The Old Mill Spa on Voortrekker Street in McGregor
Last weekend I had an ozone steam sauna treatment in McGregor, a picturesque little village on the ‘road to nowhere’ that continues to surprise and delight me and Lateral Paul with some of the best food, wine and coffee we’ve ever experienced. McG is a hub of artisanal talent.
Health and wellness goes with the territory and there are top notch massage therapists in the town. One of the places to be kneaded, pampered and ozoned is at the Old Mill Spa (also known as the Wellness Space), right next door to Ryan and Aimee’s award winning Karoux restaurant on Voortrekker Street.
What is it all about? Ozone sauna steam treatments are amongst the least invasive and most enjoyable forms of ozone therapy, and I find it to be an excellent way to detox and destress. There are many questions, opinions and theories surrounding ozone therapy’s benefits (have a Google about it all), but for me it’s simply about having a good shvitz …getting rid of some of the toxins and tensions that gather uninvited in one’s body on a daily basis.
How does it work? You sit comfortably in an Ozone resistant steam ‘cabinet’ with your head popping out the top. An oxygen jet is placed around your neck which provides pure humidified oxygen to the nose to ensure enhanced oxygen saturation in the blood. In this way, your face remains cool and you avoid inhaling the ozone gas which can irritate the lung lining. Adjustable volumes of steam and an ozone/oxygen mixture is circulated inside the sealed off unit. The pores open and capillaries dilate due to the moist heat. This stimulates cleansing of the lymphatic system and oxygenation of the tissues. Ozone dissolves in the superficial water film on the skin and reacts immediately with polyunsaturated fatty acids in the oils of the skin. This reaction generates Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) and an array of Lipid Oxidation Products (LOP) which are able to pass through the dermis, derma and capillary wall to enter both the lymphatic system and the blood stream. For general detoxification a schedule of 10 treatments is advised, however other protocols apply when dealing with chronic illness and other health conditions.
Spa owner Karin Fuchsloch (pictured below) will take you through the ins and outs of the treatment and is always close by to check on you and dab your brow with a cool damp cloth during your session.
Frequency of treatments? This varies from person to person, depending on the body’s capacity to flush the toxins. A treatment may be anything between 15 – 30 minutes depending on the clients’ condition. Expect to emerge from the ozone chamber feeling extremely relaxed, refreshed and energised.
How long? Treatments are typically 30 minutes.
When not to use ozone? If you have hyperthyroidism, favism (deficiency of 6DPG enzyme), have recently had a heart attack (within a 3 month period), are pregnant, or have had recent internal bleeding.
Karin Fuchsloch
The ozone steam sauna cabinet..you climb in and sit inside, head popping out the top. Close the doors and voila, the sweating begins…
You are seated like so, and if you’re claustrophobic, there’s no need to panic as the door flaps are not locked, and can easily be pushed open from the inside if the need arises, which is unlikely.
When you’re done sweating it out, there’s a glass of ozone water waiting to refresh you. And to prolong the relaxation vibes a little longer, take a seat under the trees in the lovely garden opposite. And book dinner at Karoux while you’re at it. Thank me later.
PS, no showering for 30 minutes afterwards, to allow the ozone to finish its work
The Old Mill Spa is found at 44 Voortrekker Street | 023 625 1023 for appointments | Find them on Facebook
McGregor!
Until next time,