Relaxation Tips and the Importance of Relaxation

Relaxation is crucial to our mental and physical health, and the sauna can help!

Sauna and Skincare

Could sauna be the missing piece to your skincare routine? Here are the top 5 skincare benefits of sauna bathing. Saunas Boost Circulation Saunas have a similar effect as a short workout. Your heart beats faster, your body temperature rises, and your face gets a little flushed. All of this leads to an increase in circulation. This boost in blood flow helps carry oxygen and other important nutrients throughout your body. It is beneficial to the entire body, but especially beneficial to your skin. These nutrients are what keep your skin looking vibrant and alive.   Saunas Rejuvenate Your Skin Studies show that collagen production is increased in the heat of the sauna. Collagen is the protein that provides structure to much of the body, giving our skin strength and elasticity. Dead skin cells are also removed and bacteria is released as pores open up in the heat. After a sauna session, you are left with skin that is fresh and rejuvenated.    Saunas Keep Your Skin Moisturized Heat, steam, and sweat can be the perfect combination for moisturized skin. Sitting in a humid environment softens the layers of dry skin, allowing for softer skin to surface. Results can vary depending on the type of sauna, dry, steam, or infrared. It’s always important to drink water before, during, and after a sauna session to keep your body and skin hydrated. A cold shower in between sessions and your favorite moisturizer on hand can also be very beneficial.       Saunas Offer The Ultimate Detox Saunas make you sweat. Sweat releases extra water weight, helps your pores to open allowing bacteria to be removed, and regulates your body's internal temperature. Like a mini workout, endorphins are released and the heat detoxes pain, stress, and anxiety, helping to boost your mood! Sweat also gives your skin a natural youthful glow. In the sauna, you can let go of the day and breathe deeply.   Saunas Make You Look Younger We all know that the effects of stress can be damaging to our bodies, especially our skin. Think breakouts, dark under-eye circles, worry wrinkles. A home sauna offers a space for pure uninterrupted relaxation.  Just as stress can disease our bodies, relaxation can be the remedy, offering better sleep and younger, healthier skin.     As with all health benefits of sauna, results may vary from person to person. The best way to find the perfect sauna and skincare routine is to begin and see what works best for you and your family. As always, we love hearing from our customers how using a sauna has improved their own skincare routines. Contact us at 888.355.3050 or email us at sales@almostheaven.com.   Resources: https://www.americanskin.org/resource/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18525205/ https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/the-health-benefits-of-sweating https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/acne/features/exercise#:~:text=By%20increasing%20blood%20flow%2C%20exercise,free%20radicals%2C%20from%20working%20cells.

