The more you use your sauna, the more you’ll discover your own personal preference for how you like to use it. Infrared heat is most effective at lower temperatures, for longer periods of time, consistently – so don’t get hung up on the cabin temp. Infrared saunas are designed to heat your core body temperature, not the sauna cabin airspace. Approximately 80% of the infrared heat emitted by the heaters penetrates your body to heat your core, with only 20% of the heat heating the actual sauna cabin.

A few steps I recommend and how I use my sauna:

1. Turn your sauna on, set the temperature to your desired temp (for some it’s 125 degrees, for others it’s 140+) and let it warm up for about 20 to 30 minutes (depending on your preference.) Please note that the heaters work in a similar fashion to a thermostat, which means that when the target temperature is reached, the heaters will turn off. We don’t want this to happen so the sauna’s max temperature will go to a higher level than the sauna cabin will reach. This challenges the heaters to stay on – giving all the benefits of infrared without interruption.
2. I recommend using a towel (doubling it up if possible) on the bench to absorb sweat, as well as a towel on the floor under your feet. It’s also nice to have an extra towel available to wipe the sweat off your skin. Wiping off encourages more sweat.
3. When the temperature is in the range of 120º to 135º, get in the sauna and begin your session. If it feels too warm, try setting the target temperature to a lower setting or you can always open the door for a moment to let in some cool air.  
4. Once you’re in the sauna, you can turn up the temperature if you desire it to be hotter or if the heaters have reached the temperature that you originally set it to. Remember, when the heaters are on, that’s when you’re receiving the optimal benefits of infrared heat. I get in my sauna when it’s 135 degrees, then turn it up to 145 degrees.
5. In the first 10 to 20 minutes, your core body temperature will begin to rise as the infrared heat begins to stimulate the various systems in your body. It’s common for it to take 20+ minutes to begin to perspire, especially if you’ve never experienced infrared before. Infrared is gentler heat compared to a traditional sauna, so the process of heating from the inside out can take some time. As you use your sauna more consistently, you’ll notice this time will shorten because your body is more acclimated to the heat. Also, the timing will vary from person to person and from day to day. Some sweat more easily than others. Exercising or taking a hot shower just prior to using the sauna and drinking water within an hour before the sauna will encourage more sweating.
6. Start with 20 – 30 minutes gradually working into 30 – 45 minutes per session. If you have a specific health/medical condition, I suggest and highly recommend you consult with your practitioner for specific time and temperature guidance.

-It’s important to understand that a high-performance infrared sauna, such as your Clearlight Sauna, is not using the air temperature to heat the body or to induce sweat. So higher heats (such as 170+ degrees) is not necessary or recommended. The infrared heat comes directly from the carbon/ceramic heaters directly into your body, gently raising core temperature. The more advanced the heater technology has become over the years, the lower the temperature in the sauna cabin needs to be to provide a comfortable, relaxing environment along with a deep, detoxifying sweat.  

-It’s essential to stay hydrated when using your sauna. When you’re dehydrated, your body holds on to water and won’t perspire much. It’s recommended to drink water before, during and after your sauna session. I also recommend a good quality electrolyte, warm salt water, food-based vitamin/mineral supplement or green drink to replace minerals lost while sweating.

-Shower off within 5-10 minutes with cool/cold water. It’s important to bring core body temp down to stop the sweating process.

-Cleaning recommendations: to keep your sauna clean and sanitized, use towels on the bench and floor. If sweat stains form over time, you can lightly sand these areas with fine-grain sandpaper, sanding in the direction of the grain of the wood, then gently wiping away wood particles. This will remove the stain, keeping your sauna looking fresh and new. It’s important to always use non-toxic cleaners to clean the wood and glass (such as an essential oil concentrate cleaner diluted in warm water). Always clean when the sauna is off and cooled down. If using a spray cleaner, spray directly onto a cloth outside the sauna and not the wood or glass itself, and then wipe it down.

In their book Beyond Antibiotics, Drs. Michael A. Schmidt et al., state the following: “Saunas are being used by some doctors to stimulate the release of toxins from the bodies of their patients. They have found that a lower temperature (115º-135ºF) sauna taken for a longer duration is most beneficial. These low temperatures stimulate a fat sweat, which eliminates toxins stored in fat, as opposed to the high temperature sauna, which encourages a water sweat.” 

Want to learn more? Visit my Clearlight Sauna page to get all the details and to shop for your own Clearlight Sauna.

Thank you for making your health a priority ~ wishing you the best in health!