Let’s put it simply – infrared sauna temperatures get hot.
The whole purpose of an infrared sauna experience is to place your body into extreme heat, so
that when you’re finished, you feel completely relaxed with less aching muscles.
But they’re not as hot as a regular sauna, and won’t heat to the point of suffocating you.
In fact, they’re so much better than a traditional sauna because infrared saunas are heated by
light, warming only your body and not the surrounding air.
Below, we’ll look at infrared sauna temperatures in detail, including:
The ideal temperature
How long it takes to heat up; and
How infrared saunas actually heat your body.
What’s the temperature of an infrared sauna (in Celsius)?
An infrared sauna will heat up to between 48 and 70 degrees Celsius.
This is opposed to your standard steam sauna, which can reach levels between 80 to 100
degrees Celsius.
That’s because, as mentioned above, your infrared sauna is heated by light – not by steam, like
your ordinary everyday sauna.
But what’s the ideal temperature?
The ideal temperature for your infrared sauna is generally between 60-70 degrees.
There are some variants to this – everyone’s body is different, and people use the sauna for
different reasons.
Lower temperatures are generally best for detoxification purposes (more on this below) and, at
higher settings, you’ll certainly break out into more of a sweat.
We’ve seen that infrared sauna offers an appealing alternative to traditional saunas which are
typically much hotter.
How long does it take for an infrared sauna to heat up?
Usually around 10-15 minutes on average, depending on the exact temperature you set it to.
How does an infrared sauna heat the body?
Our infrared saunas heat the body through far infrared radiation (FIR).
It’s completely different to a traditional steam sauna.
Far infrared saunas use advanced infrared heaters to directly warm your body. They’re
incredibly healthy and completely natural, removing damaging toxins that have built up in your
system.
Around 80% of infrared sauna directly heats your body – and only 20% heats the air.
Think of relaxing on a cool cloudy afternoon, only to see the clouds disappear or move
somewhere else. Your body bursts from a ray of heat. That’s far infrared heat directly from the
sun.
In an infrared sauna, all the harmful sun rays are taken out.
All you get is the pure, healthy natural heat from infrared light.
But with a traditional sauna, the actual room is heated via steam or dry heat by an electric sauna
heater filled with rocks. It’s not aimed at directly warming your body.
After the rocks have had sufficient time to heat up, water is poured over them to create steam
and the body then warms from the room.
Infrared sauna temperatures don’t need to be blistering hot.
Despite what some people may see, infrared saunas don’t need to be scorching.
In a traditional steam sauna (typically set at a higher temperature), the entire average daily
amount of sweat secreted from one’s body has been expelled in only 15 minutes.
While this may clean your skin and pores, it also depletes your system of fluids and electrolytes,
which then ultimately must be replaced.
Lower infrared temperatures are better for you
Using an infrared sauna with lower temperature will result in a stickier and more fat-laden sweat
being produced instead, as well as the loss of much less electrolytes.
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 after spending time in a high temperature steam unit.
This is the main reason that infrared saunas are the better choice for detoxification.
The human body itself, just like any other living creature, is actually a source of infrared radiation,
producing wavelengths of infrared heat at a level of 9.4 microns.
Therefore, the closer the infrared heat inside the sauna has been set to the same level, the better
a person will absorb the rays as well as experiencing deeper penetration of the rays into the
body. This also results in more toxins being shaken from the fat cells, a process known as resonance
frequency.
Will an infrared sauna cause your core temperature to increase?
Yes, but not by much.
Depending on your body, we’ve seen body temperatures raise anywhere from 0.35 degrees up to
two or three degrees.
Because of the way infrared saunas are designed (i.e. by using infrared light), the heat will
penetrate your body at a lower temperature, but still give you that more intense sweat.
You may also get a slightly increased heart rate – but it’ll be the same increase you experience
when going out for some exercise.
You may also experience what some call an ‘artificial fever’, but that’s absolutely nothing to be
worried about. A fever is our natural body response to boost your immune system, meaning you’ll
enjoy a reduction in toxins and waste in your body.
Take a look at some of the benefits of an infrared sauna (including helping depression and
anxiety) right here .
Will it raise your skin temperature?
Yes. An infrared sauna will increase the temperature of your skin to about 40-42°C (up from
your ordinary skin temperature, which is about 33°C).
This sounds like a lot, but it’s nothing to be alarmed over.
It’s actually one of the positive effects of using a sauna, as it attacks and can kill bacteria that
can’t cope with high temperatures.
Remember the great thing about FIR is that it travels deep below the skin – and creates a
soothing warmth in your body.
But it’s important to remember that every body is different.
If you’re worried, we recommend seeking tailored advice from a medical professional to ensure
you’re ready for an infrared sauna experience.
Interested in an infrared sauna experience on Sydney’s North Shore?
At Cryospa, we offer some of the best infrared sauna treatments in Sydney .
Situated in Sydney’s Crows Nest on the lower North Shore, we go the extra mile to make sure
you get the most wonderful infrared sauna experience money can buy.
If you’re interested in learning more about infrared sauna temperatures, including how hot they
really get, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us today.
