Sauna aromatherapy
Essential oils for sauna: how to use them safely in traditional, infrared and steam rooms
Using essential oils for sauna sessions starts with one fixed rule: oil never goes directly onto a heater, sauna stones or an infrared heater panel. Everything else depends on the kind of heat you have.
The short answer: match the method to the heat
Every safe method keeps oil off hot surfaces; only the delivery changes. If you are still choosing a sauna, see our Finnish sauna vs infrared sauna comparison.
| Sauna type | Typical conditions | Where the scent goes | Starting amount | Never |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional (Finnish) sauna | 150–195°F (66–91°C), humidity under about 20% | In the löyly water, or a sauna scent made for water | A few drops per bucket; sauna scents per label | Oil straight onto the stones or heater |
| Infrared sauna | 110–135°F (43–57°C), dry heat | A diffuser rated for cabin heat, or a wooden dry diffuser on the bench | Up to 5 to 7 drops per AROMA ONE fill (3 to 4 for strong oils); a few drops on wood | Oil on heater panels, walls or benches |
| Steam shower or steam room | 110–115°F (43–46°C), humidity about 100% | The steam system's aromatherapy feature | Per the steam system's manual | Oil anywhere the manual does not specify |
Figures: Cleveland Clinic for traditional and infrared saunas; ThermaSol for steam. Individual rooms vary.
What sauna aromatherapy can and cannot promise
Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils, concentrated aromatic plant extracts, for their scent. In a sauna, that scent is part of the experience, and for most people that is reason enough.
The evidence for anything more is thin. The NIH's National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health notes in its aromatherapy overview, last updated January 2020, that aromatherapy is sometimes used for insomnia, "but we don't know whether it's helpful because little rigorous research has been done on this topic." It also describes a study of two contrasting scents, lemon and lavender, in people under stress, which "found that lemon had a positive effect on mood but neither scent affected stress indicators, biochemical markers of immune system changes, or pain control."
Our position: many oil guides attach claimed medical benefits to every oil. Sauna Republic makes no medical claims for any essential oil. Choose a scent because you enjoy it.
How to use essential oils in a traditional sauna
In a Finnish-style sauna, a heater warms a bed of stones, and water ladled over them releases the burst of steam Finns call löyly. That water is the only place essential oil belongs. As our guide to what to bring to the sauna explains, essential oils are flammable and can produce harsh, irritating fumes when they hit a hot surface.
Dilute in the bucket, never on the stones
Fill your sauna bucket with water, add a few drops of essential oil, stir, and ladle onto the stones. Oil does not dissolve in water, so stir before each ladle to keep it from sitting in a concentrated layer. Start with fewer drops than you think you need: a small, closed room fills with scent quickly, and you can add a drop between rounds.
Sauna scents made for water
Some sauna scents are made to be mixed into the löyly water, and Harvia directs users to mix its sauna scents into the sauna water. Follow the label's dosage, and check your heater's manual for limits on what goes into the water poured on its stones.
Essential oils in an infrared sauna: use a diffuser
An infrared sauna has no stones and no water to pour, and cabins typically run at about 110°F to 135°F (43°C to 57°C), according to Cleveland Clinic. Never drip, spray or wipe oil on the heater panels, which are hot surfaces, or on the walls and benches, where residue can mark the wood.
Clearlight AROMA ONE: an ultrasonic diffuser made for the cabin
The Clearlight AROMA ONE is an ultrasonic diffuser: you add up to 5 to 7 drops of essential oil to its water tank, and it releases them as a cool mist with no heating element. It holds 60 ml, mounts with the included hardware on an interior side wall above bench height, clear of the heater panels, and runs from USB-C power or an optional battery that lasts about 2 to 2.5 hours per charge. It is compatible with all Clearlight infrared saunas.
Do not fill past the max line, and respect Clearlight's temperature limits of 150°F (66°C) on USB-C power without the battery installed and 140°F (60°C) on the battery. Those sit above the typical infrared range but no higher than the bottom of the traditional range, so the AROMA ONE is not a diffuser for a hot-rock sauna. Our AROMA ONE review covers setup in detail, and the diffuser sits in our Clearlight wellness devices collection. To run it alongside red light or other in-cabin devices, see our therapy stacking guide.
The Embrace Diffuser Set: passive scent beside you
The Embrace Diffuser Set from Embrace The Heat is a pair of handcrafted beechwood diffusers that absorb a few drops of pure essential oil and release the scent slowly, with nothing to plug in, no flame and no mist. Set one beside you on the bench and the scent stays close and subtle, which suits shared saunas. Because the wood holds a scent for several days, each diffuser can carry a different oil. Let the drops soak in before the session so no liquid oil reaches the bench.
