We have written about Chromo therapy previously but mainly focused on its benefits and how it is becoming more popular as an option in infrared saunas. This article highlights a little more of the individual benefits the various color wavelengths provide.

The effects have earned notoriety and evidence.

What Benefit Does Each Chromotherapy Color Provide?

Red Chromotherapy Light for Energy

Red is vibrant and can increase your energy. It can rejuvenate your body’s energy and improves the ability of infrared to speed up recovery from injury.

Red chromotherapy lights are different than dedicated Red Light Therapy, which is beneficial for producing collagen cells and the skin itself is improved.  It is well known in energy medicine as effective for conditions such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and major depressive disorder.

If a person is already agitated, red light can unfortunately further excite that emotion causing even more aggression.

Orange Stimulates Thinking

Orange is similar to red in that it can stimulate thinking and uplifts the emotions.  Energy levels are increased and a person’s overall mood can be greatly enhanced.

Orange is a revitalizer.  It is warm and inviting and sites between red and the sunny yellow. Looking at this hue is particularly beneficial as an effective relaxation technique. Orange light therapy can even help with some symptoms of mood disorders by providing a reall sense of joy and optimism.

Yellow Light Is Cheerful

Yellow influences more of a person’s outlook. It is often described as cheerful and makes people feel more optimistic. Cheerful is how it is often described.

Ask anyone how it feels to finally see the bright yellow sun outside after periods of cloudy winter days if they are suffering from symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Personally, just watching a sunrise or colorful sunset brings a smile to my face. The vibrant colors of yellow contrasted with purples always amazes me.

Green – A Balancer Color

Green can also be a color of healing. This is the color to use if you are suffering from SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). It can provide clearer thinking. This has definitely had an effect on a relative of mine who suffers from SAD.  She counts the days after December 21 each year.  That day is northern winter solstice and the days begin to become longer each day after that.

Perhaps it is also partly associated with this as green also symbolizes spring, renewal and growth of plants and everything green.

Blue Is The Healer Color

Blue is recognized for its help with dealing with depression as well. It can help in reducing inflammation and also provide antibacterial benefit for the skin. Many times I have seen pictures of blue skies dotted with white clouds in medical settings, presumably for their calming effects.

Blue is cool and serene.  many medical people, including a chiropractor I visited many times years ago have shared that staring at a blue sky with contrasting white in the clouds is calming.  Many have images of blue skies and clouds on the walls of their waiting rooms.

Blue can help to regulate sheep patterns and calm a person for the night.  Interestingly, however, is that any blue light at night in the bedroom can interrupt these sleep patterns (Circadian rhythms) and should be avoided.

Purple Light Color

Purple can actually really help those with things like fibromyalgia. It also adds benefit to white blood cells

Pink Is An Overlooked Chromotherapy Color

Pink is often-overlooked as a beneficial color in chromotherapy.  Despite this it does hold significant therapeutic benefits, particularly related to emotional and mental healing. It is often associated with love and compassion and it can be soothing and comforting  This makes it helpful for calming the mind.  However, extended exposure to pink can negatively affect some people and even result in feelings of aggression.

This versatile color can also help with sleep disorders, although some people simply do not enjoy this part of the color wheel.

Is White Light Chromotherapy Beneficial?

While we may not think of white light being anything unique or special or related to psycho-emotional healing,  However, when used in light therapy, it can have significant benefits. It is interesting to note that many state that white is the most common in LED therapy.

White is actually the combination of the full spectrum of all colors, making it unique in its healing capacity.  It is stated in the holistic approach to be able to unclutter the mind and stimulate the immune system.

We find it particularly interesting that white light can increase Vitamin D levels. Vitamin D (which is actually a hormone, not a vitamin) is crucial for many bodily functions and hormone production.

We obtain Vitamin D3 when sunlight directly impacts our skin. During winter months or when the sun is below 45 degrees, we create minimal amounts of Vitamin D3 from sunlight.

Color Lights as a Sauna Feature

Many brands including top rated Sunlighten are incorporating chromotherapy as therapeutic lighting into their saunas. The original Clearlight I purchased 12 years ago had these LEDs on the ceiling.  Clearlight still has this as part of their chromotherapy sauna essential features.

Personally I did not notice much of a difference in anything when using the chromotherapy versus when I did not.  However, I did not use them very many times so I did not have much to compare it against.

As far back as 1987, in a book which became a best seller entitled Color Me Beautiful, author Carol Jackson wrote about color phycology, specifically how various colored clothing would highlight a person’s eyes. Different people had different palates of clothing which could create various images for the same person. This was an early application of phototherapy understanding.

She also wrote about chromotherapy research and how it could enhance a person’s mind and body. Even confidence could be influenced by choosing certain shades of clothing.

Now, decades later, more sauna companies are adding this feature as standard. Some such as Clearlight offer  medical grade levels of the feature.

In a future article we will look at ways to reduce or minimize exposure for a healthier living environment.

We have a page dedicated to recommending and researching the infrared sauna with low emf ratings.

Electromagnetic Devices in Your House

Perhaps you have heard of Electromagnetic Fields, called EMFs. But what the most common sources of EMFs you will encounter on a regular basis?

Natural Forms Of Electromagnetic Fields

Natural forms have always existed. These are invisible to us but are present everywhere in our environment. They are often a result of the natural electric changes in our atmosphere such as during thunderstorms. The natural field around the earth is what allows us to navigate by use of a compass which orients itself in a northern and southern direction. It is this same pull that is used by whales, fish and birds in their travel patterns.

What Causes EMF in a House?

Although natural forms of electromagnetic fields do not normally pose a threat, we start facing problems due to the type of wavelengths made by man. On our site we list infrared sauna emf ratings for the top rated saunas as well as some less desirable brands.  Some of the issues with man-made electromagnetic fields are discussed in this article on the WHO website:

Besides natural sources the electromagnetic spectrum also includes fields generated by human-made sources: X-rays are employed to diagnose a broken limb after a sport accident. The electricity that comes out of every power socket has associated low frequency electromagnetic fields. And various kinds of higher frequency radiowaves are used to transmit information – whether via TV antennas, radio stations or mobile phone base stations.

Mobile telephones, television and radio transmitters and radar produce RF fields. These fields are used to transmit information over long distances and form the basis of telecommunications as well as radio and television broadcasting all over the world. Microwaves are RF fields at high frequencies in the GHz range. In microwaves ovens, we use them to quickly heat food. WHO | What are electromagnetic fields?>

Why do the man made forms as discussed above cause problems?

Electric fields (EF) exist when there are differences in voltages. A stronger EF will result from a stronger voltage. Related to this are the Magnetic Fields (MF) which appear when electricity flows through some type of conduit and is the greatest when the current is the greatest.

While the EF will exist even when there is not flow of current, the combination of EF and MF will create the EMFs we are discussing in this article.

How to EMF Proof Your Home?

Laptop Computers

The length of time we are exposed to computers in various forms is the primary reason for the large amount of exposure.

While EMFs are ubiquitous in modern homes due to electronic devices and appliances, the level of exposure typically decreases with distance from the source. Some individuals may be more sensitive to EMFs, leading to concerns about potential health effects, although scientific consensus regarding the risks of low-level EMF exposure is still evolving.

Wi-Fi Devices

Any device that is using Wi-Fi via a network or wireless router will generate significant amounts of EMF radiation. We have so much smart technology in our lives that it is easy to forget about how much of it actually surrounds us. Wireless devices amplify this and pose a significant risk. Many homes have over a dozen such devices running at all times.

This wireless form has been shown to cause cancer, reproductive issues and child development problems. You can protect yourself by turning off the Wi-Fi routers and devices when they are not in use. It is easy to protect yourself during the 8 hours each night by removing all wireless devices form your bedroom. Low radiation Wi-Fi routers have also come to market and should be considered. And always ask yourself – do I need this new smart technology device?

Microwaves and Televisions

These two have been around in our homes much longer than the 3 previously mentioned. Modern flat screen televisions actually produce much less radiation than older models which is a positive in the midst of all the other negative trends. However choosing one with additional smart technology such as Wi-Fi will increase the exposure.

Microwaves on the other hand emit enough radiation to literally cook food! They produces massive amounts of these electromagnetic fields. In our home, we choose to never use a microwave. If you do use yours, after starting the microwave, it is best to leave the kitchen while it is running. It is a small inconvenience that will easily minimize a massive amount of exposure.

While there are many hidden sources in the home, the above five are the most common and largest visible sources of this type of radiation exposure.

Cell Phones

Although cell phones are not measured in the same way or with the same meters as infrared saunas, they emit radio frequencies. However, the following article also seems to downplay their influence.

Cell phones may be the biggest culprit mainly due to the fact that they are carried at all times and often placed next to the ear and near the body’s brain when in use as discussed here:

Some people are concerned that radio frequency energy from cell phones will cause cancer or other serious health hazards. Based on the evaluation of the currently available information, the FDA believes that the weight of scientific evidence has not linked exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phone use with any health problems at or below the radio frequency exposure limits set by the FCC.

Key points:

• Cell phones emit low levels of radio frequency energy, a type of non-ionizing radiation.
• The available scientific data on exposure to radio frequency energy show no categorical proof of any adverse biological effects other than tissue heating.
• Public health data show no association between exposure to radio frequency energy from cell phone use and health problems.  Do Cell Phones Pose a Health Hazard?

Image courtesy of: who.int

One of the primary health reasons for using a sauna and possibly the most beneficial is detoxification.  An infrared detoxification can result in elimination of heavy metals, chemicals and many other toxins which are detrimental to your health.  Following some guidelines can safely increase your benefits significantly.

Infrared saunas result in a much better detox than traditional steam.  This is primarily due to the way they heat the body, the air, and also your skin temperature.  We want to use this to our advantage. Our Sauna Reviews page highlights the brands that provide the best proven detoxification benefits.

What is the Most Important Tip on Using infrared?

The correct temperature settings are the most important thing you can do. Correct temperature usage can double your benefits.  We suggest you read this separate page on best temperature settings to gain the most benefits.

Here are some additional ways to maximize your individual benefits from your infrared sessions.  Some can be applied before, during and after your session.

Hydrate Properly

A proper protocol for detox starts with something that is obvious. Hydrate. This is important as the more hydrated your cells are, the more toxins can be released in sweat.

Drink a glass of water before beginning the sauna session.  The higher the temperature will be, the more water should be consumed before, during and after the heath therapy.

You should drink a full 16-20 ounce glass of water prior to your session.  You could also drink a non-sugary sports drink or better yet coconut water.  Coconut water has the added advantage of being loaded with electrolytes and all the nutrients needed for your body to assimilate the fluid completely and quickly.

Avoid sugary drinks, sodas, coffee or fruit juices with added sugar.  Your body will want to sweat out toxic matter from itself and will need a lot of fluid to perform this task well.

How important is this?  Many spas and wellness centers including the  well known Holistic Healing Centre, located just outside Sydney Australia, hang posters with this as the number one recommendation.

Showering Before Using A Sauna

Although not necessary, some users find showering prior to using their sauna results in a faster and heavier sweat and a more invigorating experience. It can also begin the stimulation of your body’s circulation.

This shower will also remove dirt, dry skin, lotion or any other residue which could hinder proper sweating.  As well, you could also dry brush your skin.  This brushing will increase circulation and has additional benefits.  It is not necessary but it does add some benefit and many think it feels great.

Should You Go Into A Sauna Wet Or Dry?

After your shower, dry off thoroughly.  Dry skin will sweat more than wet skin.

Sit On A Towel And Bring Extra Towel

Sitting on a towel protects the wood bench from extended periods of sweating.  It is also more comfortable for you than sitting on the wood directly.

What Are You Supposed To Wear In A Sauna?

Wear as little clothing as possible.  In your own home, ideally no clothing at all or loose cotton shorts allow the best experience, especially in an infrared sauna.  The Infrared is hindered by clothing so if any area is injured or needs special attention, it needs to have direct contact with the infrared light waves. This is possible if it is in your home.

Wear Cotton

If you are wearing clothing, wear as little as possible of loose fitting clothing that is breathable.  Cotton shorts and top would be the better choice.  Although rolling up the sleeves, legs and waist to expose as much skin to the infrared as possible is what is needed.  Avoid synthetic material clothing.

Remove Jewelry

Jewelry will get hot against your skin and become uncomfortable.

Your First Sauna Sessions

What Time Of Day Is Best For Sauna?

Some users find the session will relax them, preparing them for a good nights sleep and they enjoy the sauna in the evening.  Others are invigorated by the session and like to enjoy the renewed energy hours before bed.  You will learn quickly what time of day you enjoy the best.

First Sauna Session Length

Beginners should start with 10-15 minute sessions.  Slowly build up to 25-30 minutes.  But also listen to your body.  If you begin to feel weak, tired or too hot, open the door or simply step out of the cabin.  When beginning you should definitely try to not overdo any session.

Many beginners that have been more sedentary may also notice they may not begin to sweat until being in the cabin for 20-30 minutes.  This can be normal.  Your body will learn to begin sweating sooner as your progress.

Infrared types are best experienced at lower temperatures of 110-125 degrees F.  This may seem cool for you if you have been used to the traditional steam variety where temps can reach 180-200 degrees F.  But in fact you will receive more benefits when the temps are kept lower.

Consult Your Physician

Always consult your physician prior to beginning use of any healing device.  This toxin removal can also begin removing medications you have stored up in your body.  Please see our recommendation on contraindications.  Avoid the sauna entirely if you are pregnant as the heat and release of toxins are not good for the unborn.

How Do I Prepare My Skin For A Sauna

Exfoliate with dry brushing your skin prior to a sauna sessions will increase the benefits to your skin.  Although not crucial, we have discussed this previously as a real extra bonus action you can take.

Wash your face and remove makeup.  You can then apply a natural moisturizer or coconut oil if you would like.

What to Eat Prior to a Sauna?

Avoid Alcohol

Avoid a large meal or rich foods like meats prior to entering the sauna.  High calories foods can lower your blood pressure.

Avoid Rich Foods And Meat

Avoid Overly Rich Foods Like sipping alcoholic drinks, high-calorie foods can lower your blood pressure. Avoid eating fish and meat if you’re planning to visit a sauna.

