in cooking, cosmetology and folk medicine the wording "water bath" is often used. However, not everyone understands what it is and how to use it. Consider what a water bath is and how to make it at home.

So what is a water bath and what are its benefits? It's simple enough, but effective method heating food at a controlled temperature. This method allows you to prevent burning or boiling of the contents.

The principle of operation is to transfer heat from one object to another through an “intermediary”, which is ordinary water.

The design consists of two containers of different diameters, one of which is filled with water. The other is installed on top so that its bottom touches the water.

Bath benefits include:

• food is heated slowly and evenly;
• substances are not subjected to strong heat treatment, do not lose their useful properties;
• burning of the product is excluded.

Water cannot be heated above 100°C. Accordingly, the bottom of the upper container, in which the main cooking process takes place, also cannot warm up above this value. So nothing can burn or burn. Often this method is used in the pasteurization of products - for example, home pasteurization of jars of pickles.

How to make a water bath at home

To do this, you need to take two containers of different diameters and perform the following manipulations:

1. take a deep pot bigger size;
2. place another container of smaller diameter on top, so that its bottom does not touch the bottom of the first;
3. Pour no more than half of the water into a large saucepan.

It is better to select pots so that the top rests with its handles on the rim of the bottom. Handles must be metal, otherwise there is a risk of burning them.

Instructions for use

• put a large saucepan on the stove, pour about a quarter of water into it;
• bring water to a boil;
• put the products you need in a smaller diameter saucepan, put in a larger container with boiling water.

What does it mean to heat in a water bath and what is the advantage here? Food can be reheated to a temperature of 40 to 90°C, depending on the intensity of the boiling water. It is believed that food heated in this way is more useful than, for example, cooked in a microwave, including because it excludes burning and exposure to microwaves, the harmful effects of which are debated to this day.

Consider how this process works on the example of bee products: honey, wax, propolis. Since it is with these products that people have the most difficulties.

How to melt honey

How to melt wax

In cosmetology, needlework and traditional medicine, wax is often used. With the help of it, hair removal is done, scented candles, art objects are made, and they are used to treat diseases of the joints.

If you try to melt natural wax on fire, it can easily burn. In order to avoid spoilage of the product, the use of a water bath is the only correct solution.

Wax must be handled very carefully. Not only can you easily get burned by the steam from the bath, but the melted wax also carries an increased burn hazard.

Take the required amount of wax and place it in a container that you will use for the melting procedure. Wax should be constantly stirred until the desired consistency is reached. Carefully, but quickly enough, use it for its intended purpose.

How to melt propolis

Common in folk medicine is a resinous substance that contains about 200 substances useful for humans: flavonoids, aromatic acids, trace elements, vitamins. During storage, propolis begins to harden, and then completely turns into a fragile mass, similar to rosin. It is almost impossible to use it in this form - and here again a water bath will help out.

During heating, phytoncides begin to be released from propolis - substances that are effective in the treatment of diseases such as bronchitis, rhinitis and other diseases of the lungs and nasopharynx. It is for this reason that propolis is often used for inhalation.

In some recipes, it is the liquid form that is needed - for example, for the manufacture of medicinal ointments. Depending on the recipe of this or that folk remedies, creamy or vegetable oil.

Propolis starts to melt at 80°C. Numerous studies have shown that even after boiling the product does not lose its medicinal properties. But when preparing some healing products, propolis must be mixed with other ingredients - here the best option will use a water bath.

It is recommended to heat propolis with a closed lid and it is better if it is made of glass - it is easier to control the melting process. After bringing the product to the desired consistency and adding all the necessary ingredients, it is recommended to strain the product through a sieve.

What else can you use

Gentle heating of products is in great demand in cooking, when there is a need to subject products to heat treatment, which should not exceed 100 ° C. It is also used to make various creams, sauces and even cheeses.

In folk medicine, with the help of this process, decoctions are prepared from medicinal herbs, ointments are made. This method allows you to save the maximum amount of nutrients and achieve the greatest healing effect.

The best dishes for the "bath" are pans made of thick-walled of stainless steel. If you don't have a pot with a smaller diameter, deep bowls or mugs can be used. The handles of the upper container must be made of metal.

If the upper container does not have handles or it is too small to properly fix it over boiling water, put a folded cloth napkin several times into the water at the bottom of a large saucepan. In this case, the upper container is installed on a napkin.

A water bath at home is sometimes simply irreplaceable. It’s easy to make, and with a little practice, you can independently learn how to make various culinary delights, cosmetics and folk remedies.

