatherapy
Why these two oils, and why the steam room
Scent works faster on the nervous system than almost any other sensory input, it bypasses conscious processing and hits the limbic system directly, which is why certain smells can shift your mood before you’ve had a chance to think about them. In a steam room, with deep, slow breathing and open pores, that effect is amplified considerably. Eucalyptus and peppermint were chosen specifically because their active compounds work on the airways, which is exactly what you’re using most in a steam room.
Eucalyptus
The active compound, 1,8-cineole, is a natural decongestant and anti-inflammatory. It reduces swelling in the airways, making breathing physically easier and producing a cooling sensation despite the heat.
Clears sinuses · reduces mental fatigue · mildly cooling
Peppermint
Menthol activates cold receptors in the nose and throat, creating a strong sensation of openness without actually lowering the temperature. Peppermint is also well-studied for reducing tension headaches and lifting alertness.
Opens airways · reduces headaches · invigorating
Together they produce an effect that most people notice within the first minute, a deepening of the breath, a clearing of the head, and a kind of alertness that doesn’t feel like stimulation so much as clarity. It’s one of the more immediate and reliable sensory experiences in the building.
The benefits
The benefits, and why humidity makes a difference
Most of what a sauna does, the steam room also does, but the humidity adds its own layer of benefit, particularly for the respiratory system and skin.
Respiratory health
Warm, moist air soothes inflamed airways, loosens mucus, and reduces congestion. For people prone to sinus issues, colds, or mild asthma, regular steam exposure can meaningfully reduce the frequency and severity of symptoms. The eucalyptus amplifies this effect.
Skin
Steam opens pores and hydrates the skin from the outside in, the opposite of what most skincare products do. A 15-minute steam session can soften skin more effectively than almost anything topical. Pores that are properly opened also respond better to skincare applied immediately after.
Muscle relaxation
The heat relaxes muscle tissue and increases blood flow, reducing tension and easing joint stiffness. The lower temperature compared to the sauna makes it more comfortable to stay in long enough for this effect to fully develop, especially for people who find the sauna too intense.
Stress reduction
The combination of warmth, high humidity, low light, and controlled breathing creates a parasympathetic response, the nervous system’s rest-and-digest mode. Cortisol drops. Heart rate slows. The peppermint and eucalyptus reinforce this by occupying the olfactory system with something grounding.
Detoxification
Sweating in humid heat draws waste products to the skin’s surface. The humidity means sweat evaporates more slowly, so it stays on the skin longer, which some research suggests increases how effectively the body uses sweating as a clearing mechanism compared to dry heat.
Accessible entry point
At 45–50°C, the steam room is significantly more approachable than the sauna for people new to heat therapy, those with lower heat tolerance, or anyone who finds 85°C overwhelming. It provides most of the same benefits at a temperature most people can comfortably manage from their first session.
Every pass includes the steam room.
SEE PRICINGThe ritual
Getting the most from the steam room
Breathe slowly and deliberately
This isn’t the place to sit and scroll mentally through your to-do list. The steam room works best when you’re actually breathing it in, slow inhales through the nose, long exhales. The aromatherapy effect is significantly stronger when you’re breathing with intention rather than just sitting in the room.
Stay 15–20 minutes per round
The lower temperature means you can stay longer than in the sauna, and the benefits, particularly for skin and respiratory health, build with time. Under 10 minutes is too short to get much from it.
Use it before or after the sauna, both work
Before the sauna, it’s a gentler way to warm up, open the airways, and prepare the body for more intense heat. After the sauna, it’s a softer landing before cold immersion, still warm, but less demanding. Experiment and see what your body prefers.
Follow with cold
The steam room and ice bath are a natural pair, the contrast between 50°C humid heat and 6°C cold water produces a sharp, clean reset that most people find even more effective than sauna-to-cold. It’s worth trying both combinations across a session.
Drink water
Humid heat still dehydrates you, it’s easy to miss because you’re not dripping sweat the way you do in the sauna. Drink before you go in and between rounds.
Included in every session
Steam room at Haven Wellness,
Smeaton Grange
The steam room is included in every Haven session, no upgrade and no separate booking. You get 90 minutes of access alongside the Finnish sauna, ice bath, and heated magnesium mineral pool. Towels provided.