Fiber for Mobilized Toxin Removal

Once the toxins are released and mobilized in the body, those that are not secreted in the sweat are released into the digestive system.  Without proper fiber in the intestines, a portion of these toxins will be reabsorbed back into the body, being again deposited into fat cells.

While eating a heavy meal prior to your session is not recommended, having fiber in the form of a smoothie, green powder, fruits or vegetables more than an hour before or after can be beneficial in aiding the removal of these toxins.

Chlorella can be excellent to have mixed in water.  It binds to heavy metals and toxins and picks them up like a sponge.

After your session, take a warm shower to wash off the toxins that are now on the outside of your skin. Many find that a cool shower rinse after a warm shower invigorates them and their skin.  So enjoy a good shower followed by a cool rinse.  This will also close up the pores.

When showering, avoid chemical laden soaps and heavy lotions.  Your pores are open wide immediately after a heat therapy and you want to avoid clogging them.

Plan a little time to relax as a session can often leave you feeling a little drained for a few minutes.

Some users find the session will relax them, preparing them for a good nights sleep and they enjoy the the experience in the evening.  Others are invigorated by the session and like to enjoy the renewed energy hours before bed.  You will learn quickly what time of day you enjoy the best.

Hydrate again.  Have another 8-16 ounce glass of water to replenish what has been lost during your heat therapy.

For a detailed look at the remarkable health benefits of an infrared sauna see our benefits page.

One of the critical elements in choosing an infrared sauna is the locations of the heaters.  The emissivity and power of the heating elements is critical, but their location is an area that many brands struggle to utilize.

A key to deep detoxification and sweating is raising your core body temperature to a high enough degree.  You want to have heaters on all sides of your body when seated.  This includes behind and beside your legs and importantly on the front wall of the unit.

Front Heaters Increase Detoxification

Unless your front side is heated, you will not effectively detox your body.  One of the problems with carbon heaters is that, while the heat they produce can be a higher quality, they produce less of the needed wavelengths.  To accommodate for this, many companies add carbon all the way up over your head and nearly up to the ceiling.  This essentially heats the air but does not add benefit to the intended beneficial detoxification.  You need panels pointing directly at you as light moves in a straight line.

Infrared Sauna Brands with Front Heaters

Brand Comparison

We have a comparison chart that details the best infrared saunas on the market.  The top brands all provide an exceptional amount of heat with heating elements in all the required locations.

Heavenly Heat

One exceptional brand which is unrivaled in its purity and medical grade heaters is Heavenly Heat.  Heavenly Heat took an excellent approach in its one person unit.  The owner of Heavenly Heat noticed that two other brands simply reduced the size of their 2 person units and removed heaters in the process. They have instead designed their one person to have proper amount of infrared.

Heavenly Heat is perhaps the only fully medical sauna due to its commitment to purity.  That is the main reason it could have this type of radical design as it has the freedom to do everything exactly as it should be done.

This is the best designed 1 person unit and it is provides the most powerful and low EMF heat on the market.

Clearlight

Clearlight was one of the earliest to correctly implement front heaters.  Their earlier models had half windows in front with the carbon panels underneath the glass on the indoor as well as the clearlight outdoor sauna.

Sunlighten

Sunlighten has incorporated large near-infrared heaters in their full spectrum units.

Vital Health

Another brand that is every efficient in its designs to maximize the square inches of wall space available in a cabin is Vital Health.  Vital Health infrared sauna is owned and designed by a former engineer which explains the efficient use of cabin space.  Pictured above is a front corner of the brand’s smaller units showing how efficiently the space is utilized.

To receive the full benefit of infrared, your body need to be surrounded.  The majority of saunas produced even just 12 years ago did not have front heaters.  Many also omitted them on the side walls and importantly, behind the legs.  Having infrared behind the legs is important for a full body exposure to the healing light waves.  But having them behind the legs also helps keep the entire body close to an even temperature.

Brands Missing Front Heaters

Health Mate

Health Mate is a brand that disappointed greatly in this regard.  After the quality of their ceramic heater based units decreased, they then added a new unit with carbon heaters.  However the only carbon panel in on the back wall.  There is no infrared panels on the sides or behind the legs under the bench. They also lack the important front panels.

Even Sunlighten omits under the bench behind the calf carbon on a couple of their products.  This is a disappointing factor in an otherwise excellent brand.  We hope they remedy that in the future.  But as of 2024 those are still missing on some models.

Heater Placement Provides Effective Heating

Many of us were mentioning starting in 2012 that most companies do not include front heating.  Since that time, more brands are thankfully beginning to add them.  As a result, a higher percentage of brands now included these compared to 12 years ago.  However, additional units for the sake of filling walls does not directly correlate to an improvement in the benefits of that company’s products.

Having the right type of high-emissivity panels is what is most important.

As an example, although one popular, yet cheap, brand appears to use weaker generic carbon panels, it has posted on its site an excited announcement that they now include them also in the front.  It is announced with all capital letters and an exclamation point!

While we like to see the additions as mentioned by that  company’s website, it is only one part of providing you with the most healing benefits.

Clearlight saunas, a top rated brand since 2012 on our Best Infrared Saunas Comparison chart, often shares very clearly where they place their highest emissivity heaters.

They place front and other heaters so that they can produce the optimal wavelengths between 6-12 microns.  These wavelengths are those that most closely match those of the human body.

Infrared Light Travels In A Straight Line

It is clear that heating elements on the front wall is a desirable placement to send these healing wavelengths to all sides of your body.  It is important to remember that infrared travels in a straight line.  Without heating elements in front of you, that portion of your body will not receive the light waves or the healing properties they carry.

These light waves also do not penetrate wood.  So it is confusing and disappointing to see a few brands place dozens of wooden slats in front of the heat elements.  There are 4 brands which look identical and all have several dozen of these slats.  While they promote this as a more comfortable way to lean back into the back wall of the cabin, they are also blocking nearly 60% of all of the infrared.

It should be noted that the reason all 4 brands look identical is because they are.  They are all produced in the same assembly line in China and are the identical products.  Only the brand name is different and all are actually dealers of the same brand.

When choosing your brand, ensure that there are adequate heat elements all around your body.  A second critical component is to ensure that the carbon panels or ceramic elements are actually high emissivity elements.

Please consult our brand comparison chart, read the reviews of the top 4 rated brands.  When you choose based on those recommendations, you will have a sauna that will last for decades.  And you will have all of the heating elements you need for deep detoxification and the other benefits this therapy is known to provide.

Jacuzzi did not purchase Clearlight saunas. Jacuzzi wanted to expand its product offerings to include infrared saunas and in May 2017, they agreed to form a partnership with Clearlight. Jacuzzi selected Clearlight after conducting over 2 years of due diligence.  We explain the decisions and details behind the partnership to help you make a good purchase decision.

What Does this Jacuzzi Clearlight Partnership mean for Us?

Their decision should give you a great deal of confidence in choosing this brand for your own home.  We have a full Jacuzzi® Clearlight infrared sauna review based on research starting in 2012.  The purchase did not change the clearlight sauna price. We have rated this brand as a top choice since 2014 and are encouraged to see a company with the standards of Jacuzzi to choose them as a partner.

It was this reputation for extreme quality that prompted the hot tub manufacturer to consider this company, which was the first to pioneer the blending of ceramic and carbon heater.  This resulted in a heater able to deliver a more penetrating wavelength and a deeper healing, detoxification and warmth.  All of this was available to the user at the lowest EMFs, or electromagnetic fields, available at the time.  It continues to lead with near zero EMF heaters.

Jacuzzi pioneered the hydrotherapy industry and is still the leader in hot tubs.  It also manufactures walk in showers, pool equipment and everything needed to create your own bathtub and in home spa retreat. Its hot tubs use what they refer to as hydromassage for competitive athletes and the everyday weekend warrior athlete.  Warm water has long been known to help the body and mind to relax and promote internal health and healing.  It can relieve stress, lower back pain, muscle cramps and sleeplessness.

Clearlight Infrared and Jacuzzi Inc. today announced an exclusive licensing partnership for infrared saunas. Clearlight Infrared will manufacture and market a premium line of infrared saunas under the Jacuzzi ® brand.

“We are pleased to be working with such a great company,” said Dr. Raleigh Duncan, founder of Clearlight Infrared. “Infrared therapy is a natural fit to help people live more vibrant, productive and balanced lives.”

The Importance of Greater Health and Wellness

Infrared saunas are effective at improving one’s overall health and wellness by helping to boost the immune system, aiding with detoxification, improving sleep, reducing stress, increasing metabolism, and improving heart health among other health and wellness benefits.

Design, Quality, and Effectiveness. From trend-setting design, exceptional furniture grade sauna cabins and state-of-the-art infrared heater technology, Jacuzzi® saunas deliver the ultimate infrared therapy experience. Clearlight infrared and Jacuzzi Inc. Partnership

As the above article clarified, there was no purchase.  It was a licensing agreement reached after months of discussions.  The same quality that has been the backbone of this top rated brand’s Premier and Sanctuary models is the same that is still being designed into them today. The effectiveness of the True Wave II heaters and the long standing commitment to the highest quality was behind the decision as shared here:

“The partnership with Clearlight Infrared fits well with our company’s focus on well-being, and commitment to improving the lives of our customers,” states Jacuzzi Group Worldwide CEO Bob Rowan.

Jacuzzi Brands LLC, d/b/a/ Jacuzzi Group Worldwide, through its subsidiaries is a global manufacturer and distributor of high quality and innovative branded bath, plumbing and backyard products for the residential, commercial and institutional markets.

Jacuzzi® product offerings include outdoor hot tubs, bathtubs, showers, sanitary ware, fixtures, aftermarket products and accessories.

Each Clearlight Infrared Sauna model is manufactured with the finest Grade-A Clear Western Red Canadian Cedar or hypo-allergenic Basswood. Moreover, they are the only infrared sauna in the world to offer a full lifetime warranty for home use.  Clearlight Infrared and Jacuzzi Inc. Form a Licensing Partnership for Jacuzzi® Infrared Saunas

Both of these companies individually have received numerous awards over the years.  As CEO Bob Rowan has expressed, their company has as its focus the well-being and improvement of their customers’ lives.  Their brand is known for the highest level of quality.  One such example is their winning of the following spa of the year award:

As part of the Equip’Hotel show that will take place in Paris from 16th to 20th November , the Equip’Innov awards – which aim to reward the most innovative products amont the suppliers of hotels and restaurants – have just  been unveiled.

At a ceremony held in Paris on Thursday 30th October, a jury of 16 professionals has selected the best products among 8 categories involved in the competition. Out of 68 shortlisted products (more than 200 products considered) Jacuzzi® won the “spa” award with its professional spa Enjoy, a 6-seater hot tub dedicated to professional use. Jacuzzi® awarded by the hotel industry!

At Healing Heat Therapy, we are fortunate enough to be able to talk with the owners of several industry leaders on a regular basis.  This access keeps us informed as to the details of agreements such as this, as well as model changes and improvements.  We have seen this brand add some great additions to its lines as well as adding new features although this has not greatly affected the clearlight sauna price.

Products and Models Added After Partnership

Outdoor Sanctuary 5

One very interesting addition has been the 5 person outdoor Sanctuary 5 model that can be controlled from indoors via a smart phone or tablet app.  We anticipate even more additions during the rest of 2018 and into 2019.  (2024 update: they have continued the same quality standards and have added new products and made some improvements to others).

Clearlight® HALO ONE® Halotherapy

Another interesting new product is the HALO ONE® Halotherapy.  The first version diffused salt particles into the air.  The current second generation HALO ONE® uses a liquid saline solution of micronized salt particles that it then diffuses into the air.

images courtesy of:

infraredsauna.com

jacuzzi.com

An interesting trend is that of luxury hotels and resorts have been adding infrared saunas as well as the traditional Finnish style.  This is a trend that we welcome.  And it includes traditional and established resorts usually steeped in the tradition of Finnish only.  Pools, spas, hot tubs, infrared and steam are joined together to offer guests a myriad of choices as they seek to relax.

The future looks very bright for all forms of heat therapies.  Our direct connections with numerous company owners has allowed us to see ever increasing sales during the past 18 months.  As we look at 2019 and beyond, we see the upcoming years as a time of tremendous growth.  We will continue to research and publish findings as to the best far infrared saunas on the market.

Infrared Saunas Added into Traditional Steam Settings

The tradition rich, Austria-based Ebner’s Waldhof has added infrared saunas to its amenities.  Prices for a stay at the Ebner’s Waldhof range from $250 to upwards of $650.  Guests at this exclusive hotel resort, which is located in Austria in the mountains of Sound of Music fame, have their choice of steam rooms, spas and infrared.

At Ebner’s Waldhof Hotel in Austria, guests can enjoy a unique sauna experience that combines healthy living and rest. The hotel is next to the peaceful Lake Fuschl and has a large sauna area built to suit different tastes and health needs. The Finnish sauna is the main attraction. The dry heat fills the room and makes you feel energized. It’s great for detoxing and relieving stress.

Suppose you’re looking for a less powerful option. In that case, the bio-sauna has a cooler temperature and more humidity, making it perfect for people who might find the traditional Finnish sauna too hot.

In addition to these classic choices, Ebner’s Waldhof has an herbal sauna and a steam bath, which are very relaxing and offer different scents. The herbal sauna uses natural herbs to make a soothing space that helps with breathing and comfort. This benefit is especially popular in the winter. On the other hand, the steam bath focuses on moisturizing the skin and clearing the airways, making it a favorite in the winter. The sauna at Ebner’s Waldhof is perfect for everyone because it has all of these excellent features, beautiful views of the outdoors, and thoughtful, fancy touches all over the spa area.

Additional Examples of the Increase

Another excellent example is the Radisson Royal Hotel in Moscow which now offers infrared therapy to its guests.  The Royal Hotel was established in 1957 and is surrounded by the traditions of Moscow. Yet even in this environment of Russian heritage, with its Russian baths and bathhouses, the modern healing treatments are available.  Guests also have access to a large pool.

But this is no ordinary pool.  It holds its place in Russia’s Book of Records as the record-breaking longest hotel indoor swimming pool. And now next to a the lane swimming pool and alongside a Russian bath (banya) is the infrared cabin.

Some have resisted the inclusion of modern cabins in a part of the world that has long held the traditional view of hot steam rooms and baths being the only true spa experience.