Chromotherapy With Saunas

Chromotherapy Lights: The Science Behind Healing with Color Color is an integral part of our environment, influencing our emotions, behaviors, and physiological responses. From the calming effect of blue ocean waves to the energizing intensity of red traffic lights, color subtly yet powerfully affects our daily lives. However, beyond its psychological impact, color has long been used as a therapeutic tool to promote physical and emotional well-being. This practice, known as chromotherapy or color therapy, has been utilized for thousands of years. Ancient Egyptian and Greek civilizations incorporated color into healing rituals, using vibrantly painted sanctuaries, tinted ointments, and colored fabrics to treat various ailments. Today, chromotherapy remains a widely explored complementary therapy, often used alongside traditional medical treatments to support overall wellness. What Is Chromotherapy? Chromotherapy is based on the principle that different colors emit unique electromagnetic wavelengths, which can influence the body's physiological processes. Each organ and system within the body functions at a specific vibrational frequency. When these frequencies become imbalanced—due to stress, illness, or external factors—chromotherapy aims to restore equilibrium by exposing the body to specific colors of light. Dr. Sarah Kun Leddy, in Integrative Health Promotion: Conceptual Bases for Nursing Practice, explains: “Color therapy is based on the concept that disease, a chemical imbalance, and an inappropriate energy vibration are equivalent.” This suggests that certain colors may help stimulate or regulate biological functions, contributing to physical and mental well-being. While chromotherapy is not a replacement for medical treatment, emerging research indicates that light exposure can have tangible physiological effects, particularly in areas such as mood regulation, circadian rhythm alignment, and skin therapy. How Chromotherapy Lights Work Modern chromotherapy often involves the use of colored LED lights in therapeutic settings such as saunas, wellness centers, and clinical environments. By integrating specific wavelengths of light, practitioners aim to enhance relaxation, stimulate circulation, or promote mental clarity. Different colors are associated with distinct therapeutic effects: 🔴 Red: Stimulates circulation and energy levels 🟠 Orange: Enhances creativity and emotional balance 🟡 Yellow: Supports cognitive function and vitality 🟢 Green: Encourages relaxation and internal equilibrium 🔵 Blue: Reduces stress and promotes calmness 🟣 Purple: Aids in meditation and mental focus Research into photobiomodulation (light therapy) has demonstrated that exposure to certain wavelengths can influence melatonin production, serotonin levels, and cellular repair mechanisms. While more studies are needed to fully understand the scope of chromotherapy’s impact, early findings suggest that colored light may play a role in regulating biological rhythms and enhancing overall wellness. Integrating Chromotherapy into Daily Life One of the most accessible ways to experience chromotherapy is through LED light therapy in saunas and home wellness setups. Many modern saunas now incorporate chromotherapy lighting to enhance relaxation and provide a holistic therapeutic experience. For individuals seeking natural ways to support mental and physical health, chromotherapy offers a non-invasive, complementary approach. While it should not replace evidence-based medical treatments, its integration into wellness routines aligns with the growing recognition of the mind-body connection in health care. As research in this field continues to expand, chromotherapy presents an intriguing avenue for those exploring the potential benefits of light and color in holistic healing. Resources: 1https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=EnLGCaF3vKwC&oi=fnd&pg=PP2&dq=Integrative+Health:+A+Holistic+Approach+for+Health+Professionals&ots=1WyYtvxt0Z&sig=OEcm006xsDZBqUKGC2p-3lEfFQ8 - v=onepage&q=Integrative Health%3A A Holistic Approachh http://www.bendwellnessdoctor.com/index.php?p=468301 https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287196164_Chromo_therapy-_An_Effective_Treatment_Option_or_Just_a_Myth_Critical_Analysis_on_the_Effectiveness_of_Chromo_therapy http://www.colourtherapyhealing.com/colour/colour-history Leddy, S.K. (2006). Integrative health promotion: Conceptual bases for nursing practice (2nd ed.) Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett.

Why Choose a Barrel Sauna?

8 REASONS A BARREL SAUNA IS AN EXCELLENT SAUNA DESIGN A barrel is a smart design for an outdoor sauna, and here’s why. REASON #1: IT HEATS UP FASTER. Imagine a square and then shave down the corners to create a circle. In a barrel-shaped sauna, you’ll notice that there’s just as much useable space but with less overall area. Less overall area means less space to heat which means that the barrel sauna will heat up faster than a conventional box sauna. REASON #2: IT EVENLY DISTRIBUTES THE HEAT. In a box-shaped sauna, the rising heat tends to collect at the ceiling. In a barrel-shaped sauna, it gets circulated back down along the curved walls instead of pooling near the top, creating a constant flow of evenly distributed heat throughout the sauna. REASON #3: IT’S MORE ENERGY EFFICIENT. Because a barrel sauna takes less time to heat and distributes the heat more evenly than a conventional box sauna, it uses less energy. We assist the natural energy-efficiency of a barrel design by using thick lumber staves that keep the sauna exceptionally well insulated.   REASON #4: IT’S QUITE COMFORTABLE. Imagine the luxury of lounging back and allowing your spine to be cradled in the curvature of the sauna wall. Or you can sit up straight against the flat wall and stretch out your legs along the bench. We also stock a full lineup of sauna accessories including red cedar leg rests, back rests, and head rests to complement whatever sitting position you find most satisfying. REASON #5: THE WOOD HAS ROOM TO EXPAND AND CONTRACT. Our barrel saunas are constructed from a series of jointed staves fitting tightly together under stainless steel bands and utilizing a minimal amount of fasteners. This ball-and-socket configuration allows the wood to expand in humid environments and contract in dry ones. REASON #6: IT IS A REMARKABLY STRUCTURALLY SOUND DESIGN. Because the wood is able to expand and contract within the bands and because the walls are made from a single thick layer of staves, a barrel sauna has dependable structural integrity. REASON #7: IT IS A PURPOSEFULLY WEATHER-RESISTANT DESIGN. The rounded roof of a barrel sauna sheds rain, and the structural soundness enables it to heft a substantial snow load. Also, we place our barrel saunas on polymer cradles that loft the sauna’s undercarriage, protecting it from direct contact with the moist ground. These cradles have the added benefit of allowing the sauna to sit on virtually any flat surface — deck, packed gravel, wood chips, paving stones, etc. Put it all together and you have a sauna that doesn’t require a lot of ongoing maintenance. REASON #8: IT’S A SIMPLY BEAUTIFUL BACKYARD ADDITION. Not only is a barrel sauna a thoughtfully designed product but it’s also an attractive one. To enhance your backyard setting and bring distinction to your space, a barrel sauna is well worth your consideration. Allow vines to grow over it, plant shrubs and flowers around it, or place it beside a pond or a pool. Imagine it and make it happen.  

