All about juniper brooms

The use of juniper broom increases the effectiveness of health-improving bathing procedures, turns this type of recreation into a more pleasant and comfortable process. The reason for this are extremely useful qualities of the coniferous plant, which removes various kinds of irritations and skin diseases, heals the respiratory system, relieves pain in the joints, prevents the development of cellulite.

Juniper belongs to the long-lived (up to 600 years), which is quite difficult to reproduce in natural conditions. This evergreen plant is extremely diverse and can be found in both arboreal varieties (up to 12-15 m) and shrub forms. There are also creeping subspecies of the plant, which have now become popular in landscape design.

The leaves of young bushes are coniferous, but over time they become scaly.

Noting the antibacterial qualities of the plant, we note that 1 hectare of continuous juniper shrub in the warm season can release into the environment about 27-29 kg of phytoncides per day. This amount is able to counteract the spread of harmful microorganisms on an area 18-20 times larger.

Finally, Let's talk about juniper brooms, which are usually used in baths freshly cut. It is in this form that the quality, fragrant and revitalizing effect is obtained. Some experienced bath attendants maintain that such a broom has its best qualities after 3-4 times of use.

Let's formulate general rules of using juniper brooms.

1. It is necessary to know how to steep a broom correctly. Here the opinions of bath experts are divided. Some bathhouse attendants believe that steaming of a broom is not necessary, and it is enough to rinse it in warm water (a broom must be freshly cut). Other experts rightly consider steaming to be a necessary procedure. In this case a broom is firstly placed in a cool water for 5-7 minutes, and then it is transferred into a bucket and poured into hot water (80-85 C) for 12-15 minutes. This temperature of water reveals all the health-improving potential of the raw material. Then the instrument is wrapped into a cotton or linen blanket for 10-12 minutes in order to "ripen".
2. The juniper brooms should be used only on the second entry into the steam room. During the first session the body and the skin get warmed up, because they go through the stage of adaptation to the stiff needles.
3. Usually the whole procedure is divided into two stages: the second and the third entry into the steam room. During the second pass the bath attendants stroke the birch lightly, without making a fuss, and during the last pass they stroke it.
4. At the end of the procedure, the instrument is rinsed thoroughly in warm water, shaken vigorously to remove excess moisture from it.The tool is carefully wrapped in a cotton cloth and then placed in a polyethylene bag. Before the next session the broom should be kept in the bottom part of the fridge or in a cool place (2-4 C).

Juniper broom as a natural sterilizer has a lot of useful properties. During steaming and further use it releases a number of essential and fragrant oils that have a beneficial effect on the skin, saturating it with useful substances, improving and toning them. At the same time there is an antiseptic effect, contributing to the healing process of wounds and rashes.

Fragrant aromas of the broom cure colds and various inflammations. The broom directly eliminates pain in the joints, leveling the effects of arthritis and rheumatism.

The use of such a broom, improving blood circulation, stimulates the removal of toxins, intensifies metabolic processes, contributes to the breakdown of subcutaneous fat and eliminates the manifestations of cellulite. Bathing procedure is extremely useful for people with oily skin as plant needles containing tannins normalize sebaceous glands functioning. Coniferous aromas of the plant are useful for sufferers of bronchitis and tuberculosis.

However, For some people this treatment can be dangerous. The smells emitted by the plant can provoke allergic manifestations. If you have eczema or psoriasis, during their exacerbation, the use of such a broom is extremely undesirable and harmful. Its use in case of hypertension can provoke a spike in blood pressure. In the presence of cuts and abrasions, the broom is contraindicated.

Juniper twigs are usually collected in coniferous forests. It is harvested in May-June, because this is the time when the twigs gather the most useful substances. However, it can be harvested during the whole year, which distinguishes it from deciduous brooms. Correctly make brooms from juniper is better in tight gloves, using secateurs. At the same time choose young twigs of medium size, with fresh needles. It is better to cut them in cool weather, which prevents excessive shedding of needles.

Not all branches of the bush should be cut as the plant takes a long time to regenerate - take care of nature. The cut branches are closely stacked and tied together, placing the larger ones in the middle of the broom and the smaller ones on the outside. Tie them with a bast or linen twine. The handle of the product should be free of needles.

Bathing procedure is, first of all, comfort and pleasure, so the needles of a fresh broom should not be excessively stiff and prickly. To do this, the tool should be properly soaked and steamed. The procedure is done 35-40 minutes before entering the steam room. When steaming two methods are traditionally used, giving different effects of hardness of the needles.

• A soft method that gives a greater softness and comfort to the broom. To this end broom is steamed in hot water, kept for about 30 minutes in a covered container of wood. The longer it is steamed, the softer it becomes. It is allowed to use such brooms to stroke the body that improves blood circulation, skin tone and muscle pain.

• The hard way. To make the broom stiff, rinse it in cool water for about 2 minutes. Then dip it for one minute in boiling water. After that soak it in water of a slightly lower temperature for about 15 minutes. The broom will remain quite stiff.

The first visit to the steam room is a preparatory one, it is important to warm the body beforehand and only after this to start the procedure. But even After the warming it is not necessary to immediately resort to the juniper broom, and choose a more gentle mode, using leafy versions. Then you can apply the juniper variant, which is quite rigid, but it implies a smooth and unhurried motion with weak and medium strength. It is not necessary to whip, otherwise there will be painful sensations or minor injuries.

The tool should be lowered on the body at right angles, so that the needles do not scratch the skin. At the same time, the broom is pressed against the body, massaging it with light strokes. This useful massage is performed with light, patting and pressing movements. After having treated all the body for no longer than 5-6 minutes, you should interrupt and then continue the procedure again.

If the broom is badly steamed, it leaves traces on the body in the form of red dotted fragments. This is not dangerous and within a few hours will pass. Recall that such a broom is used in the second or third pass into the steam room - proper preparation of the body is extremely important. The duration of the procedure should not exceed 5-6 minutes. This time is shortened during the next visits.

To prevent the broom from starting to crumble after bathing procedures, it is important to adhere to certain rules of its storage, because the needles quickly get rid of when drying. In winter it is better to store brooms in the frost, and at other times of the year they are kept in dark and damp conditions, where the storage period reaches one month.

It is also convenient to keep brooms in a frozen state, for example, in the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. There broom can be stored indefinitely, preserving all its useful properties. It is not recommended to dry it, as it will start to crumble.

For even more information about juniper brooms, see the following video.