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Sometimes, after reading a recipe in a cookbook, you get the impression that you read some strange encryption for special agents. Blanch, stew a little with butter, boil until the "soft ball" test - and these are not all the terms used by chefs. But perhaps the most popular among them is the "water bath". How to do it, many do not know, and therefore refuse such recipes. And absolutely in vain. It is easy to make, and dishes cooked in a water or steam bath are tasty and healthy.

It is used in cases where you need delicate cooking and heating the dish to no more than 100 degrees. The easiest way to make a water bath is to pour water into one pan, and put a second, smaller one in it. This is where the food that needs to be cooked is placed. Typically, this method is used to melt butter and chocolate, as well as the preparation of custards and biscuit dough on heating. Homemade cottage cheese is also made on a similar

Another option on how to make a water bath is an impromptu steamer. To do this, you need to stretch cheesecloth on a pot of water at a height of 3-4 centimeters from the latter. Thus, you can cook steamed dishes - vegetables, fish and even meat. In fact, electric steamers work on this principle, which today can be bought at any home appliance store. Before their appearance, they used special pans with a double bottom. This method of cooking is considered the most dietary and healthy.

Many, however, believe that the steam menu is only suitable for children or for those who adhere to a strict diet. In fact, you can cook a lot of original and tasty dishes with steam. It can be a variety of soufflés, omelettes and even muffins. Cooking in a water bath saturates them with extra moisture and makes them juicy, while retaining all the benefits of the products. So the steam menu can be very diverse and not only dietary.

But this does not exhaust all the cases when you need to know how to make a water bath. To make a cheesecake, cake or soufflé in the oven, this cooking method is often used. This is due to the fact that for gentle baking you need to soften high temperature oven and prevent cracking of the top. To do this, pour water into a deep baking sheet so that it reaches the middle of the baking dish. If a detachable form is used, it must be wrapped in foil so that moisture does not get in. It is advisable to wrap in several layers and overlap, and, of course, do not rush.

Knowing how to make a water bath at home, you can diversify your menu not only with dietary dishes. The preparation of many cakes, soufflés and cheesecakes will become a very common thing thanks to her. So, it will be possible to arrange small holidays for your family every day. And steamed cutlets, fish and vegetables often look much more attractive than fried or stewed ones. And most importantly, they combine a delicate taste and health benefits, as they are prepared without adding oil.

Almost every third woman is familiar with such problems of hair and scalp as dry and brittle hair, split ends, hair loss, excessive oiliness, dullness and lack of shine, lifelessness and dandruff. And this is not surprising, given the variety of negative factors that affect the beauty and health of our hair - unfavorable environmental conditions, unbalanced diet, bad habits, lack of proper sleep and rest, use of low-quality cosmetics for hair care, stress, frequent use of a hair dryer and hair straightener, etc.

To save your hair from all the above troubles, there is a special procedure for healing and restoring hair - this is a steam bath. Steam bath for hair helps to saturate the hair with moisture, which effectively protects against damage. Steam action opens hair follicles and hair cuticles for moisture and nutrients to penetrate.

To "enrich" the hair with moisture, beauty salons use special devices - vaporizers (a device that converts water into steam). In Japan, a special apparatus was invented, which is called the "Micro Mist". Do not be upset if you do not have the desire or opportunity to visit beauty salons - a “bath day” for hair can be arranged at home using an ordinary hot towel.

For steam hair treatment at home, you must perform the following steps:

– Wash your hair thoroughly with a shampoo that suits your hair type.

- After that, it is necessary to dry the hair with a towel and apply a care product depending on the problem of the hair. It could be nourishing mask, protein conditioner, lightly warmed vegetable oil (burdock, coconut, shea butter, avocado, etc.) or a complex of therapeutic agents. cosmetic(both purchased and self-prepared) is applied in an even layer along the entire length of the hair and carefully rubbed into the scalp with light massage movements.

- Next, a towel of a suitable size (depending on the length of the hair) should be dipped in hot water, lightly wring out and gently wrap the hair. A plastic cap is put on top of the towel. To strengthen therapeutic effect steam bath, you can sit under the “dryer” for 30-40 minutes or use the hot air of a hair dryer to keep warm.

– Finish by rinsing your hair with cool water ( low temperature water, unlike hot, allows you to "seal" useful material inside the hair).

• A hair steam bath is recommended once every two weeks, or at least once a month. When strongly damaged hair you can increase the intensity of the "bath" hair treatment.

Note!!! The "steam bath" procedure involves contact with hot water and heated oil. Follow safety precautions and be extremely careful !!!

Good luck!

