Infrared saunas have become popular alternatives to traditional Finnish saunas, particularly in home wellness installations and commercial wellness facilities. Understanding the differences between infrared and traditional sauna — both in mechanism and in skin effects — helps athletes choose the right tool and use it appropriately.
How Traditional Sauna Works
Traditional sauna heats the air in the room to 80 to 100 degrees Celsius. The hot air heats the body primarily through convection — heat transfer from the hot air to the skin surface. Adding water to the stones creates steam that raises humidity and increases the rate of heat transfer to the body. Core temperature rises, sweating is profuse, and the physiological responses described in previous articles occur fully.
How Infrared Sauna Works
Infrared sauna uses infrared radiation — electromagnetic wavelengths just beyond visible red light — to directly heat body tissue rather than heating the surrounding air. Infrared radiation penetrates skin and is absorbed by tissue beneath the surface. The air temperature in an infrared sauna is typically 50 to 60 degrees Celsius — significantly lower than traditional sauna — but the body heats from inside out rather than outside in.
The claimed advantage: deeper tissue penetration allows body temperature elevation at lower air temperatures, making infrared more tolerable for people who find traditional sauna temperatures difficult to sustain.
The Research Comparison
The body of research on sauna health benefits — including the Finnish cardiovascular mortality data and the growth hormone research — was conducted primarily on traditional Finnish sauna. Infrared sauna has its own research base showing cardiovascular benefits, but the evidence base is smaller and the effect sizes are generally less dramatic than traditional sauna research.
For cardiovascular adaptation and growth hormone response, traditional sauna at higher temperatures appears to produce greater stimulus. For people who cannot tolerate traditional sauna temperatures due to respiratory issues, heat sensitivity, or other factors, infrared provides meaningful benefits at lower intensity.
Skin Effects: The Differences
Sweating. Both produce significant sweating. Traditional sauna typically produces more sweat volume due to higher air temperature. Infrared sauna produces sweat that some research suggests contains higher concentrations of toxins and metabolic waste — a claim that requires more research to confirm definitively but has biological plausibility given the deeper tissue heating mechanism.
Pore opening. Traditional sauna with steam (löyly) produces the most thorough pore opening due to the combination of high heat and humidity. Infrared sauna opens pores through the internal heating mechanism but with less dramatic surface effect than steam sauna.
Skin tolerance. Infrared sauna is generally better tolerated by people with sensitive skin or reactive skin conditions because the lower air temperature is less drying. The skin surface is less aggressively heated, reducing the temporary skin dryness that traditional sauna sometimes produces.
Post-Sauna Care for Both Types
Regardless of sauna type, the post-sauna shower follows the same principles: maximize the open-pore cleansing window with natural soap, close with cold water. Our Activated Charcoal Black Bar Soap is appropriate after both types — charcoal's adsorption mechanism is effective whenever pores are open and skin is vasodilated, regardless of how that state was achieved.
For people with sensitive skin who prefer infrared sauna, our Black Seed Oil Bar Soap provides the anti-inflammatory and antibacterial benefit of a therapeutic bar with a gentler profile than some of the higher-active-ingredient bars.
Beyond Clean, Beyond Ordinary.