However, the use of public saunas in hotels has reached enough popularity that Olympic Hot Tub has published its rules for proper etiquette in these environments.  Their rules include simple common rules such as using what they call your indoor voices and showering prior to using a spa or steam room.

The guidelines may seem like common knowledge.  However, what is all too common is the breaking of that rule.  A door held open for even a minute allows the beneficial hot air to escape and breaks the relaxation environment by allowing outside noises to invade the occupants’ setting.

Industry Report

A recent industry report form September 27, 2018 forecasts a bright future for the industry.  The market overall has grown by 50% during the past 5 years and is predicted to continue this trend.  The annual report from the Steam Rooms Market Outlook report supports this.

Most reports on the Steam Rooms Market provide an in-depth look at the Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2018–2025. The Steam Rooms global market study answers several questions for stakeholders, mainly about which market segments they should focus on over the next seven years to decide where to put their efforts and money. These questions include the current state of the market, future opportunities, and the global and regional distribution of the industry.

Everything we read forecasts the industry’s growth rate and market value to be the driving factors in the industry. The information on the Steam Rooms Market is built on the newest news, opportunities, and trends. The Global Market study report makes it easy to understand the important factors that will likely change the global market in the near future.

Outlook and Future

Some of the biggest manufacturers are also focused on growing their businesses in areas that could benefit them. The biggest companies in the industry control most of the business because they can reach a large number of people and have huge factories.

While the report delves deeply into a dizzying amount of details, facts and figures, the overall message is clear.  This market has been increasing and will continue to increase significantly during the next half a decade.  The same report goes on show how industry players are expanding their offerings due to this foretasted demand increase.

Update for 2024: This trend has continued as it was predicted. The past several years the popularity has increased at an increasing rate each year.

We Are Optimistic

We are very glad to see this great tool for health and healing gaining more attention and we are looking forward to what the new year brings.  We already know of an enrichment one company will be adding to their current offerings.  And another company is finishing the testing of another size of one of their units.

We know that infrared saunas provide tremendous health benefits. As more consumers are educated, they have become increasingly popular and more often a topic of conversation. A friend of mine first had one in his home over 30 years ago along with a hot tub. He informed me at that time that his guests had very quizzical looks when seeing these in his home.

However, today, when anyone visits our home, one of their first comments is regarding the Clearlight corner unit we have in the living room. Most people are somewhat familiar with what it is and how it works. Recently, a doctor friend visited and immediately commented that he had just purchased one the prior month (with some help from this review website, of course, as he finally begrudgingly admitted).

Update as of 2024: During the past couple years the popularity has continued to increase each year. Component costs have been under control and a few brands have greatly improved their products.  A couple new brands have also surfaced which have started using the latest generation of carbon heaters and have been good additions to the industry.

Clearlight and Sunlighten remain an excellent choices.  Heavenly Heat has made some major changes and improved its production while remaining the purest and cleanest in the industry.

Top Infrared Saunas for 2019

We are excited about some great updates right around the corner.  We are fortunate enough to be able to regularly talk with the CEOs, owners and salespeople of some of the best brands.  This month we are finishing up another round of talks and interviews.  As a result, we will be updating our Best Brands page very soon to help you choose the Best Home Sauna.

A significant reason for the increased attention to this industry is the identifiable benefits you can experience.  At the end of this article we focus on a recently issued report which forecasts significant industry increases.

Public Awareness of Benefits

But first, here is a tremendous story reported just last week. It highlights that some local Springfield Firefighters were given a one to help detox from the many harmful substances they are exposed to as a normal part of their daily job:

Springfield Firefighters have a new tool to combat potentially dangerous toxins that could hurt their health.

The Springfield Office of Clark Schaefer Hackett donated a sauna to Station One in an effort to help firefighters sweat anything harmful they pick up while fighting fires.

“We were fortunate enough to take advantage of a grant process,” Springfield Fire Chief Brian Miller said. “It’s cutting-edge pioneer kind of technology where the concept is firefighters, after a fire, need to detoxify and remove all of the carcinogens or potential carcinogens in the smoke from their body.”

A pamphlet handed out an event showcasing the new saunas says toxins and soot from the smoke and fire can remain on firefighters’ ski after a fire and can be absorbed into their bodies. And as the body temperature rises, the absorption process quickens. Springfield firefighters given sauna to help fight toxins

The protocol is the firefighters take a shower after a fire to remove the carcinogens on their skin as a result of the smoke.  The firefighters then use the infrared therapy followed by a ride on an exercise bike.  Although it was not noted as the final step, we are, of course, hoping the last step is for another shower as a courtesy to the others around them.

Health Benefits Promoted in Washington Post This Month

Several large sauna studies have determined that the practice is linked to lower blood pressure and decreased artery stiffness. In addition, subjects who visit a sauna four to seven times a week have 60 percent lower rates of heart disease and stroke than those who visit just once a week.

“Sauna may be a new way to reduce cardiovascular risk,” says lead researcher Jari Laukkanen, a cardiologist and professor at the University of Eastern Finland. “It is a kind of third factor in addition to diet and exercise.” Washington Post: Breaking News, World, US, DC News & Analysis – The Washington Post

So we looked into just how much the interest in this health improving technology has grown.

How Popular Have Infrared Saunas become?

The industry has grown by over 50% during the past 5 years.

In the United States, the areas that have shown the most growth are Minnesota (which has historically held a strong interest in the traditional variety), North and South Dakota and Montana.

The overall market for infrared and traditional steam has increased during the same 5 years just slightly less, meaning interest in infrared has outpaced traditional or steam. Alaska has been the state to have the largest overall increase.

Industry Growth Predictions

A global industry report is distributed every fall summarizing forecasts for the upcoming years. This past month the latest report was issued:

The report titled “The Global Spa and Sauna Component Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2018-2022)”, provides an in-depth analysis of the global spa and sauna component market by value, by sauna type, by end use, by demand and by region.

The global spa and sauna component market has increased at a significant CAGR during the years 2013-2017 and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2018-2022 tremendously. The spa and sauna component market is expected to increase due to growing wellness tourism, increase in employment, rising consumer expenditure, rising urban population, etc. Yet the market faces some challenges due to high cost involved with spa and sauna components. The Global Spa and Sauna Component Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2018-2022)

The overall industry does face the challenge of increasing components costs.  A few brands, however, have remained committed to keeping the costs in line and provided excellent value through innovation and improved health benefits.  We detail the top brands addressing these issues in our Brand Comparison page.

Images courtesy of: https://www.springfieldnewssun.com  and https://www.researchandmarkets.com

One of the most powerful benefits of an infrared sauna is detoxification. But what is this process of detoxing talked about by so many websites? To clarify the terms, these substances fall into two main categories. They are internal poisons and external poisons.

But what exactly are toxins? A clinical definition is any poison type substance that enters the body or is a result of our body’s metabolic activity. Basically this is anything that is harmful to our bodies. It sounds vague and inclusive of many things and that is a result of all the different types of toxins.

It does help to understand a bit more about the types and causes as this helps in understanding how to remove them.

Can Sweating Remove Both Types Of Contaminants?

There are a few good ways to remove them from our bodies.  Far Infrared is one the best and easiest way to accomplish this.

Sweating is a natural detox mechanism. While it’s impossible to completely avoid exposure to all harmful substances, promoting the natural detox process through sweating is highly effective. Using an infrared sauna regularly is a proven way to remove heavy metals and other contaminates from your body.

Infrared Saunas Are Superior Detoxification Method

Research shows that far-infrared saunas are better than traditional steam saunas as far as detoxification. Far-infrared saunas emit wavelengths that penetrated deeper into tissues.  This improves the detox process. This deep penetration of light wavelengths allows for a more substantial release of toxins.

Regular use of an infrared sauna can begin to improve your body’s natural ability to detoxify itself.  It is better at removing toxins more effectively than traditional methods.

We recommended to start out slowly.  Then over time gradually increase the amount of time of each sauna session. Detoxification is more productive with at least 3 sessions per week and at least 25 minutes at at time.

An ultimate goal would be 30 minutes at least 5 times per week.  When you can comfortably handle this, you will be dramatically improving your overall health and helping your internal processes perform their normal cleansing activities.

Defining Toxins

The concept encompasses a broad range of harmful substances.

However, toxins can be broadly categorized into the two types of internal and external. Understanding these categories is helpful in identifying and then ultimately eliminating them from our bodies.

What are Internal Toxins?

Internal poisons are part of our everyday lives and are produced as a normal part of daily activities. Our body will constantly repair and replace worn out cells. This is a normal part of our body’s energy production.

However, this also produces internal waste materials that can poison us from the inside. So these simply need to be broken down and eliminated. The problem arises when we do not properly break these down or fully eliminate them. When we have what is referred to as toxic overload, these actually can be stored up in the body.

So internal toxins are produced within our bodies through normal biological processes. As our bodies generate energy and repair tissues, they also produce byproducts, known as internal toxins, that must be managed.

Although our bodies are equipped with ways to handle these processes, they can struggle with accumulated toxins. If not properly detoxified, these internal toxins can overload the system which can result in damage to tissues and cells.

Especially today as we over stress ourselves and are faced with an ever increasing amount of external poisons, we can have significant build up. All of this build up can sometimes harm surrounding tissues.

We simply need a way to properly detox so that our systems function smoothly and fully.

What Are The Common Causes Of Internal Toxins?

Chronic Stress

Chronic stress impacts digestion beginning with the alarm stage, or fight-or-flight response. Continued stress leads to nutrient imbalances. This can make a person prone to diseases like diabetes and cancer and even simple fatigue due to poor nutrient absorption.

Specific Food Choices

Most people are unaware of their specific nutrient needs, often misled by generalized “healthy foods” lists. True health comes from eating foods that cater to one’s unique biochemical needs.

Nutrient Imbalances

Nutrient imbalances can stem from various factors including diet, stress, and even family inherited conditions.  As metabolic pathways are disrupted, an accumulation of metabolic toxins can occur.

Common Sources of External Toxins?

The above discussion excluded chemical substances that are manufactured and enter the body from the outside.  These are known as external poisons.

External toxins are harmful substances that originate outside our bodies and can be ingested, absorbed through the skin or inhaled. Whether chemical or microbial, these can enter our systems through food, water, air, or direct contact with the skin.

Glyphosate Known As Roundup

One main culprit is glyphosate, also known as Roundup. This weed killer is used extensively in large scale farming and in even in your neighbors’ yards. Over 10 million tons have been sprayed on yards and fields worldwide.

How bad is Roundup? Glyphosate has been shown in research to be an endocrine disruptor. This means that it interferes with the production and functioning of hormones. This alone is a great reason to detox.

Bisphenol A And Phthalates (BPA)

Bisphenol A and Phthalates (BPA) are chemicals found in some plastic products like drinking bottles and the lining of cans. There has been a reduction, but despite a reduction in their use, BPA is still present in around 44% of canned food linings as of a 2015 study.

Avoiding products containing BPA is advisable.

Unfortunately, nearly half of all food producers still use this although it has been proven to poison the body.  More and more food containers and kitchen plastics are being labeled as BPA-Free.

Environmental Pollutants

Smog, airborne particulates, and smoke can severely affect our eyes, lungs, and sinuses and may linger in the body long after exposure.

Indoor Pollutants

Pollutants and other harmful substances can also accumulate in smaller spaces such as homes and commercial buildings through various sources.

Household Chemicals

Common cleaning products may release harmful fumes, particularly in poorly ventilated areas. Additionally, some pet products contain harmful chemicals that can be dangerous to both you and your pet.

Addressing both internal and external toxins is important.

As we can see, we are bombarded with poisons in many forms on a daily basis.  Choosing to eat organic foods and avoid ingesting synthetically manufactured substances are terrific initial steps in helping the body deal with cleansing on its own.

But we also have decades of exposure to foreign substances which accumulate in our bodies. These need a direct approach to remove.

Infrared saunas are one of the top methods of removing these from our bodies. Jacuzzi sauna infrared is a good brand for this. However, remember that not all saunas provide infrared that will deeply penetrate and release the contaminants from your cells. Many lower priced units actually provide little benefit.

Before selecting a sauna, we encourage you to read our individual brand reviews.  These will help you choose one that has been proven to positively detoxify the user.

Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) electric fields have become an issue  of concern lately for infrared sauna users. Extremely low frequency radiation falls at the far lower end of the electrical spectrum. These are electrical fields which measure from 0 to 100,000 Hz.

It appears that less is known about ELF than EMF.  What is important is that levels above 1000 Mv can potentially be harmful and should be avoided when possible.

We are pleased to see at least two sauna companies aggressively addressing this area of concern. That is great news for you as you search for a sauna.

How Sauna Manufacturers Achieve Low ELF Levels

Manufacturers of high-quality infrared saunas can employ several techniques to reduce the levels.

Clearlight Saunas and Heavenly Heat have attempted to address the potential issue using two methods.

This includes running all electrical wiring through metal conduit piping and other methods which shields the wiring. Clearlight also twists the wires which they state reduces the exposure even further.

To our knowledge, these are the only brands to address Electric Fields in this manner.

Shielding Techniques

Materials that block or alter electromagnetic fields are integrated into the sauna’s design. This can include special wiring or shielding barriers that contain and neutralize ELF emissions.

Safer Electrical Components

Using components that naturally emit lower amounts, or designing the electrical circuits in ways that minimize emissions.

Distance Design

Positioning heating elements and electrical components strategically to keep them as far from the sauna users as possible.

Brilliant Design: Heavenly Heat recently demonstrated an excellent understanding of this concept.  In 2024 they are adding a grounding plug so that grounding pads can be used inside their saunas.  However, instead of the typical 3 prong outlet with its corresponding high LEF and High EMF wiring, they have including only the grounding hole.  This adds zero additional EMF or ELF.  Brilliant design choice.

Two Sauna Brands That Shield ELFs

It appears that Clearlight was the first company that has directly addressed this murky area of infrared.  This company has been an innovator in infrared technology numerous times during the past 20 years.

Heavenly Heat Saunas has now equaled if not surpassed them in shielding this.  Heavenly Heat is more dedicated to this than any other brand we have researched including talking with brand owners.

Both of these brands are lowest emf saunas and shield the wires and connectors to protect you while you are in the sauna.

Many brands are at a level of 20x the concern threshold. The Threshold Of Concern level for ELF is 1,000 mV.