The material was prepared by the editors of the site site

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A steam sauna has a lot in common with a regular sauna, as it acts on the body in a similar way and causes the process of sweating. The main difference is the air conditions, thanks to which in the steam sauna there is not only relaxation, but also the improvement of the body. Besides steam sauna has the strongest cosmetic effect. The best effect on the body occurs at a temperature of 43-46 ° C, and the humidity of the air must be at least 100%, which is accompanied by thick steam. And to provide such fog, powerful steam generators are used. The room itself must be vapor-tight to prevent steam from escaping.

Steam sauna and principles of visiting it

When visiting a steam sauna, you must follow the same recommendations that apply to a regular sauna:

– the best temperature for visiting a steam sauna is the range of 43-46°C. At these temperatures, it is not only more pleasant to be indoors, but also more beneficial for the body. The state of discomfort will come if the temperature in the sauna rises even 2-3°C. To prevent this, special control systems must be installed in the room that will control the level of temperature and steam.

- Sauna starts with a shower, after which you can go directly to the steam room for 15-20 minutes. After that, the body is best cooled with cooler water or air flow. In no case should you expose the body to shock effects. If during the process of cooling the body the legs are frozen, you should make a hot bath for the feet. In total, no more than 2-3 sessions are allowed during a visit to the sauna.

- when there is not only a steam sauna in the room, but also an ordinary sauna, then you can combine their visits in turn, and after each of them you need to withstand time so that the body cools well. It is strictly forbidden to re-enter the steam room if the body has not cooled down or is generally still hot, as well as to move from one sauna to another, as the circulatory system will be overloaded.

How a steam sauna works

Being in a steam sauna, the body receives a lot of useful things:

- oxygen supply to cells and tissues increases;

- white blood cells become much larger;

- the process of blood supply to the body, as well as filling it with nutrients occurs much faster;

- for one visit to the sauna, the body loses 400-600 calories;

- the tumor death factor becomes more frequent up to 500 times;

- along with sweat, the remnants of medications taken, pesticides, as well as other toxins are removed from the body;

— the immune system strengthens, and artificial conditions are created in the body and viruses and bacteria are destroyed;

- muscle tissue relaxes and relieves tension and pain.

Steam sauna as medicine

The effect of a steam sauna cannot be underestimated. The high content of steam, as well as the humid heat of the sauna, have a healing effect on the body. It is recommended to attend procedures to maintain the general condition, as well as to improve its functioning in the following cases: bronchitis, bronchial asthma, hoarseness in the voice, cough, catarrh of the upper respiratory tract, rheumatism, joint pain and limitation of their movement. The positive impact of the steam sauna was studied by specialists from the Munich and Moscow University of Balneology and Climatology.

In addition to the healing effect on the body, the steam sauna is great as a supportive treatment and is recommended for use by those people who have sleep disorders, as well as skin problems (dryness, flabbiness, sensitivity) and muscles. While in the sauna, the work of blood vessels improves, and the skin undergoes intensive cleansing. Humid air helps open pores, dirt and dead cells are removed, and as a result, the skin condition improves, it becomes not only clean, but soft and smooth.

Not many people know how important it is to cleanse the pores of impurities that have been accumulated for months or even years. It turns out, as studies have shown, the amount of toxins in the skin is several times greater than in the urine. Therefore, some people call the skin the third kidney. The use of the above described therapy can be regarded as very effective method treatment and cleansing. Steam sauna therapy is accessible to everyone and can easily be included as a maintenance therapy.

Steam aromatic sauna

An aromatic steam sauna can be used to provide a better relaxing and healing effect. For this, evaporator vessels filled with essential oils. They mix with steam and literally envelop. In a steam room with a small area (up to 15m²), it is enough to use a vessel with 10 drops of essential oil. Along with this, you can use sound therapy.

Such procedures will benefit, first of all, those who suffer from constant overwork, nervousness. Aromatic sauna perfectly strengthens the immune system, relieves pain in the joints and muscles, and has a positive psychotherapeutic effect. The duration of the steam sauna is at least 20 minutes. The main contraindication to a steam sauna is asthma.

Steam sauna for the face

This type of sauna is an excellent skin care product. With its help, you can carry out pleasant, and at the same time, very useful procedures for facial skin: cleansing, opening pores, removing impurities, dead epidermis. As a result, at the end of the procedures, the skin becomes young, beautiful, smooth, acquires a lost tone. The sauna uses soft steam, which can be supplemented with herbal infusions. Steam saunas for the face can be portable, and equipped with a main body, measuring cup, facial attachments. There are contraindications to using a portable facial sauna. Those who have very sensitive skin should refrain from such procedures.