Sauna tradition

In addition to medical care and ablution, the Finnish sauna has also served as a place for beauty care. In the heat of the sauna, the skin pores have opened up and the impurities have washed away with the sweat. Slapping yourself with a sauna whisk (bundle of leaves and twigs increases the blood circulation and metabolism of the skin. Some herbs have been used to treat the scalp and hair. After all, it is said that a woman is at her most beautiful two hours after a sauna!

On 17 December 2020, Unesco (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) decided to add sauna bathing from Finland to its list of the intangible cultural heritage of mankind (https://ich.unesco.org/en/lists). The aim is to nurture the continuity of the sauna tradition, strengthen the vitality of the sauna culture and to bring forth the significance of the Finnish sauna culture.