Why Low ELF Levels are Important in Saunas

Are ELF A Health Risk for Sauna Users?

The concern about excessive exposure to Electromagnetic Fields, called EMFs, were first raised almost 40 years ago.  At that time research showed a connection between exposure to EMF and certain types of serious health conditions including childhood leukemia. Since that time there has been increased awareness regarding the safety of electromagnetic fields.

Recently, more concern has been directed specifically at electric fields. Power lines are the most common culprit which radiate an electric field.  However, any electrical appliance will radiate some level of Electric Fields. While we cannot completely eliminate all exposure, our goal should be to minimize direct exposure where possible.

We know that use of infrared for healing can dramatically improve overall health and that all infrared devices will result in some degree of exposure to electric fields.  So the key is to keep the amount at a safe level.

How Does ELF Affect A Person?

When measured away from any electrical source, the body’s natural voltage is near 0 mV.  When this increased to a high level, it can affect sleep and cause other issues.

Safe levels are below 1,000 mV. Clearlight Sauna has stated that their products affect on a user were tested as low as 200 mV.  That is far below the accepted level.

Please note that in some other brands, including some high end expensive ones, this can often exceed 20,000 mV.

It is important to note that as with many things this can differ according to each person.  A person with high salt levels can have slightly higher levels as salt is a conductor.

What Is The Safe Level Of ELF?

What is the safe level for normal activity?

Many industry brands are at a level of 20x the concern threshold. Technically, the threshold of concern level for ELF is 1,000 mV.

ELF Are Non-Ionizing Radiation

Ionizing radiation like X-rays can remove an electron from an atom which can damage the DNA inside cells.  This can be a cause of diseases including cancer.

Extremely low frequency radiation, on the other hand is different.  It is at the low end of the electromagnetic spectrum.  This means that it falls into the category of being a non-ionizing radiation form of energy.

It lacks the power to remove electrons and, therefore, it cannot directly damage your DNA.

How is ELF Measured?

Very specialized equipment known as ELF meters or gauges are used to is used measure Extremely Low Frequency (ELF) emissions in saunas. They measure the strength of the fields, which typically range from 3 Hz to 300 Hz. Common tools include:

ELF Magnetic Field Meter

This device measures the magnetic component of the ELF fields. It is used to assess the levels of emissions from the electrical wiring and heating elements in the sauna.

Tri-Field Meter

This is a much more comprehensive tool that can measure magnetic and electric power. It is particularly useful for detecting a wide range of electromagnetic fields  This includes electric emissions.

We are bombarded by all forms of currents on a daily basis from appliances.  It is our opinion at Healing Heat Therapy that while addressing these in regards to infrared use is critical, it is not necessary to reduce all exposure to zero.  The important issue is to address them in a significant manner and to substantially reduce the levels of exposures.

Once that is accomplished, as consumers we should move ahead with the purchase of a sauna and use it regularly. Being anxious about what little levels remain likely does much more harm to the body through stress than any exposure that remains.

We are glad to have witnessed many companies addressing these related issues during the past decade and look forward to seeing more address this issue as well.

Aromatherapy has become more popular with infrared sauna users and some brands now add methods to diffuse these aromas to their sauna product offerings.  Clearlight even has its own AROMA ONE® essential oil diffuser. Sunlighten also promotes aromatherapy in their saunas. Here is a brief look at some of the more popular essential oils.

Lemon Oil – Invigorate Your Sauna Session

Lemon, like orange and all citrus, is invigorating, refreshing and uplifting.  It is loved for its clean, powerful scent.  Lemon helps with congestion, lack of energy and helps with concentration.  A few drops as an air freshener or in a diffuser can fill an entire room with its mood-lifting aroma.  This is often the first scent used.

Citrus including tangerine and lemon are my personal favorites. It is simply an pleasant experience.

Lavender Essential Oil in a Sauna

Lavender (Lavandula) is one of the most popular aromas and for good reasons.  It is well proven as a stress reliever and relaxation aid.  Lavender is often used for back massages for the same reasons.  It is also used for aiding depression, inflammation and as a mild deodorant.  It is a mild pleasant aroma that you will enjoy.

Rosemary Oil for Your Infrared Therapy

In contrast to the mild relaxation properties of Lavender, Rosemary is strong and robust.  It is more invigorating and energizing.  However, caution needs to be used with rosemary.  It should not be used by pregnant women or anyone taking homeopathic medicines or suffering from hypertension or epilepsy.  Despite these cautions, it is one of the top 5 used in aromatherapy.

Peppermint Oil is a Sauna Refreshener

We are very familiar with the many uses of peppermint. From candies and toothpastes to Christmas treats, this is a flavor and scent that is universally enjoyed.  Its popularity for use in sauna aromatherapy is primarily due to its ability to refresh the body and open the sinuses.  But caution is needed when using this.  The menthol component in Peppermint can be very bothersome to some individuals. It is a strong irritant so use caution and do not get it near or in your eyes.  It can also irritate the skin.

It is a agent of cooling. While it can irritate the skin if applied directly in liquid form, diffused, it can actually calm irritation and sharpen your focus.

Sometimes just a whiff of Peppermint can be uplifting. It can also bring back vivid memories such as peppermint candy canes in hot chocolate from the Holiday Seasons.

Tea Tree Oil in a Sauna

This is a powerful essential extract, often used as a disinfectant on minor cuts. It is often used topically after surgery to minimize scarring. It has a powerful smell and one drop goes a very long way.

It can be used to treat fungus, infections, insect bites and even as an insect deterrent.  It is derived from the Melaleuca alternifolia plant.

While this can be used for aromatherapy, caution should be taken.  It is a powerfully strong smell. It is antifungal, antiviral, antiseptic and an antibacterial.  Never take internally as this can cause vomiting, dizziness and a host of other serious issues.

Eucalyptus Oil In Your Sauna Session

This is a refreshing, mild and sweet aroma. It has been widely used in vapor rubs, creams and even mouthwashes. It has also become quite popular for use in aromatherapy.

Eucalyptus can aid in boosting the immune system and has anti- inflammatory, decongestant, antiseptic and antibacterial properties. It can be applied topically as well as used in a diffuser. The inhaled aroma can aid in muscle ache relief, sinus infections and in some cases helps with asthma. It is often used in a spray bottle to clean kitchen and bathroom, or added to a pot of boiling water for a refreshing steam.

While used frequently in steam saunas, it has become more popular for use in infrared saunas as well. Perhaps the most popular brand, Sunlighten infrared saunas, uses eucalyptus as an optional material in its mPulse model.

The use of Eucalyptus as a construction material naturally adds this scent.

Additional Aromatherapy Scents Used In Saunas

Birch Oil for Enhanced Well-being

Birch is highly valued for its invigorating properties and is said to improve well-being when used in an infrared sauna. It is commonly used in traditional Finnish saunas.  It has a couple unique components, particularly methyl salicylate, act as natural pain relievers and muscle relaxants.  This is of course beneficial after physical activities.

In addition to Methyl Salicylate, it also contains Salicylic Acid which help with ailments such as eczema and ringworm.

The warming effect of birch helps soothe muscle aches and reduces joint discomfort, enhancing the therapeutic effects of heat therapy.

Moreover, birch oil is recognized for its detoxifying effects on the body. By stimulating the lymphatic system, it then promotes the natural detoxification process, helping to flush out toxins through sweat. It has an ability to promote circulation also contributes to a healthier, more radiant skin appearance, making it a common choice for those looking to enhance their sauna experience.

Cinnamon Oil for Circulatory Health

Cinnamon oil is powerful in stimulating circulation and warming the body, which of course makes it a perfect complement to infrared sauna sessions. The natural heating properties encourage blood flow to the skin’s surface, enhancing the detoxifying sweat process and increasing metabolic rate. This can be particularly beneficial for those wanting to improve their energy levels.

Cinnamon’s botanical names are Cinnamomum verum / Cinnamomum zeylanicum.  However it is interesting to note that it is often substituted by Cassia Bark Essential Oil.  Cassia Bark is more affordable and has a similar fragrance.  In fact, the cinnamon sticks that are sold in stores are not even real cinnamon, but are instead this more affordable option.

In addition to its circulatory benefits, cinnamon oil also offers antimicrobial properties that help protect the skin in the warm, humid conditions. It acts as a natural disinfectant, reducing the risk of skin irritations and infections.  It is also a calmer which relaxes the muscles.

Most may also associate it with the Holidays and the cinnamon rolls and cinnamon hot chocolate.  This can be a comforting aroma that helps elevate the mood, reducing feelings of stress and promoting mental clarity.

This would be a great energy booster for the mental enjoyment alone.

Frankincense Oil for Immune Support

Frankincense oil, normally from the Boswellia carterii tree, is renowned for its incredible health benefits which include boosting the immune system and reducing inflammation. The warm environment helps enhance the inhalation of its anti-inflammatory compounds. This can result in helping to alleviate chronic pain and improve respiratory conditions. This makes frankincense a great choice for those seeking to enhance their body’s natural defenses while relaxing.

Some studies have suggested an anti-aging effect and recuing the damages from harsh pharmaceutical treatments.

The soothing properties of frankincense also promote a sense of peace and relaxation, making it ideal for mental health. Its ability to reduce anxiety and induce calmness complements the stress-reducing benefits of sauna therapy, offering a holistic approach to wellness that impacts both body and mind.

Sandalwood Oil for Mental Clarity

Sandalwood oil, with its rich, woody aroma, is another excellent choice for enhancing the infrared sauna experience. Known for its calming effects, sandalwood helps soothe the mind and reduce tension, which can be particularly beneficial during a sauna session.

It has some sedative properties which aid in relaxation and can help improve the quality of meditation.  IT has some similar calming benefits like lavender but it does not produce the drossiness that lavender often does.

Additionally, sandalwood oil is beneficial for skin health as it helps to hydrate and soothe the skin, reducing the appearance of wrinkles and scars. Its anti-inflammatory and antiseptic qualities make it suitable for treating minor skin issues, enhancing the skin’s appearance and health through regular sauna use. This aroma is “grounding” and also promotes emotional balance, making each sauna session a rejuvenating experience.

Other choices rounding out the most popular aromatherapy options include oregano and chamomile.

Start with lemon or peppermint and you may be surprised how much this adds to your beneficial infrared therapy.

An ideal temperature is between 110-130 degrees Fahrenheit. However, it depends on what you want to accomplish. In an infrared sauna, you will have a better detoxification at lower temperatures and you will sweat more at higher settings.

Infrared Is What Heals Not Sweat

Remember that infrared is what heals, not sweating. What is important is getting as much infrared as possible.

Very misunderstood principle: If you set your control panel too low and wait to enter until it has reached the desired reading, the heaters will short cycle off and on and you do not fully benefit from the infrared. This is one of the most misunderstood aspects of infrared sauna use.

At What Temperature Should I Set My Infrared Sauna?

You want the heating elements to be on and delivering infrared the entire time, regardless of the temperature setting. So ideally you want to set the temperature at a higher level around 140 (around 60 degrees Celsius). Then you can enter the sauna when it reaches 110 or 115.

Although you will begin sweating a bit sooner if you wait until it is hotter, you will lose out on infrared.  Heavenly Heat is an exceptional brand that allows for air ventilation which provides more control. We discuss in our complete Heavenly Heat Saunas review.

How Can I Keep the Heaters on and Temperature Low?

If your unit has a ceiling vent, keep it open. When the temperature approaches 130 degrees Fahrenheit, you can open the door to allow cooler fresh air to enter. When the air temp drop below 115, simply close the door. This will provide you a way to control the ambient air and keep the heaters on the entire time.

This practice is what we do at our home and is one way to ensure the heaters remain on the entire time, delivering the healing infrared.

The Ideal Temperature Setting Method

To summarize the above. This practice will provide the most healing and detox for you:

• Set the control panel to at least 130 degrees. A setting above 140 is even better.
• Begin your session when it is between 100-115 degrees.
• Open the ceiling vent.
• Once the inside temperature reaches 130-135, prior to the heaters cycling off and on, reduce the air temp by opening the door.

Recommended Temperatures For Different Purposes

What Is Optimal Sauna Temperature For Detox?

A brief summary is to keep the temperature low for detoxification. At the lower temperatures toxins are shaken off from the fat cells.  Aim for a setting below 115F.

Weight Loss

Weight loss is a little more involved.  As mentioned, at lower temperatures toxins are shaken off from the fat cells.  However, at higher temps you will sweat more.  So this can be a combination of the two ranges.  Spend some time at the lower range then increase it to above 130F to produce a lot more sweat.

You will lose the fats cells more easily once the toxins are shaken off from them. Then you will remove some of the freed-up toxins through the sweat.  But as well, you will remove much of the loosened toxins through the normal body processes.  Fiber and supplements such as Chlorella that bind to toxins, especially heavy Metals, are helpful.  Aim for around 125F to 140F for heavy sweating.

For Pain Relief and Relaxation

For pain management and overall relaxation, a slightly higher temperature is best.  115F up to 130F is a good range if your goal is to relieve anxiety and relax the mind.

A Lower Sauna Temperature Provides a Better Detox

Typically, the ideal temperature for an infrared sauna ranges from 110°F to 130°F. Lower temperatures are beneficial for detoxification, while higher settings promote increased sweat production, aiding in cleansing.

Infrared saunas usually operate at lower heat level compared to steam saunas, which need to reach about 160°F to 200°F to be effective. The milder heat range in infrared saunas allows for a gentler heating experience.

Two Functions of Sweating

Sweat fulfills two primary functions. It cools the body and it removes waste products out of the body.  This is accomplished through two main types of sweat glands.

The Apocrine glands, which are located in areas such as the armpits and scalp These apocrine sweat glands secrete sweat which contains higher levels of fats and organic compounds. The second group called Eccrine glands number more than 2 million and are scattered over the entire body, handling most of the sweating process.

These Eccrine glands, over the course of a normal day pump out nearly a quart of sweat. However, in a steam environment of 180 degree Fahrenheit or more, they produce this amount in only 15 minutes. While these eccrine sweat glands clean the pores and skin, they also excretes higher amounts of electrolytes. Sweating at these 180+ degree levels requires replacing the lost fluids and electrolytes.