Adding scent to a Clearlight sauna?
Request pricing on the AROMA ONE on its own or with a Clearlight infrared sauna.
Request pricingHybrid saunas: match the method to the mode
A hybrid cabin such as the Finnmark FD-4 Trinity or FD-5 Trinity XL has both kinds of heat: Finnmark's infrared heaters and a Harvia traditional heater with stones. When the stove is running, scent the bucket water as described in the traditional sauna section, within the heater manual's limits, and never put oil on the infrared heaters. Before you bring any diffuser into the cabin, check its temperature rating against the mode you run: Finnmark gives 170°F (77°C) for infrared sauna bathing in the Trinity and does not state a maximum for the traditional heater, so expect traditional-sauna temperatures with the stove on. Both models are in our hybrid sauna collection.
Essential oils in a steam shower or steam room
In a steam shower, a generator mounted outside the enclosure sends steam in through a steam head. ThermaSol puts the proper steam bath temperature at 110°F to 115°F (43°C to 46°C), adjustable to preference, with humidity at about 100 percent. Scent travels with the steam, and Mr. Steam and ThermaSol both offer aromatherapy options on their controllers.
Follow your system's manual for which oils, how many drops and where they go, and put oil nowhere else. Keep it off the floor and bench, where it makes wet tile slippery, and keep scents light in shared or commercial rooms, where some guests are sensitive to fragrance. Compare systems in our guide to the best steam shower generators, or browse our steam shower controllers collection.
The best essential oils for sauna sessions, by scent
The best oil is the one you enjoy for a full session in a small, warm room, so the notes below describe smell, not effect. Use pure essential oils, not fragrance oils or carrier-oil blends; both the AROMA ONE and the Embrace diffusers are made for pure oils.
Start blends with two oils, and count the total drops against your method's limit.
Safety checklist for scented sessions
These rules apply to every method above.
Frequently asked questions
Can I put essential oils directly on sauna stones?
No. Essential oils are flammable and can produce harsh, irritating fumes on a hot surface. Stir a few drops into your bucket water and ladle that onto the stones, or use a sauna scent made for water.
Can I use essential oils in an infrared sauna?
Yes, through a diffuser. The Clearlight AROMA ONE mounts inside Clearlight infrared cabins, and the beechwood diffusers in the Embrace Diffuser Set sit beside you on the bench. Never put oil on the heater panels, walls or benches.
How many drops of essential oil should I use in a sauna?
Fewer than you expect: a few drops per bucket in a traditional sauna, adding more between rounds if needed, and up to 5 to 7 drops per AROMA ONE fill, starting at 3 to 4 for strong oils such as peppermint or eucalyptus. For sauna scents and steam systems, follow the product's directions.
What is the best essential oil for a sauna?
The one you enjoy. Eucalyptus and birch are the traditional choices, and pine, spruce and cedarwood echo the wood of the room. Choose by scent, since we make no medical claims for any oil.
Can I use essential oils in a steam shower?
Yes, if your steam system has an aromatherapy feature; if it does not, do not add oil to the steam head or generator. Every Mr. Steam controller includes an AromaSteamHead for essential-oil diffusion, and ThermaSol's SignaTouch controller lists aromatherapy among its features. Follow the manual for which oils, how much and where.
Are essential oils safe around pets and children?
Use caution. Store oils out of reach, never let anyone ingest them, and keep diffusers away from pets. Ask a pediatrician before using oils around children and a veterinarian before diffusing around animals.
Will essential oils damage my sauna?
It depends on where the oil ends up. On stones, heaters or infrared panels it is a fire and fume hazard, and on benches or walls it can mark the wood. In an ultrasonic diffuser, fragrance oils and carrier-oil blends can leave residue, so use pure essential oils.
Planning a sauna or steam shower with scent in mind?
Get pricing on Clearlight infrared saunas and the AROMA ONE, or on a Mr. Steam or ThermaSol steam system.
Get PricingFor everything else that goes into a session, browse our full sauna accessories collection.
Clearlight and AROMA ONE are trademarks of Sauna Works, Inc., dba Clearlight Infrared. Sauna Republic is an authorized Clearlight dealer. ThermaSol, Mr. Steam, Harvia, Finnmark and Embrace The Heat are trademarks of their respective owners. This article is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Clearlight describes its products as general wellness products; their statements have not been evaluated by the FDA, and they are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. Consult a healthcare professional before using essential oils or a sauna if you are pregnant, managing a medical condition, or taking medication, and follow each manufacturer's safety guidance.
