For her birthday, I treated one of my best friends to an infrared sauna session for two, not really knowing what it was. And since I’m extremely curious, I wanted to test with her, to find out if it would make us fluoresce red and/or radioactive. And I loved the experience, both for the instant relaxation effect, detoxification of body and mind, as well as muscle recovery and immunity boosting. Explanations.
What is an infrared sauna and what are its benefits?
Why infrared sauna?
It was at an Oh My Cream shop in Paris that I booked an infrared sauna session for two. The beauty brand advances” benefits on the body (fat burner and immunity booster), skin (improves its quality and complexion brightness) and general well-being (relaxes muscles and improves sleep) “. I have a lot of faith in the brand’s skin care products, which are sharp and effective, which is why I went almost blindfolded to its sauna, not knowing the infrared specifications.
What is an infrared sauna?
As the name suggests, the infrared sauna is characterized by the presence of infrared radiation lamps. Its waves have a lower frequency than visible light, are harmless and full of health benefits.
What is the difference with a sauna that is not infrared?
For many athletes, going to the sauna after an intense workout promotes better recovery thanks to the heat of the room which relaxes and promotes perspiration, which helps the evacuation of toxins. The temperature then rises to 80 degrees. The infrared sauna, on the other hand, heats the body more directly thanks to the IR radiation that penetrates deeper into the skin, avoiding having to go beyond 60 degrees. This therefore makes the experience much easier to grasp, and therefore facilitates relaxation even more, rather than having the impression of high-temperature grilling as can sometimes be experienced in a traditional sauna. So you sweat more and at a lower temperature.
What are the benefits of the infrared sauna?
The infrared sauna strengthens the immune system and helps eliminate toxins, as well as improves blood circulation and heart health. The infrared sauna also offers benefits for the skin, as it accelerates cell renewal and improves healing. And because it forces us to rest for 45 minutes without distractions in a soft and warm atmosphere, the infrared sauna helps to deeply relax, relax muscles and promote sleep.
It is for all these benefits that many athletes indulge in it regularly, because they know how much it can limit pain and improve neuromuscular recovery. It can also reduce some chronic pain, inflammation and toxins, as Nike points out citing several studies.
Concretely, how does an infrared sauna session take place?
At Oh My Cream, once you have reserved a time slot of 45 minutes overall, you go to the shop which welcomes you with a small welcome drink to sip while filling out a form to identify any health contraindications. Once the form has been filled in, you go down to the basement where there are several cabins for treatments and massages, as well as an infrared sauna area. You must first take off your shoes (lovely slippers are provided) and then undress (a disposable thong is also provided, but you can put on your bathing suit if you prefer) in a changing room before you can enter them.
The space is then divided into two large parts: a bathroom which has a sink with the entire range of Oh My Cream Skincare products available, as well as a huge walk-in shower, and another side is the infrared sauna. You are free to choose to start with a shower, then settle down in the sauna, then go back to the shower, or just finish with a shower, for example.
Personally, I chose to start with the sauna: when you enter, you press a button that starts a countdown: you then have 30 minutes of infrared radiation, after which the light in the cabin goes out. So I wanted to make the most of it, then save the remaining 15 minutes of my session (45 minutes total) to take the time to create a skincare routine with all the products available.
The space also has a speaker connected to a smartphone which allows you to choose what you want to listen to or connect to your phone if you prefer to use your own playlist.
I loved the experience and being able to book a slot for two, which allows you to chat during the 45 minute session. I advise you to arrive 10 minutes before the start of your chosen time slot, in order to take the time to sip your drink and calmly fill in the form without worrying that it will affect the time available in the sauna area.
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