However, using an infrared sauna at the lower temperatures of 110-125 degrees results in a sticker, more fat-laden sweat and less electrolyte loss. In fact the sweat from an infrared sauna session is comprised of up to 20% toxins compared to only 3% toxins in the sweat produced in a high heat steam unit. This is a main reason it is the better choice for detox purposes. A lower temp infrared will also cause less electrolyte loss.

Some users report beginning the session at a low 110-125 degrees for the first 20 minutes and then raising it to around 135 to produce a more profuse sweat for the remaining length of the session.

Lower Infrared Heater Temperature is Better

The human body operates at a frequency of 9.4 microns. The closer the infrared is to this 9.4 microns, the better the absorption of the rays and the deeper the penetration. This also results in more toxins being shaken off the fat cells.

This is called resonance frequency. We know that certain sound waves can vibrate glass and a singer’s voice can even break glass. In a similar fashion, the closer the microns are to the ideal 9.4, the better the cellular resonance frequency.

No heater will remain exactly at 9.4 microns. But the cooler the heater element itself is, the more time it will have near this level. Reducing the use of any heat-emitting light will help even if just a little.

Cheap carbon panels need to be much hotter to produce any viable amount of heat for the user and quickly move past the ideal micron levels. This is another reason they are very poor choices for true detoxification. Also the thicker the wood walls are, the better the insulation to retain the heat..

Clearlight was one of the first companies to pioneer cooler carbon panels that are also powerful in the amount of emissivity and healing they provide. This is one reason they only require heating elements halfway up the sides of the interior walls.

Cheaper brands need panels all the way to the ceiling to produce adequate amounts of emitted heat.

Individual Heater User Controls

If you have a brand that offers individual heater controls, you can use them. The user has the ability to turn on and off the two elements nearest them. This allows for better control of both body and cabin heat.

Open the Ceiling Vent

Heavenly Heat is one brand that has a ceiling Vent.  It is good to have open even if you choose to not open the door for additional air circulation. These are a few reasons why that brand is an exceptional choice. It is also the best choice a person should consider for a chemically sensitive person. Their products are ultra pure and clean. They are unrivaled in this regard. Please read our complete Heavenly Heat Saunas review.

The Heavenly Heat website shared this information of air circulation for years.  Higher levels of FIR exposure require cooler air. If your sauna has a very high FIR level, then the amount of heat can be lower, you will still sweat and you gain more benefit.

Very cheap weak plastic carbon heaters require a very high settings to be effective. This defeats some of the main purpose of using infrared heaters to begin with.

Those are very good insights.

Raising Core Body Temperature

So, how hot should a sauna be? Perhaps less than you would think. Increasing your core body temperature is an important aspect but this does not require excessive heat to happen. This is different than simple physical exercise sweating.

Infrared saunas offer deep tissue penetration, potentially increasing the core body temperature more effectively than traditional saunas. However be careful to not overheat. If you start feeling uncomfortable, it’s advisable to leave the sauna to prevent overheating and take a little time to cool down.

Some users begin their session at around 115F for about 15 minutes.  They then increase it to 130F for another 15 minutes to focus on heavier sweating. This method helps to raise the body’s core temperature effectively without overwhelming or overheating the nervous system.

Finding Your Own Personal Ideal Temperature Setting

A Good Beginner Setting

If you are new to heat therapy and especially if you are not in the best health or suffering from a health issue, begin slowly.  Start low at even just 100-110 degrees.  This will allow your body to get used to the heat and you will find out if you react negatively to any of it.  You may not sweat much initially at this low level which is ok.

This all depends on the infrared sauna temperature and time spent in the session. However, over time, the more you use your unit, the sooner you will begin sweating.

Gradual Increases

Begin Slowly and over time gradually increase the heat.  Start at 100F to see how your body reacts.  Increase by small amount of jut a few degrees.  This is not a race.  It is okay to take a couple weeks to build up to a higher comfortable range.

You want to avoid heat stroke, dehydration and discomfort.

Factors Affecting Temperature Choice

Your individualized ideal temperature choice should include your health conditions, age and intended benefits.

Your age and health condition can  play a large part of your final selected settings. Skin conditions, your individual tolerance to heat and what you want as your final outcome can all play a part.

Infrared saunas offer deep tissue penetration, potentially increasing the core body temperature more effectively than traditional saunas. However, it’s crucial not to overheat. If you start feeling uncomfortable, leave the sauna and cool down.

Overall, using an infrared sauna at the right settings can be comfortable and provide you with excellent health improvements.

As you can see from this entire discussion above, what setting is your personal optimal temperature range is determined by your own health requirements and other personal factors.  Your own personal goals provide the recommended heat levels and that is what is important in ensuring comfort and safety. 

If you consciously choose your own usage in setting and maintaining sauna conditions including the heat setting, then your benefits include a greatly enhanced sauna experience.

Personalized Temperature Adjustment Features

If you are looking for personalized temperature adjustment features such as built-in controls, remote control options or even things as sophisticated as smart home integration, you may need to look at brands like Sunlighten and even higher tech brands that will add more of these features in the future.

Sunlighten mPulse does include some adjustment features such as programable heaters and Bluetooth integration allowing users to control sauna heat.  If you see the importance in customizing your own sauna sessions you may need to look at that brand.

However, those modern sauna technology benefits do not necessarily include the ease of use.  And we instead really recommended products that are simple to use.

Most of all, all the high tech also comes with increased EMFs and ELFs and a lack of pure focus on detoxification.  We prefer to get away from technology and relax rather than add additional technology to our relaxation technique.

That of course is just our personal opinion and should not necessarily sway your purchase decision.

How Long to Warm Up the Sauna?

The heating time of an infrared sauna can vary based on  several factors.  However, smaller infrared saunas of good quality with powerful carbon panels and good insulation can preheat in 15 minutes.

Negative Physical Reactions To Watch For

 Feeling Lightheaded or Dizziness

Recognizing when you are too hot is important.  You want to relieve stress not create an adverse effect of more stress to your body. Probably the most common sign that it is set higher than your current tolerance is feeling discomfort, very hot high skin or severe reddening of your skin. You may be experiencing actual hyperthermia and your body is not able to effectively cool itself.

If you do start to feel lightheaded, dizzy, stop your session and cool off for a while. Drink some water or electrolyte drink as this could also be due to dehydration.

Additionally, excessive sweating that goes beyond your usual response to heat are clear signs that it needs to be adjusted downward.

Trouble Breathing or Excessive Sweating

Additionally, excessive sweating that goes beyond your usual response to heat is a warning sign.

Another is difficulty breathing. If the air feels too hot to breathe comfortably it’s a strong indication that the environment is too intense. A feeling of weakness or feeling like your skin is uncomfortably hot to the touch also suggests that the heat is too high for you.

Listen to your body’s signs and signals and exit the sauna or lower the settings if you experience any of these symptoms. Remember, saunas are meant to relax and rejuvenate, not overwhelm your body’s natural abilities to regulate heat and comfort.

You know your selected settings are too high if you experience negative physical reactions.  Remember these can differ on different days.

A Sauna purchase is a big investment and has incredible potential to boost your health and reduce stress. To give you quick help and tips for your purchase decision, we have attempted to take over a decade of research knowledge and condense it into very brief bits of information and tips.

As a result, some of these may appear simplistic but have a lot of power behind them. If you keep them in mind you will save yourself hours and prevent a wrong decision.

A Basic premise: This is one industry where quality varies tremendously and the differences are not always apparent. Please note that 95% of all saunas sold in America are mass produced on 4 Chinese assembly lines and have very little health benefit at all. These are re-sold using dozens of different names.

We want you to purchase a sauna that will provide major benefits. Here are ways you can choose what is right for your situation. After reading this page, we encourage you to also re-visit our best infrared sauna reviews page for a side by side brand comparison and some of the individual company review pages.

2. The Sauna Company

How do I chose an infrared Sauna?  Start with looking at the company itself. How long have they been in business? In this industry 40% of all sellers will be out of business 5 years from now, leaving you will no warranty recourse and limited available replacement parts. Longevity usually also provides deeper infrared knowledge and application.

Some of our recommended companies have been in business for 20-35 years. Those situations are ideal. They will be here years from now to stand behind their warranty.

What is the quality of the people that endorse a particular company? An endorsement from a doctor that is top in his field is better than 5 people who blog about numerous health related issues.

Is the company an innovator or do they simply re-sell mass produced generic units? Innovators learn and become cutting edge in their offered features.

Has the company changed its name? Usually have the same name for decades is better than a recent name change, although there are exceptions. Sunlighten changed from Sunlight 8 years ago. We could not recommend them for those first few years as disruption and problems accompanied the change. However, they have now moved well past that and are the number one selling brand in the industry.

Vital changed to Vital Health in 2015 to better reflect the purpose and that change was not a negative.

3. Build Quality, Wood and Glues

Thicker walls equates to better insulation, lower operating costs, better warm up times and a sturdier unit. Usually this means easier assembly as well. In contrast, one cheap brand has one-piece walls that flex and bend and are awkward to assemble.

Kiln Dried Wood

What is the wood quality? Sunlighten’s construction is excellent as well as are the upper two lines of Clearlight, all Heavenly Heat and others.

These brands also prepare the wood by air drying and kiln drying. This reduces the moisture content to prevent cracking. Cheap names do not prepare the wood which will then begin to crack, split and separate during use due to the numerous heating cycles. The more you will use your unit and the longer you plan to own it, the more important this becomes.

Many cheap brands still used chemical-saturated plywood inside their walls. You do not want to breath in those compound vapors or the outgassing of the volatile organic compounds plywood will release. You want to sweat out toxins, not breath more in.

You want kiln dried Hemlok (Tsuga canadensis), Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicata) or Basswood (Tilia americana) or Eucalyptus ideally.

Wood Glues

Many people are ok with a small amount of water based wood glues used in the production.  For those that cannot tolerate those heated gases, outgassing or do not want those, Heavenly Heat sauna is the only brand we have certified that uses no glue or adhesives.  They use stainless steel screws and buckles. We have literally cut and drilled one of their walls to verify this.

4. Types and Location of Infrared Heaters

Carbon Panels

Carbon warms up more slowly than ceramic but has much lower EMF levels and better infrared penetration and detoxification.

Ceramic Heaters

Ceramic heaters warm up quickly, get very hot and have a higher interior temperature.  However they do not provide as much detoxification or body coverage.

Heater Emissivity is Most Important

This is really the amount of true infrared the heaters put out, how much of it is able to penetrate and remove toxins from your human body’s tissues.  It is a critical component in your decision.

Note: If the infrared heaters are not efficient and emissive, the product is worthless as far as infrared healing is concerned. It will not remove a toxin.

A lack of posted information does not necessarily mean low quality. If testing is not posted on their site, carefully read our brand reviews and ask the company representative when you call them.  All of our top rated brands including Sunlighten and Clearlight provide excellent emissivity.

Heater Location and Positioning

Heaters surrounding you including heaters in the front facing you and behind the legs under the bench is what you ideally want.  In fact one high-priced brand, Health Mate, that has always only had ceramic heaters launched a new line with carbon panels around 2019.  Those models only have panels on the back behind the user.  There are no panels in front, behind the legs or even on the side walls which is very disappointing. That should be avoided.

You need infrared heaters facing as many parts of you as possible.

5. Far Infrared, Near Infrared or Full Spectrum

Infrared saunas will come standard as far-infrared with optional full spectrum.  Near and mid infrared will be added by additional heater types. We believe far infrared is sufficient for most people as red light therapy for skin health (near infrared type benefits) can be purchase separately and used even outside of the unit.

For Full Spectrum wavelengths the top brands will all have you covered.  This is a topic to discuss with the individual companies you contact.

6. Low EMF and ELF Heaters

EMF Reading Levels are very important, however, not always as much as it seems.

Fifteen years ago electromagnetic fields (EMF) levels were high in almost every product you could buy. A few companies took he lead reducing dangerous EMF levels by shield the electric wires and many others have followed their example. A level of 3.0 mG has usually been considered safe, although now you can achiever far lower levels with a couple top rated brands. Electromagnetic radiation is becoming less of a prevalent concern.

Take note however.  One top rate brand has a mass of technology in its units and one of their product lines has EMFs that range up well over 5.0mG.  You need to ask carefully.  We note the lowest EMF rated brands many places on our site.

We applaud companies like Clearlight infrared sauna for taking the lead and reducing all models to an average of 0.05 mG. Sunlighten as well has reduced its Signature line to similar ultra low levels, however its mPulse is much higher. Heavenly Heat in 2024 dropped their low readings even farther and may have now taken the spot as the lowest.

Note: However, the difference between readings of 2.0 mG, 1.0 mG and ultra low 0.05 mG is not nearly as important as heater emissivity previously discussed. Once the emf levels are within safe levels, the effectiveness of the heaters is the critical factor.

There are still some brands with wavelengths yielding levels of 30.0 – 170.0 mG which are extremely dangerous. You can avoid these by avoiding cheaply priced products.  They will also likely outgas volatile organic compounds which you do not want either.

Third Party EMF Level Reports

Very importantly: Do not accept third party ratings and level reports.  Those are done in isolation in a lab and are often reported incorrectly.  In addition, they do not measure the wiring or the wire connectors. The EMF levels need to be tested in full operation with every electronic component operating. Once that mostly low panel in turned on inside an operating sauna, the readings can skyrocket due to the poorly designed connectors.

Sauna ELF Levels

ELF Electric fields – extremely low frequency fields – are different from electromagnetic fields (EMFs)  and only a few brands aggressively address this.  Heavenly Heat and Clearlight basically have reduced the ELF fields to zero.  If you are sensitive to a lot of things including electronics or electromagnetic radiation, those are the two brands to consider.

7. Sauna Design and Layout

Some corner units look great but have very little foot room and are awkward for 3 people to use. Floor space and floor heaters are things to carefully consider.

Our opinion strongly favors having heating elements behind the legs, beside the legs, in front of the body and beside the upper torso. Some models, even on great brands omit these. The more you are surrounded with far infrared, the more that actually penetrates. This also reduces the amount of time needed to achieve the same personal benefits.

Some of our top rated companies excel in design.

8. Infrared Sauna Cost and Budget

The cost of an far infrared sauna can vary widely based on several factors such as size, material, brand, and additional features. Here’s a breakdown of typical price ranges:

Even though the technology used has advanced particularly in brands such as Sunlighten, the cost is still usually less than traditional styles. Higher end products will typically range from $6,000 to $9,000, while comparable traditional saunas often cost between up to $12,000.