Infrared vs Traditional Saunas

Saunas have been used for centuries to promote relaxation, detoxification, and overall well-being. But with so many options available today, you might be wondering: What’s the difference between an infrared sauna and a traditional sauna? More importantly, which one is the best fit for your lifestyle? Let’s break it down. What Is an Infrared Sauna? An infrared sauna looks similar to a traditional sauna, but instead of using a wood-burning or electric heater, it relies on extra-wide carbon fiber heating panels to produce radiant heat. How It Works: Uses infrared light to heat the body directly, rather than warming the surrounding air. Sweating & Detoxification – Both sauna styles help remove toxins and impurities from the body. Gently raises core body temperature, promoting deep, detoxifying sweat at the cellular level. Lower operating temperature than traditional saunas, making it a more comfortable experience for some users. What Is a Traditional Sauna? A traditional sauna follows Finnish sauna standards, using a heater and stones to generate heat. This type of sauna can provide both a dry or wet experience, depending on whether water is ladled onto the heated stones to create steam (löyly). How It Works: Uses an electric or wood-burning heater to warm the air inside the sauna. Can be dry (no water on stones) or wet (steam created by adding water to the stones). Provides an intense, immersive heat experience that can reach higher temperatures than an infrared sauna. Shared Benefits: What Do Infrared and Traditional Saunas Have in Common? While they use different heating methods, both types of saunas offer numerous health benefits: Calorie Burn – Sitting in either sauna increases heart rate and metabolism, similar to light exercise. Boosted Circulation & Immunity – Heat exposure improves blood flow and immune function. Stress & Pain Relief – Regular sauna sessions help relax muscles, relieve tension, and ease aches and pains. Energy-Efficient – Both saunas have relatively low energy costs, comparable to running a dishwasher or clothes dryer. Better with Consistency – While even one session offers benefits, a consistent sauna routine enhances long-term results. Key Differences Between Infrared & Traditional Saunas 1. Heat Source & Experience Infrared Saunas use radiant heat to warm the body directly. Traditional Saunas heat the air, creating an intense, immersive heat experience. 2. Temperature Range Infrared: 120°F – 150°F (gentler, lower temperatures). Traditional: 150°F – 185°F (higher, more intense heat). 3. Heat-Up Time Infrared: Ready to use almost immediately; fully heats in 10–20 minutes. Traditional: Requires about 45–60 minutes to reach full heat. 4. Social vs. Personal Experience Infrared: Smaller, more compact—ideal for individual relaxation in limited spaces. Traditional: Often larger, allowing for a more social sauna experience. Some models, like the Shenandoah barrel sauna, can accommodate up to 8 people—perfect for gatherings! 5. Installation & Power Requirements Infrared: Plugs into a standard home electrical outlet, making it an easy, accessible option. Traditional: Requires a dedicated electrical circuit or wood-burning setup (for outdoor saunas). Which Sauna Is Right for You? Not sure whether to choose an infrared or traditional sauna? Here are a few key questions to consider: Do you prefer a mild or intense heat experience? (Infrared is gentler; traditional is hotter.) Will you use it alone or with others? (Infrared is more personal; traditional is more social.) How quickly do you want it to heat up? (Infrared is ready faster; traditional takes longer.) Do you have space & electrical requirements? (Infrared models are more compact and plug into a standard outlet.) Do you want an indoor or outdoor sauna? (Infrared models are typically for indoor use, while traditional saunas can be either.) Regardless of which option you choose, both provide incredible health benefits—so you really can’t go wrong! Want the Best of Both Worlds? Try a Hybrid Sauna! Still can’t decide? No worries! You don’t have to choose just one. We offer a variety of hybrid saunas which combine both infrared and traditional heating. With a hybrid sauna, you can enjoy the best of both worlds: Use infrared heat for gentle, deep-penetrating warmth. Switch to traditional heat for an intense, full-body sweat. Ready to Start Your Sauna Journey? If you still have questions, we’re here to help! Send us a message or give us a call at 888-355-3050—our team would love to assist you in finding the perfect sauna for your needs.

