Get the Most out of Your Sauna
Welcome to our ever-growing SaunaSpace community! Get ready to sweat with these happy, healthy sauna habits.
BEFORE
Preparing for your session
Leave time for warm-up
Turn on your sauna and close the curtain 10–15 minutes before you start your session. Warming up your sauna is optional, but can help you start sweating faster.
Hydrate
While the sauna warms up, drink a glass of water. Hydrating is one of the most important things you can do before sweating.
Dry brushing (optional)
Use your SaunaSpace Exfoliating Brush on all your skin (except your face) in the shower to stimulate lymph response, which will prepare your skin for an awesome detox session. Do this in the shower so you can easily clean up the scrubbed off skin cells
Grab only the essentials
In order for infrared light to penetrate, you should be completely undressed, but you can wear underwear or swimsuit bottoms if you prefer. You’ll want two towels: one for sitting on, and one to lay underneath you to catch falling sweat. Leave any jewelry and electronics outside the sauna.
DURING
Enjoying the Sauna
Get in position
Keep the light panel 18–30 inches from your torso. The light at the top of the panel should be at chest height.
Don’t forget to rotate
Rotate a quarter turn every 2–5 minutes to get faster full-body benefits from the light panel.
Start with 20 minutes
If you’re sensitive to heat or light, start slower with 5–10 minutes. Once you’re used to it, you can gradually increase your time in the sauna. Sessions should never go over 60 minutes with no more than two sessions per day.
Adjust for comfort
If the heat is too intense, you can switch off one or more of the lamps on the panel or open the curtain. Alternatively, you can always shorten your session.
Relax
It’s tempting to multitask, but try to eliminate any activity that could cause you stress. A relaxed body and mind will give you the best results.
AFTER
Finishing Strong
Power down
Turn off your sauna once our session is finished, and remove any used towels.
Freshen up
Wash off all the sweat (and everything that came out with it) with a quick shower, ideally with filtered luke-warm or cool water. For contrast therapy, use cold water. Keep the detox going with gentle exfoliation using our SaunaSpace Exfoliating Brush.
Rehydrate
Your body just lost a lot of water, so take a moment to replenish.
Ease into your day
Give yourself 10–15 minutes to rest before returning to your regular activities.
Best Practices
Clothing and protection
You do not need to wear clothing or eye protection in your infrared sauna. In fact, we wrote a whole article on how infrared light works with your eyes. If you do choose to wear clothing, pick something loose, lightweight, undyed, and made of natural fibers.
Supervision
Supervision is a good idea, especially if you’re new to infrared saunas. If you’re alone, have someone check on you afterwards by phone as a safety precaution.
Phone use
We don’t recommend that you use your phone or any other devices in the sauna. In the FireLight® Sauna with SilverLining™ specifically, we include a special EMF-blocking lining designed to block out cell signals and Wi-Fi. If you bring devices into that environment, you’ll interrupt that barrier, introduce stressful EMFs inside the sauna and reduce the effectiveness of your session.
Personalizing Your Sauna Regimen
Although occasional sessions can be a great way to relax, developing a routine is the best way to enjoy all the benefits your infrared sauna has to offer.
When?
Choose a time of day that’s regularly free and ideal for relaxing. Many people like to schedule their sessions as part of their morning or bedtime routine, and others prefer to tack it onto the end of their workouts. There’s no wrong answer. The important thing is that you’re consistent.
How often?
If you’re new to using an infrared sauna, give yourself time to adjust. Start with one session per week and work your way up to one per day. Each person is different, so work your way up to what feels good to you. It’s okay to take a break. Your sauna will be there waiting when you’re ready to come back to it.
Don’t push yourself
Relaxation and wellness is not a contest. You’ll do more harm than good by pushing your limits. Part of forming healthy habits is developing a routine that is sustainable, so be kind to yourself.
Sometimes people experience uncomfortable physical or emotional symptoms right after their first sauna sessions. These are known as healing or detox reactions, and they are actually a good thing! It’s a sign that your body is releasing toxic substances that are holding you back from optimal health. These reactions are usually mild and temporary, but if symptoms persist or worsen, see your doctor.
Discover the Benefits of Full-Spectrum Infrared Therapy
See All Benefits
Detoxification
Immunity Boosting
Stress Reduction
Mental Performance