The total price will be influenced by the size selected, the type of wood used and extra features like chromotherapy lights or Bluetooth speakers.

Entry-Level Models

Entry-Level Models: These are usually smaller, with basic features and limited capacity (often one to two people). Prices for these models start around $2,000 to $2,500.  You do not want a $1000 product. These will have no healing light absorption. Consider Vital Health for a good quality product with a lower price tag than most good brands.

Mid-Range Models

Mid-Range Models: These often offer better quality woods, larger capacity (two to four people), and may include additional features such as chromotherapy lights and Bluetooth speakers. Prices for mid-range models generally range from $3,000 to $5,000.

The best value brand is Heavenly Heat even though it is actually a very superior quality product.  It will be at the upper end of this range but is the only brand that we have considered to be Under-priced for over 10 years.

High-End Models

High-End Models: These range from excellent  to luxurious  They often accommodating four or more people and have wheelchair access or ability to remove the bench and have a yoga session.  In the case of Sunlighten, they have all types of technology features like full spectrum therapy, music players, and personalized heater controls. Prices can range from $5,000 to $10,000 or more.

In the case of Saunacore, luxury amenities can cost upwards of $20,000.

Keep in mind, the final cost may also include installation fees and may require the cost of necessary electrical wiring upgrades to support the power requirements. Some saunas are designed for easy DIY installation, which can save on costs, while others might require professional installation.

9. Sauna Sizes and Capacity

1. One-Person Saunas: Require the smallest space to install and install easily in your home..
2. Two-Person Saunas: These are the most popular size fro most companies. They offer a good balance between size and comfort. Even for one person this is an ideal size. Avoid getting one too small for its purpose. But also, getting one too large can become problematic in a smaller home.  One person we spoke will regarding their purchase 3ended up getting one 6 inches too long and it was in the way getting to the hallway for 2 years.
3. Three-Person Saunas: These of course offer more space to stretch out but for some reason si not as popular as the 2 person or 4 person. But they provide great comfort for even one person.
4. Four to Five-Person Saunas: These feature large interiors that not only accommodate groups but also offer the flexibility to remove benches for activities like exercises, hot yoga or wheelchair access.

10. The Warranty and Support

A Warranty will vary from a full lifetime on everything (such as Clearlight’s full lifetime) all the way down to 1 year. The most important areas are the critical expensive parts of heaters, control panels/wiring and wood construction.

However, a lifetime warranty is actually not always desirable.

Instead, it should be considered as part of the company decision. A cheap brand costing $1000 and offering a lifetime warranty will in fact likely offer you very little. It is likely that the brand will be out of business within 5 years and you will be left with no recourse.

On the other hand, if it remains viable, the units are very possibly only worth $500 and are overpriced to pay for the numerous units that will fail.

Also a few brands state a lifetime warranty but area actually limited to 5-7 years.  When asked directly, they will state in fine print that they deem the lifetime expectancy to be 7 years, therefore the lifetime warranty only covers 7 years.

Our top rated brands all carry exceptional coverage.

11. Will You Use it as Indoor or Outdoor Sauna?

If you think you will use it as an outdoor sauna experience at some point, you will need to either purchase a quality outdoor cover or purchase an outdoor sauna from the start.  Outdoor units will be stained and weather protected on the outside wood, leaving the interior still toxic free Hemlock, Basswood, Cedar or other type of wood.

12. Safety Features

If automatic shut off is something you think you might need, ask about the specific model you are considering.

13. Warmup Time and Electrical Costs

Daily Electrical Cost of an Infrared Sauna

The daily cost to enjoy your infrared sauna experience for an hour in your home is actually quite low. This is really a very low consideration for your purchase.  The critical aspects are heater emissivity, warranty and low toxicity.

The electric cost varies depending on local power rates of course, but typically, you can expect to spend about $5 per week on electricity. Here’s a breakdown of the costs per hour based on sauna size and power usage:

• Individual to Two Person Sauna: 1600 W, costs about 19.2 cents per hour.
• Two to Three Person Sauna: 2200 W, costs about 26.4 cents per hour.
• Four to Six Person Sauna: 3000 W, costs about 36 cents per hour.

Overall expect it to cost less than $20 per month in electricity.  You are making this purchase to relive stress so don’t stress over this detail.

14. Installation

Installing an infrared sauna is generally straightforward, often designed for DIY assembly.  Good manuals are provided and online help is there as well if you choose a brand with good customer support. Most models are prefabricated and simply require assembling with provided clasps.  In some cases the basic screwdriver is required.  Sunlighten even has models that snap together with magnets.  Nice.

Make sure there is adequate space around and next to walls so that there is adequate ventilation.

For more complex installations, especially for larger units you will require dedicated electrical circuits.  Consult a licensed professional for that electrical wiring installation and comply with safety, UL LLC and local building codes.

15. Maintenance Requirements

An infrared sauna is much easier to maintain than a traditional steam sauna.

Regular cleaning of the interior with a damp cloth to remove sweat and human body oils is usually sufficient.

You should avoid suing any harsh chemicals that could damage the wood or the heaters and they are also not needed. Periodically checking that any vents and heaters are free from obstructions and are not stained with anything like a spilled beverage will help maintain safe and best operation. A little occasional maintenance will extend their effective life.

16. Additional Features

You can add  additional features such as chromotherapy, halotherapy, and red light therapy.  These additions can provide varying amounts of extra benefit but they do add to the overall sauna experience.

Chromotherapy

Color light therapy which is usually referred to as chromotherapy have been shown to provide physical as well as some emotional healing.  To some degree, they reduce pain and and inflammation.  They can certainly add some therapeutic relaxation and mental healing. Blue light therapy is actually a proven medical treatment and is used in neonatal hospitals.

Halotherapy

Halotherapy involves inhaling finely crushed salt particles  or in the case of Clearlight’s Halo-One a liquid saline solution.  This has been proven to improve respiratory health and clear blockages. This therapy utilizes a generator, called a halogenerator, to distribute salt inside or outside the sauna.

Red Light Therapy

Red light therapy is a recent addition to the heat therapy lineup.  It uses low-level red wavelengths that stimulates skin rejuvenation and increases production of collagen and providing skin anti-aging benefits. The red light absorption is known for its effectiveness in reducing inflammation and promoting faster healing.

Vibration Resonance Therapy

Vibration resonance therapy (VRT) is a little more debated, but it combines sound and vibration to increase relaxation and sooth the user. This therapeutic approach is very calming.

17. Your Individual Needs in a Sauna

If you want to spend more time at lower temperatures of 110 – 125 degrees, then individual heater controls could be important. Vital Health is currently the only brand that allows for this. For far infrared, the lower the temperature of the heaters, the closer they are to the ideal 9.4 microns that benefits the body the most.

Is it for a chemically sensitive person? Heavenly Heat has the purest cabins and heaters anywhere. They have cabin air flow in their traditional units as well.

Do you want full spectrum that includes near infrared? Clearlight infrared sauna, Sunlighten, Heavenly Heat and Vital Health all offer this. Clearlight has 1000 watts of powerful near infrared while Vital offers 600 watts. Sunlighten’s small LED bulb arrays offer a total of 10-40 watts of near infrared. However, their mid range infrared is cutting edge and very effective. Some now include massive halogen lamps. Please see the individual review.

If you want the faster heat up times of ceramic, Heavenly Heat’s new heaters heat up extremely rapidly and should be considered.

For customization options, Clearlight and Sunlighten are your brands to look at first. Clearlight will work with your contractor to build an entire custom sauna room or spa.  Saunacore will as well, however the costs will skyrocket and the cost is not worth the gain.  Heavenly Heat previously offered some individual unit customization but as of now they do not add much.  Later in 2024 they may begin adding more smaller-scale customization options.  In fact large custom builds are used in wellness spas.

If you will need to move your unit around once assembled ask about optional castors or consider adding those yourself as they will make moving the unit around the room a breeze.

Where to Purchase

Infrared saunas can be purchased from a variety of sources including specialty online stores and the manufacturer themselves.  A range of quality can be purchased even from Amazon marketplace.

When deciding where to buy, consider the reputation of the seller, the quality of customer service, and the availability of after-sales support.

Purchasing directly from manufacturers or their factory often allows access to better warranties and potentially lower prices.  This is the easiest way.

Your Buyer Checklist

Create your own checklist before contacting the companies you are considering. Remember that glitzy online marketing does not always mean the top quality or value for your money.  It might even mean higher pressure sales.

Avoid These Common Purchase Mistakes

Avoid the mistake of ignoring the quality of the construction of the product you are going to purchase. Ensure the product uses non-toxic materials and is built with durable components that can withstand regular use.  You want true cedar (Cedrus) not fake wood or hidden particle board.

Importantly, do no over or underestimate the size and electrical requirements of the sauna.  We have talked with some who have gotten a unit too large and it blocked off easy access to their laundry room.

Avoid sellers with poor customer service or limited warranties, as ongoing support is crucial for dealing with any potential issues. Finally, not comparing prices and features across different brands can result in missing out on the best value for your investment.

Avoid all of these and more by visiting our best brand page and individual brand review pages. You want heat therapy, not something that can increase your risk of disease.

Please remember, this is not a replacement for medical treatment.

Frequently Asked Questions

These are the areas we have found that should be considered when purchasing. Please see our reviews page for the best infrared sauna reviews side by side brand comparison. The more you take these factors into account, the more likely you will end up with the best brand for you.

We all know the powerful refreshing smell of the citrus oils when we peel an orange or lemon.  That aroma alone can often bring a smile to our face or a boost to our emotions.  But is there more to this than just a pleasing smell?  Yes, there really is.

Aromatherapy is sometimes called Essential Oils Therapy.  It is the practice of using concentrated extracts from plants and other natural sources to relieve negative feelings such as depression or anxiety and to prompt the body to begin its own healing processes.

The use of a sauna can be a tremendously relaxing experience providing deep healing.  So it would make sense to combine these two forms of healing.  Before beginning of this addition to your sauna regimen, we first consider these basic but powerful statements from an authority on the subject:

The National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy, called naha, supports these statements.  They go even further to describe it as becoming more holistic and affecting the entire inner body.

How Do Essential Oil Therapy Accomplish This?

These compounds are extremely concentrated and are not used directly in full strength in most circumstances.

They are called essential oils as they are actually the essence of the fragrance of the plant.  It is the root essence of the particular smell or aroma of the plant it was extracted from.  As a result they are very concentrated.  Just a few drops can fill the sauna cabin with the invigorating or relaxing smell.

For traditional steam saunas, the steps involve dissolving a few drops in a bucket or container of water. This water is then poured or spooned over the hot rocks or heater, misting the compounds into the air.  This in then absorbed by the skin and inhaled.

Due to the deep and more rapid breathing that takes place in any sauna, caution is again warranted in using these sparingly. A little truly does go a long way in this instance.  Never pour any concentrated oil directly on to any heater or heater rocks.

One additional benefit of using this in a steam sauna is due to the very nature of a steam environment.  A traditional sauna, with its moisture and sweaty environment can become a breeding ground for various germs and bacteria.  While regular cleaning is always recommended, using essential oils in the water used to produce the steam is a way to clean some of the bacteria.  It helps to maintain some degree of a sterile environment.

So what are some of the Benefits and Effects of Aromatherapy?

There are many calming and healing benefits.  However the primary is the stress reduction with relief of depression being listed as a close second.

While some reference an antidepressant benefit from essential oil therapy, we caution and encourage anyone struggling with depression or any medical condition to see advice from a physician.  If the depression continues or worsens, seek counsel or medical advice.  Lavender, chamomile and peppermint have been shown to aid in minor relief of feelings of depression.

If you want to begin this regimen, it is advised to start very slowly with one drop.  Some people react strongly to any smells and the concentrated nature of these demand caution.  You may not want to add this to your sauna sessions.

However, if you do want to give it a try, Clearlight is one brand that has included aromatherapy as part of its units.

However, many find this to be a great addition to the healing nature of infrared or even steam saunas.  Give it a try.  Start with a fragrance you know you will enjoy.  Lemon, lavender and peppermint seem to be enjoyed by many.

Electromagnetic Fields, called EMF, are now the most asked question when the topic of infrared saunas is discussed. We encourage you to read carefully and not be misled by poorly done test results that don’t include readings of the dangerous levels from the wiring connectors.  That is the most misleading thing related to third party testing.

In the past several decades, these levels from human-made sources have increased as new technologies and new uses of electricity have increased.  Research into the dangers of increased exposure has also increased in recent years.

According to many experts including The World Health Organization (WHO) it is becoming more important every year.

We can see that it is definitely important.  But is it important when selecting a lowest emf infrared sauna and what are your potential risks if you select one with high levels? Let’s first examine that question and conclude with whether or not the infrared sauna industry has been unfairly targeted as many other devices have much higher levels.

Is EMF Harmful to You?

It has been suggested that nearly a third of the population has sensitivity to emf levels and approximately 3% can have severe reactions to exposure.  Studies have shown that people using a cell phone before the age of 20 have a five times greater risk of brain cancer.

Is Everyone Susceptible to EMF?

The good news is that not everyone is susceptible to higher levels of Electromagnetic fields. Over 25% of the population does has sensitivity to EMFs and a portion can experience severe reactions. If you are known to have sensitivities to electronic devices or several sensitivities, it is advisable to reduce exposure and select a sauna that has ultra low EMF levels.

Heavenly Heat and Clearlight are two brands that are confirmed by accurate testing to have ultra low levels. They are very transparent about how they reduce the levels and do not depend on unreliable third party testing in a lab.  As a consumer you also should not trust those results.  We discuss many times why we give no credence to those third party tests performed in a lab.

Innovations for Reducing Sauna EMF

Advances in Low EMF Sauna Technologies

In 2024 some new carbon heaters have become available that even further reduce levels.  However they are expensive and need to be installed correctly.  Even these ultra low carbon panels when installed incorrectly, we have seen to emit levels above 5.0mG but far below 0.2 when installed correctly.

EMF Shielding Materials and Techniques

Clearlight pioneered methods 15 years ago that dramatically cut readings.  There are many shielding options now available for brands to use in their products.  Clearlight even twists its wiring in a manner that eliminates much of the wavelengths similar to how noise-reducing headphones cut sound by emitting an opposing sound wave.