Moving Your Sauna

Where you go, your sauna follows: a guide to moving your home sauna.      Whether you are moving to a new house or rearranging your current setup, the logistics behind shifting an 800-pound sauna from one place to another is intimidating. You may be tempted to list the sauna with the house and buy another unit or redecorate the sauna space to satisfy your need for change. Before you commit, we are here to tell you that you can move your sauna. Here’s how! Step 1) Locate your new sauna spot Perhaps when you originally built your barrel sauna, your neighbor Steve had big hedges separating your lawns, but recently he decided to make a change and took them all down. Suddenly, the vista rear window you chose to add some natural light is now a portrait right into your relaxing sauna session. It’s time to move! Think about what you want in a new spot (Privacy? Open space? Proximity to the shower?) and determine if it is right for you. Step 2) Follow our sauna site preparation guides for indoor and barrel saunas You may get a sense of déjà vu during this step, but it’s important to make sure your sauna’s new home is just as good as the old one, if not better! Whether you are moving the sauna to your bathroom renovation or your garage, make sure this new spot is up to par. Pro tip: If your indoor sauna is on hard ground and you just want to move it across the room, use some furniture sliders. Simply place them under the corners and wrangle a friend to help you push it to the new location. Voilà! Don’t forget to follow the electrical instructions in steps 3 and 7. Step 3) Disconnect the sauna from power Do not move your sauna until the heater is disconnected from power. You’ll need to call on your electrician twice for this whole moving process to go smoothly, so make sure you have them on speed dial. Your new bestie, the electrician, will disconnect the heater so that you can easily move all your pieces from one place to the other. We cannot stress this enough—make sure a licensed electrician does this step!   Pro tip: If you are moving a barrel sauna a short distance, skip steps 4-6 by using a forklift to easily move the sauna without having to disassemble!  Step 4) Get to work with disassembly Dust off (or download) your sauna manual, flip to the end and work your way backward. Good news! You don’t have to work all the way to step one. If you have an indoor sauna, you can leave certain pieces intact (such as frames and roofing panels). For barrel saunas, stop your disassembly when you get to the base of the sauna. You can easily move the base on its own. Pro tip: Start with the interior pieces for an easier process. This will leave you with the sauna shell. Find a good sorting system—piles, labels, whatever works so that you can keep your parts straight. Step 5) Make the move If you are moving the sauna to a more secluded part of your lawn (bye, Steve!), you (and some friends) can move the pieces to your new location. If you are moving homes, make sure the pieces are secured in the back of a moving vehicle. You don’t need to have saved the packaging from the sauna to do this—just make several trips if you can’t fit everything in at once. Pro tip: Take some time to do a little cleaning! The last time your sauna was this exposed, it was in a box and ready for you to build. Take advantage of the disassembled state—clean wall pieces, stain the staves, and do a general check up of your sauna. Who knows the next time you will be able to clean this thoroughly?   Indoor sauna pieces in the back of a truck. Sauna staves, ready to be cleaned. Barrel sauna pieces in the back of a trailer.  Step 6) Build again Don’t throw away that manual just yet! Take a stretch break, hydrate, and double down. It’s time to build the sauna again (if you want to reacquaint yourself with the process, our assembly videos can be found here!). At this point, you are likely closing in on “expert sauna-builder” status. However, if you get lost in the process, give us a call (888.355.3050). Our team is happy to walk you through or shed some light on what comes next.   Step 7) Reinstate electrical Pull out your phone and give your electrician a call—it’s time for part two. Now that the sauna is built, in all it’s new-home glory, it’s time to get power back to that baby! Pro tip: Before you hang the heater again, take some time to remove the sauna stones from the heater cavity and give them a wash. Step 8) Enjoy a well-deserved sauna from your new location Turn that sauna on, kick back, and relax. You deserve it! After all, you just moved an entire 800+ pound sauna, and whether it was 5 feet or miles away, we applaud your accomplishment.   Investing in your health is a life-long process, and making sure your sauna moves with you is important! Don’t let the dream of a new house (or a new sauna location) hold you back from enjoying your sauna. If you have moved your sauna, reach out and tell your story—we can’t wait to hear about the process!

