6 Reasons why Red Light should not be used in Infrared saunas

by Christopher Wainwright-Park

We’ve been getting a lot of requests for red light infrared saunas lately, and while it might sound like a wellness dream come true, we’re here to politely say: hold your horses! We don’t recommend mixing these two therapies, and here’s why.

Infrared saunas have become super popular for their ability to detox, relax, and give your overall health a nice boost. But in the quest to supercharge these benefits, some manufacturers have started adding red light therapy panels into the mix. While red light therapy is fantastic in its own right, combining it with infrared saunas may not deliver the double-whammy some expect. In fact, it might even water down both treatments. Let’s break it down.

1. Conflicting Mechanisms: They’re Not Playing for the Same Team

Infrared saunas work by emitting infrared wavelengths that directly heat your body, penetrating deep into muscles and skin. This cranks up your core temperature, making you sweat, detox, and unwind like a pro.

Red light therapy, on the other hand, uses specific wavelengths to promote skin health, reduce inflammation, and encourage cellular regeneration. The catch? Infrared saunas are all about heat, while red light therapy is all about healing cells. So, when you combine them, you’ve got two very different things happening at once.

Here’s the rub: the intense heat from the sauna can actually hinder your body’s ability to absorb the red light, potentially making both therapies less effective. They’re not working together—they’re working against each other.

2. Overstimulation: More Isn’t Always Better

Sure, both therapies are beneficial, but piling them on at the same time? That can overload your body. Infrared saunas put your body through heat stress, while red light therapy is best when you’re cool and calm.

When you mix the two, you could end up overstimulating your body’s natural recovery process, leading to a less effective session. Especially for those who are more sensitive, it can feel like too much of a good thing.

3. Temperature Trouble: It’s Getting Hot in Here

Red light therapy thrives in cooler environments, while infrared saunas are cranked up to anywhere between 120°F and 150°F (49°C to 65°C). Red light panels aren’t designed to handle that kind of heat for extended periods—they may overheat or even malfunction.

Not only does this cut short their lifespan, but it also limits the benefits you’re hoping to get from your red light therapy session. Imagine trying to bake a cake in a blast furnace—it’s just not going to work.

4. Potential Health Risks: For the Sensitive Souls

If you’ve got sensitive skin, you might want to think twice about combining these two treatments. The intense heat from the sauna can exacerbate skin conditions like eczema or rosacea. Pair that with red light therapy, which also targets the skin, and you could be in for some irritation or flare-ups.

Plus, spending too much time in high heat can lead to dehydration, dizziness, or stress on the body. While these effects are usually mild, they can stack up, especially for those with pre-existing health conditions.

5. Reduced Detox Efficiency: One Job at a Time, Please

Infrared saunas are detox champions. They make you sweat, which helps eliminate toxins. But when you throw red light panels into the mix, you might find yourself more focused on getting the red light therapy instead of fully embracing the sauna’s detox process.

Whether it’s the placement of the panels or the divided attention, you might not get the full detoxifying benefits from your sauna session. Multitasking is great, but not when it comes to your wellness routine!

6. Ineffective Red Light Therapy: Wrong Place, Wrong Time

Red light therapy works best when delivered at specific wavelengths—usually between 600-700nm for red light and 800-900nm for near-infrared light. But not all red light panels installed in saunas emit the right wavelengths or power density for proper therapeutic effects.

What’s more, red light therapy needs to be applied for a set amount of time, while sauna sessions tend to last longer. This mismatch could lead to too much or too little exposure to red light, which means fewer benefits.

The Bottom Line: Keep It Simple

Both infrared saunas and red light therapy are fantastic for your health—but they work best on their own. Mixing red light panels with infrared saunas can dilute the effectiveness of both, cause overstimulation, and reduce the benefits you’re after.

Instead of trying to juggle both therapies at once, it’s better to keep things simple. Use infrared saunas for detox, relaxation, and muscle recovery, and save red light therapy for healing, skin health, and cellular regeneration.

By keeping these treatments separate, you’ll get the most out of each—no compromises necessary!