Are EMF Saunas Dangerous?

Yes, they can be.  So what is a safe EMF level for a sauna?

While there is no standard for EMF safety levels in saunas, the readings should absolutely be below 3.0. Levels below 0.5 are much preferred.  Below 0.2 is available from a couple brands.

How can I reduce EMF exposure in a sauna?

Your best way to reduce exposure is to select an infrared sauna proven to have ultra low EMF levels. Once you have a sauna with high levels, there is no effective way to reduce it while you are using it.

Do all infrared saunas have high EMF levels?

Not all have high levels.  Companies that see this as important and aggressively shield and counteract it are recommended.  Please see our reviews of Heavenly Heat and Clearlight and our page discussing the best brands with low readings.

Are there proven dangers of EMF?

The dangers of electromagnetic fields (EMF) have been a topic of debate among scientists.  Studies consistently provide mixed results without a clear consensus.  However, some are clear that there is a significant risk. The fact that organizations such as the WHO and CDC continue to conduct research continues especially regarding potential neurological effects, it is advisable to reduce exposure when you have a choice.

It is widely known by almost everyone that the high-frequency EMFs like X-rays have potential to damage DNA and lead to cancer.

However, the low to mid-frequency EMFs that are emitted from everyday devices like appliances are currently not proven by organizations like the WHO and CDC to cause significant health problems.

Some precautionary measures you can take are reducing exposure when you can including not sleeping near electrical devices.

Can EMF in saunas cause health issues?

Are electromagnetic fields dangerous?  They can be. During 1989 and 1990, research gained more exposure when Paul Brodeur wrote a group of articles in the New Yorker Magazine which raised awareness to many scientists.  Even stronger articles were written in Time magazine,  the Wall Street Journal and  Business Week.  Soon after specials on the topic aired with Ted Koppel at ABC and on CBS’s Dan Rather reports.

Is emf harmful? The health effects reported to be linked to high levels vary but include memory loss, headaches, a weaker immune system, depression and energy loss.

Later in 2002 the California Electric and Magnetic Fields Program published its risk and analysis report.  This program was based on education, assistance and research in regards to the potential health risks and dangers of Electric and Magnetic Fields.  It focused not only on large power lines, but also small electrical products.  The conclusion was that exposure does increase the risk of infant health issues and brain cancer.

We can see that it is a big area of concern.  However, we think it does not need to be an area of anxiety.

What is the safe level of EMF?

The accepted safe level are levels below 3.0mG. You are often exposed to these levels even at home surrounded by electronics. However, when infrared sauna options area available that are ultra low at 0.2 – 0.0, it makes sense to select those options.

Is EMF bad for the body? Medical devices including X-ray imaging machines do subject the human body to low levels of this type of radiation.  Whereas tanning beds and also the sun produce UV rays.

Is EMF a concern for saunas?

If a sauna has not been wired and shield correctly then there is reason to have concern about the EMF levels.   Magnetic fields are present when an appliance is using an electrical current and you are sitting next to a lot of wires and heater panels.  However, fortunately at least two brands have aggressively mitigated these risks. to you.

What are the common sources of EMF in saunas?

Sauna EMF dangers include the following potential areas:

Heating Elements

Infrared Heaters, Electric Heaters, carbon and ceramic can all produce dangerous amounts if care is not taken by the companies to prevent this.

Electrical Wiring and Connectors

The internal wiring and connectors are massive sources.  Even if a carbon panel is tested in isolation in a lab with low readings, you may still receive large amounts of electric fields.  We have taken readings that have spiked when the tester is moved near the wire connectors.  Even the external power supply  can be a culprit.

Other Potential Sources

Digital Control Panels, lighting, entertainment systems, audio systems,  video systems, WiFi and bluetooth devices can all add to your exposure if they are overdone. There is at least one excellent brand that we even rate very well that unfortunately has higher levels than we like due to all the technology they add in one of their product lines.

Have Infrared Saunas been Unfairly Targeted Regarding EMF?

We think they have to some degree.  Using a high quality infrared sauna typically will have less exposure than using a lot of other devices.  The important thing to remember is that levels below 2.0 mG should be your target.  However, we still think Ultra low is the absolute best recommendation for most people.  Perhaps the best reason is that if they have accomplished that, then other hidden quality standards are also followed resulting in your safety.

However, when you have the choice, choose devices including infrared with much lower levels.

]Remember that some cheap infrared saunas you can find at large chain stores often have levels of 30 mG – 170 mG.  We strongly advise against any of those cheap mass produced names.

We applaud companies like Heavenly Heat that has had low readings on their heaters for years and companies like Vital Health and others that continue to upgrade their heaters.  Clearlight and other names helped pioneer low EMF.  Sunlighten has reduced level below 3.0 in their Signature line.

But while we really like seeing Clearlight’s levels being tested at 0.05 mG, the difference between even 2.0 mG and 1.0 mG may not be nearly as important as a few other factors.  What is more important is having heaters that have high emissivity so that you are actually getting a tremendous amount of healing infrared.  The second factor is simply using your sauna regularly.

Brands such as Clearlight, Heavenly Heat and Sunlighten (for one of their models) and others are now posting the third part testing results on their websites.  This is great to see.  However tests such as the ones posted by brands such as Health Mate are taken in a vacuum and the results are not the same as you would receive in a nit that is fully connected with all heaters turned on.  The only way to get an accurate reading is with then entire array of heaters turned on and the readings taken inside on all heaters with the meter held within an inch of all portions of all carbon panels or ceramic cores.

Specifically, Electromagnetic Fields are electric energy waves at frequencies below 300 cycles per second. The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Sweden Agencies consider levels below 3.0 milligauss to be safe.  The important point is to limit the amount of time exposed to higher levels.

The fields are the combination of magnetic and electrical energies that accompany and surround any electrical device.  The amount is measured in milligauss (mG).

Conclusion

We support the companies that have truly lowered their product levels.  They are to be commended.  The units we recommend have models with low levels.  But there is no need to be afraid of the levels in a top rated brand.  The stress of worrying about it while in the sauna may do as much harm as the actual electromagnetic fields.

Buy one of the brands that we have rated high based on evidence and research.  Then use it regularly and know you have avoided any potential dangerous levels of magnetic fields.

Chromotherapy Lights are offered as an option on most infrared saunas.  This is a therapy that has been used for centuries. But how does it work and is there any evidence that it helps you at all?

They are touted to help with appetite and help the mind with pain management and major depressive disorder. Let’s look at some research and studies to verify this.  First lets very briefly discuss what this is.

What is Chromotherapy Therapy?

It is the application of color lights to increase the benefits of infrared healing.  It is said to balance out any health imbalance in a person. Various colors are purported to aid via their own healing characteristics.

For example, green is more healing while red is more invigorating.  As each are said to have very distinctive benefits, the colored LEDs usually rotate along the color wheel.  However, in most saunas, the user can set it to stop and remain on one hue.

If in fact these therapies do have benefits, as we are heading into early winter this could be a benefit for suffers of SAD, Seasonal Affective Disorder.  SAD sufferers struggle with the dramatically reduced daylight during winter months.  These people often greatly benefit from increased lighting.

Simple brighter white or full spectrum sunlight lamps are what are typically used for this purpose. Chromotherapy color therapy itself does not directly provide any SAD benefit.  However, if this helps lift a person’s mood or ease depression, then an indirect benefit is gained.

While colored lights therapy is not entirely proven or the most important add on option for a sauna, we do use chromotherapy in our Clearlight sauna at home. Clearlight infrared saunas offer this as a standard or low cost option as do most other brands.

Early History of Chromotherapy Usage

To survive, our bodies do need light, which can be broken down into seven distinct variations.  Sir Issac Newton was the first to invent an official color wheel.  When he separated the the wavelengths into 6 hues, he showed that the spectrums moved from red to orange and yellow.  Then to green, cyan and blue.  He then joined the two ends of the wheel.

It is said that colored cloths were hung over the windows of medical clinics centuries ago to aid in patients healing.

The Various Colors in Light Therapy Tests

Red is said to be a great energizer, providing energy empowerment and circulation.  It is a simulator of liver function and circulation.

Orange is meant to stimulate the body, free the mind for greater thinking and stimulate antibacterial effects.

Yellow can help a person feel more optimistic and hopeful, providing inspirational thoughts.

Green is known for universal healing.  It helps muscles relax and holistic practitioners use it for speeding up all types of healing.

Blue is known  to relieve depression, anxiety, promote relaxation and aid in detoxification. This is one of the best chromotherapy color benefits, further discussed on that page.

Purple is used to help the mind deal with physical ailments such as fibromyalgia or tension.

Is There Evidence to Support Color Light Therapy?

Prematurely born babies are warmed with infrared in hospitals.  Colors have been shown in studies to energize or even calm an aggressive person in less than 20 minutes.  So combining them seems to have some possible merit.

Disabled World States Chromotherapy Helps

The following article from Disabled World agrees with the popularity of this practice. It points out how imbalance is supposed to be balanced by these lights.  However it does conclude with a statement of lack of any controlled trial based evidence of benefit:

Chromotherapy: Lighting Color Therapy for Health – Disabled WorldIt is said that organs and glands of our bodies also vibrate at specific frequencies and that colors correspond to the areas of our body which have the same frequency. When we are sick, our organs and glands may become out of balance and not function at their proper frequencies. Restoring the proper frequency is thought to restore health.

Combined with the healing attributes derived from infrared sauna heat technology, the colored chromotherapy lights are said to maximize the healing benefits that sauna usage provides. Chromotherapy: Lighting Color Therapy for Health – Disabled World

Blue Light Used In Healing Injured Tissue

However, there does appear to be some evidence from studies and medical applications that this has some use and benefits.  The follow article from NBCI focuses on one aspect of the spectrum:

A Critical Analysis of Chromotherapy and Its Scientific Evolution The blue light found to be successful in the treatment of neonatal jaundice has also been shown to be effective in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, as emphasized by Pleasanton in his work. In studies by McDonald, most of those exposed to blue light for variable periods of up to 15 min experienced a significant degree of pain relief.

It was concluded that the pain reduction was directly related both to the blue light and to the length of exposure to it. Blue light is also used in healing injured tissue and preventing scar tissue, as well as for burns and lung conditions (2).

In 1990, scientists reported to the annual conference of the American Association for the Advancement of Science on the successful use of blue light in the treatment of a wide variety of psychological problems, including addictions, eating disorders and depression.

As a result, color is becoming widely accepted as a therapeutic tool with various medical applications. A Critical Analysis of Chromotherapy and Its Scientific Evolution

Blue Light Used Successfuly In Hospitals For Neonatal Jaundice

A Medically-reviewed article from healthline from July 31, 2023 states how this application is successfully used to treat seasonal affective disorder (SAD).  It goes on to state how phototherapy can affect our minds health and mood and states this about the use of practice:

Blue light phototherapy is commonly used in hospitals to treat neonatal jaundice, a condition affecting babies. The condition causes high levels of bilirubin in the blood, making the skin and eyes turn yellow.

During treatment, babies are placed under blue halogen or fluorescent lamps while they sleep so that their skin and blood can absorb the light waves. These light waves help them eliminate bilirubin from their systems.  How Does Color Therapy Improve Your Mood?

This is an option offered by many sauna companies.  As it is an inexpensive option, most opt to have it added to their sauna.  While we have no definitive conclusion on this, as previously mentioned, we do use this in our sauna at home.

At times the rotating LED hues do seem to aid in relaxation. It could be physiological in nature.  Or perhaps simply psychological.  However, if the mind is telling you that it is working and thereby relaxes you, perhaps there is merit even in that.

Whether you add this or not with your purchase of an infrared sauna, our advice is simply to purchase a quality sauna. Begin gaining the benefits from infrared.  Those are indeed proven and powerfully effective for deep healing.

To your health.

logo-ecam.gif image from nih.gov

We live in a world that is in constant motion and activity – the opposite of relaxation.  Can you relate?  The real problem with this is that the body often does not shut down this constant state of alertness.

The state of being always in alert mode is known as sympathetic.  This is commonly known as the fight or flight syndrome.  The body and mind are always thinking a tiger is chasing you and you need to remain vigilant at all times.

Over time, staying in this highly alert mode not only wears the body down, but it can drain the adrenals.  Adrenalin is used for what should be normal easy going tasks.  Over time cortisol levels can be extremely elevated as a result.

Adrenal Fatigue

Adrenal fatigue which is also referred to as adrenal insufficiency or adrenal exhaustion, is increasingly prevalent today. This condition called adrenal burnout syndrome arises from the adrenal glands being overused and depleted after prolonged periods of over-heightened activity.  This can be due to either internal or external stressors.

As it then becomes underactive, symptoms of adrenal fatigue can suddenly manifest themselves following a significant traumatic event in an individual’s life.

The health benefits of a infrared sauna include a temporary relaxation of the muscles and body.  But the long term benefit of remaining in a calmer state is one of the best effects it will have for you.

Is sauna good for adrenal fatigue?

Yes, however anyone with adrenal fatigue should begin very slowly because the increased heat is itself a stressor on the body.  Begin with only a couple sessions of 5 minutes each.  Then work up gradually.

Saunas Activate the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Can infrared saunas offer any help?  Yes.  Firstly, they can help by simply relaxing the body.

This simple process occurs as the warm infrared waves  penetrate the body and begin warming the muscles.  Relaxation is the obvious result.  This is helpful for not only athletes but also for those who have just completed simple exercise.  The penetrating infrared relaxes at a deep tissue level.

It only requires a short amount of time for this process to start.  At least 10 minutes is required but 10-20 minutes is an adequate time to benefit.

Spending brief intervals, such as 15 minutes, in a heated environment like a sauna, steam room, or hot bath can trigger relaxation by activating the parasympathetic nervous system. This results in a state of relaxation for the body to begin to calm down.

Saunas Reduce Cortisol Levels

This state of calm helps to lower cortisol levels, a stress hormone linked to increased abdominal fat. This permanent result will take time.  It will not be quick as can happen with high-intensity interval training (HIIT).

We can see that simple relaxation is prompted by heath therapy.  But infrared saunas can promote relaxation at a much deeper level than this simple muscle warming.  They can stimulate the mind’s quiet mode.

Can you sweat out cortisol in a sauna?

You cannot directly sweat out cortisol in a sauna.  In fact, saunas may initially raise cortisol levels slightly due to the stress of heat, but they typically lower cortisol levels shortly after the session as the body enters a more relaxed state. This reduction in cortisol post-sauna session is what contributes to the feeling of relaxation many experience after a sauna session.

While saunas can influence cortisol levels, the process is more about the physiological response to the heat rather than directly eliminating cortisol through sweat.

Saunas Calm The Mind And Anxiety

This is particularly helpful for those of us whose minds are constantly thinking and analyzing. This is what will allow us to move out of that fight or flight sympathetic mode and into the beneficial parasympathetic state.  This is caused by numerous factors.

Sweating during exercise is associated with sympathetic activity. However, the act of sweating itself is primarily driven by the parasympathetic nervous system.

Blood movement from the body’s core to its periphery is another physiological response influenced by the nervous system. While the sympathetic nervous system keeps blood within the core and internal organs, using a sauna effectively shifts this blood flow to the body’s extremities. This helps the body shed excess heat through the skin, a process regulated by the parasympathetic nervous system.

Engaging in activities like prayer, meditation, or listening to calming music also stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system. While these activities are not intrinsic to the sauna experience, many individuals incorporate them into their sauna sessions to enhance relaxation.

As just mentioned, one of the primary ways the body is moved to this calm state is due to blood flow.  Similar to exercise, the increased heat will begin moving blood from the center of the body to the outside – the skin.  Blood is also moved to the lungs.

Both of these are partially a result of the body’s attempt to cool itself.  After 10  minutes or so in the heat, the body can no longer cool itself from the increased air temperature.  The core body temperature then begins to rise 1-3 degrees.

It then begins the further oxygenation of the blood, forcing it to the outer areas of the body.  Heart rate increases and you may actually feel a little sluggish or tired at this stage of the heat therapy session.

Heat Therapy and the Truth About How It Helps With Adrenal Fatigue

Strengthening of the parasympathetic nervous system also relieves blood stagnation, chronic sympathetic stimulation due to stress, forces more blood into the internal organs as part of the fight or flight response.

When blood stagnates in these systems, internal metabolites build up, impaired circulation is the norm as well as the new tissue of the organs become compromised. Phase 1 sauna is therefore particularly suitable for those with advanced AFS.

Those in advanced stages of AFS may find this phase of heat therapy most revitalizing. Because most sufferers of advanced AFS (stage 3 and beyond) are in a state of sympathetic dominance, the body tends to be flooded in a sea of epinephrine and norepinephrine. The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is invariably imbalanced as AFS progresses.

The resting heart rate is usually above 80 beats per minute (normal is 72-76). In addition, many people are presented with unpleasant symptoms such as postural hypotension, dizziness, heart palpitation with slight exposure to stress that can be physical or emotional; a sense of anxiety is also common.

Phase 1 of sauna therapy often leads to a sense of calm and tranquility, provided that the duration is acceptable to the body. Heat Therapy and the Truth About How It Helps With Adrenal Fatigue

The Autonomic Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system controls all involuntary bodily functions.  It operates in two fundamental states as we have discussed. Relaxation or hyper-alertness.  Both are essential components of our physiological network. Understanding the dynamics of the autonomic nervous system is crucial for addressing adrenal fatigue.

This system manifests in two primary modes: the sympathetic state, which is the body’s response to stress (fight or flight), and the parasympathetic state, which is associated with rest, relaxation, and digestion.

The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a component of the peripheral nervous system.  Its responsibilities are regulating involuntary functions such as heart rate, breathing, and digestion. This is sometimes referred to as the vegetative nervous system.  The ANS operates continuously, including during sleep, playing a crucial role in maintaining vital bodily functions essential for life.

You you may feel a strong relaxation during the first 10-15 minutes of a session.  After this point, you will feel more invigorated and perhaps tired as stated.  It may seem counter-intuitive, however this is actually training the body to remember being in the parasympathetic state.  Over time you will actually be training yourself and your mind to remain in this calm state.  Nice, huh?

a-sauna-adrenal-fatigue-2525-1.jpg photo credit drlam.com

For those suffering with this, you are already likely aware that Borrelia Burgdorferi is the bacterium that causes Lyme disease.  You have also likely undergone antibiotic therapy using antibiotics as a treatment.

So we will jump right into how infrared saunas can possibly provide benefit for you, then later discuss what the disease actually is.

Infrared Sauna Therapy for Lyme Disease

Saunas are not technically medical devices and therefore cannot be said to cure anything.  We have stated previously these prodcuts do not cure anything- medication and surgeries perform that function.

However they are tremendous at healing from many ailments.  The difference is that healing uses the body’s own functions to repair itself.  This is a primary benefit of heat.

One of these ailments is contracting this disease after contact with Ixodes Ticks, which are the primary vectors for Lyme disease transmission.  This is a serious infection that can strongly affect someone’s life , even debilitating them. Providing relief from this is one of the benefits of far infrared sauna.

Infrared Saunas Managing Symptoms of Lyme Disease

.The heat warming the body can reduce some inflammation and discomfort allowing for more mobility with less discomfort.

Due to the seriousness and disabling nature of chronic Lyme disease, we wanted to share information form a couple sources dedicated to  this and other disabling illnesses.  Sharing hope.

Disabled World covers many topics including these thoughts on this illness:

Infrared Saunas: Can They Relieve Symptoms of Lyme Disease – Disabled World

Quote: “Lyme disease patients who were previously unable to engage in everyday activities such as taking a walk reported improvement after regular infrared sauna sessions.” Main Document

And now, people who are afflicted with Lyme disease are beginning to understand how their traditional treatment regimens can be enhanced by using infrared saunas on a regular basis. It makes sense, if you stop and think about it.

These reports indicate that for at least some Lyme disease patients, infrared saunas are able to help alleviate some of the troublesome symptoms of this condition, including muscle spasms, constant chills, an overwhelming feeling of fatigue and the sensation of being in a mental fog.

When coupled with the proper pharmacological treatments (IV or oral antibiotics and so forth), the deep, penetrating heat of infrared saunas makes the body be a far less hospitable environment for the spirochetes. Infrared Saunas: Can They Relieve Symptoms of Lyme Disease – Disabled World

Increased Temperature Creates Hostile Environment for Spirochete

Coupled with pharmacological treatments, the infrared heat is another control method to control and remove the bacteria.

We have seen that heat can greatly benefit those with this condition.  The reason is partly due these people having an even greater toxin burden than they normally would have.

Increased Sauna Sweating can Increase the Sufferer’s Immune System

There can be an increase in the immune system and circulatory system.  Some believe this allows the pharmaceuticals to have more reach into tissues and more beneficial effect.

Secondly, when recovering from this aliment, the kidneys and liver can become easily overburdened.  Sweating allows a portion of the toxins to be released through the skin via sweat.  This takes a portion of the burden off the rest of the body’s elimination systems.

Bryan Rosner’s exhaustive book on this illness offers some great insight on the benefits of heat:

Saunas and Lyme Disease – Ozone, FIR, Steam, Dry Heat

Unlike most healthy people, Lyme Disease patients have burdened livers and kidneys due to the stress incurred by the inflammation and toxic burden created by a chronic infection.

As a result, Lyme Disease patients often have very weak livers and kidneys.  Because the liver and kidneys are the primary detoxification organs of the body, detoxification is often stagnant.  This can lead to overwhelming symptoms of poisoning by the Lyme Disease neurotoxin.

By increasing both circulation and lipid (fat) metabolism, the heat generated by a sauna causes the release into general circulation of a wide range of toxins stored in fatty body tissue.  This process has been well documented in medical studies.  Sauna therapy is so effective that the U.S. government recommends it for detoxification of dozens of poisons.

The vast surface area of the skin allows quick, efficient detoxification without placing a burden on other detoxification organs. Saunas and Lyme Disease – Ozone, FIR, Steam, Dry Heat

However caution need to be taken when using this therapy for those with this condition.

When heat is used, the dead spirochetes release a large amount of toxins.  For this reason, sufferers should begin infrared therapy at a much slower pace than normal users.  Begin with 10-15 minutes sessions at most.  And slowly build up the quantity of sessions as well.

This is not a time to begin daily sessions for 30 minutes each immediately.  Be slow and cautions for reasons the following post points out:

Detoxification is just as equally important in healing from Lyme Disease as an effective treatment protocol is.

Those treating their Lyme Disease know that toxins released from dead spirochetes flood their bodies once they [the spirochetes] are killed.

Though this debilitating experience is a great indication of an effective treatment protocol, the process itself occurs many times throughout treatment.

As a result, toxins build up in the body, and the process of removing them becomes too much for passive or non-aggressive detox methods.  Infrared saunas compensate or pick up the slack by helping to bring the over all toxin load down in an incredibly efficient manner.  Infrared Sauna And Lyme Disease.

Infrared Sauna Benefits Herxheimer Reaction

The Herxheimer Reaction, or Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction is the sufferer having a reaction to endotoxins released when the harmful microorganisms die off in large numbers due to the antibiotic treatments.

Infrared Saunas can help by helping to quickly remove the toxins resulting form the die off.

Saunas Are One of the Alternate Treatments for Lyme Disease

Please seek medical help from a qualified doctor and consult regarding using this method.  Be advised most doctors are unfamiliar with the power of healing heat.

People who have contracted this often debilitating illness welcome any verifiable helpful solution.  Recent studies and medical books have explored the idea of infrared sauna offering benefits for suffers of this illness.

Fortunately, the results are positive.  When used correctly, this healing heat therapy can greatly benefit the users.

disease_treatment.jpg image from lymebook.com

As we know, circulation and the skin are two of the ways a sauna can remove toxins from the body.

Dry Brushing Moves Lymphatic Fluid Before Sauna

However, another toxin removal system in the body is the lymphatic system.  The lymphatic system does not have a pump as the blood circulatory system does.  So it needs something to push or force the lymphatic fluid to move throughout the body.  Here is one of the easiest and best methods to accomplish this fluid drainage.

While this procedure is not necessary to obtain dramatic results from infrared saunas, it does improve these results.  Additionally is adds the much needed lymphatic fluid movement.  If you do not like the process, rebounding on a small personal trampoline for a few minutes accomplishes the same lymphatic movement.  This second option, however, does not directly affect the skin.  But it is perhaps the best method to improve the lymph system.

Skin Benefits of Dry Brushing

In addition to boosting lymphatic fluid movement, this also has other benefits, including removing old skin cells.

Dry Brushing Improves Circulation

As you massage the skin, blood flow is pushed to the skin bringing toxins with it.  This skin care releases toxins through sweating and exfoliates at the same time. A nice combination.

Brushing Improves Skin Appearance

As old cells are removed, new cells are prompted to renew more quickly.  This changes dried out old looking skin over time to a more youthful look.  Cellulite can also be reduced.

Learn more health benefits of infrared sauna to have in your life.

In the following article Dr. Edward F. Group describes how this can be combined with sauna use:

6 Amazing Health Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing | Wake Up World

By Dr. Edward F. Group

Guest Writer for Wake Up World

Blood flow increases to the skin following dry brushing, and the normal process of releasing toxins through perspiration is improved. Proper exercise, spicy foods, and breathing techniques also help promote normal circulation.

One of the most important benefits of skin brushing is the supposed effect it has on the lymphatic system. This is of profound significance to the immune system. White blood cells, or lymphocytes, are actually named after this major body system. Lymph circulates to our cells through channels independent of our circulatory system.

A huge benefit of skin brushing is a drastic improvement in the appearance of the skin itself! Eliminating dead skin and unclogging pores results in a very noticeable improvement. For people who exercise or sit in Far Infrared Saunas, this is an excellent follow up to detoxification by sweating.

The appearance of the skin also improves as new cells form more quickly, and the skin takes on a smooth luster that is noticeably brighter than the dull appearance of old, dry, and often wrinkled skin. 6 Amazing Health Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing | Wake Up World

How to Perform Dry Brushing

While the previous post focused more on the medical aspects of this procedure, the following article provides more information on the actual steps of the process.  We have always liked and respected the DelicoiuslyOrganic.net website and this is another reason why.

Clear, straight to the point information to help others learn about this very beneficial health practice.  The author has gone through an incredible transformation of her own skin.

She explains how this is part of her daily regimen:

Most of us know our skin is our largest organ. Did you know our skin aids in detoxing our bodies? The pores in our skin benefit from “exercise” to better rid toxins from the body. Cardio-vascular exercise, sunshine, dry saunas, and keeping toxic chemicals off our skin all help this process.

Dry-brushing may also help our skin detoxify and keep us looking our best. While I can’t find any hard-core studies to support this assertion, my nutritionist shared this detox method with me and well, she helped me heal from Hashimoto’s disease (something medical doctors told me wasn’t possible), so I’m going to trust her! Also, it can’t hurt, right?

How do you Dry Brush?

1. Once a day, preferably before bed or before a shower or time in a dry sauna.
2. Brush, starting at the feet, and work up towards the heart using light, short strokes (always brushing towards the heart). Then work from the arms towards your chest. Don’t forget your palms and soles. The skin should be stimulated, not red or irritated.
3. Brushing the entire body should take from 45 seconds to 2 minutes.
4. It’s best not moisturize afterwards so the pores can breathe and rid themselves of toxins.

The Benefits of Dry Brushing – Deliciously Organic

Dry Brushing Procedure Steps

Make sure you are using natural bristles which will not damage the skin. We prefer long handles which make the process much easier.

1. Start at your feet and always move towards the heart moving in a circular motion.
2. Move to the legs. Massage the thighs upwards towards the inner thighs.  The Lymph nodes are in the inner thighs.
3. Move from your hands towards the armpits.  Be careful at the armpits where there are a concentration of lymph nodes.
4. A few times a week is good.  It is best to perform this just prior to a shower or infrared sauna session.

It is clear this is a practice that is growing in popularity.  Especially in all natural and organic groups.  Although it has grown beyond the natural health community and has gone mainstream. Importantly, use natural bristles and make smooth movements towards the heart.

As you can see, this is an easy to learn, simply practice that requires little time.  But the rewards can be very noticeable.

So give this a try.  A natural bristle product is inexpensive and is easy to use. Enjoy!