How to Prepare Your Barrel Sauna Site

Tips for Building Your Barrel Sauna

Four tips for tackling your barrel sauna building project Your barrel sauna has arrived and it’s like Christmas morning (maybe it IS Christmas morning for you!). You’ve unpacked the pallet, inspected all the boxes, and moved it to its future home. So what’s next? In addition to watching our brand new 2019 Barrel Sauna Assembly Video, reading the instruction manual 12 times, and asking half a dozen questions to our staff, we present these four insider tips. Kellen Mouw, barrel sauna expert, graciously dished his secrets for building barrel saunas efficiently. 1. “Make sure the surface is level – paver stones, deck, cement slab, cinder blocks, gravel… anything but directly on the ground.” Tip: a level will come in handy throughout the building process! Why is having level ground key? If the base is out of whack, the sauna is out of whack. Checking to make sure the sauna is square and level is important during several steps of the  building process, and it all begins before anyone lifts a hammer. After laying out your solid surface, if you are still noticing a bit of an incline, use shims. If you are still at a loss, feel free to reach out to us!    2. “Be sure the staves overlap the cradles uniformly on the front and back of the barrel.” Tip: Use a ruler or measuring tape to check your work Measure, measure, and measure again! As with the ground your sauna is being built on, if the base of the sauna isn’t square, it may cause problems in the future. We recommend a stave overhang of about 5” on the back and front of the sauna. If you have more than 2 cradles, place them equidistant and you are golden! 3. “After the floor assembly is complete, nail –don’t screw– every second or third stave.”  Tip: if you have one, use a nail gun to speed up the process! “After the three o’cock and nine o’clock positions, do not nail. Rather, use a strap or rope to hold the staves in place while you continue assembly. We want the bands to cinch the staves together as tight as possible. This will not happen as effectively if the staves on the upper half of the barrel are fixed in place with a nail.” The ultimate goal is to get a tight seal on this barrel sauna. They are built for this, it all just comes down to construction! Make sure you stop nailing the staves halfway up each side of the barrel. This will allow the staves to have some give. Kellen’s tip to use a strap to keep the shape is helpful, and we recommend that you do this! 4. “Insert as many staves in as possible! Creates the tightest seal.” Tip: use rope to keep the barrel sauna shape Even when you think you’ve gotten as many staves in, look again! Before putting the bands on to cinch everything in, check and see if your staves all bow away from the barrel ends a bit. If they do, you are on the right track! Keep in mind, the lumber is going to expand and contract based on your climate. You may need to insert additional staves or filler staves in the future, so keep them handy. If you have any further tips or questions on building a barrel sauna, you can reach out to our sales team at sales@almostheaven.com. We would love to hear from you! If you are here and you don’t have a barrel sauna yet, what are you waiting for? Check out our current specials and join the barrel sauna movement! And don’t forget to check out our new barrel sauna assembly video below. Cheers!    

How to Increase Your Sauna Temperature

  Hot tips to take your sauna heater to the next level. Some like it hot, but others like it HOT. Sure, your sauna will have you sweating even on the lower end of the temperature range, but if you want to take it up a notch and get every possible degree of heat out of your sauna, we have some tips for you! All of these points are applicable to increase the temperature of traditional electric sauna heaters, though some can be applied to wood-burning heaters or infrared units.As a point of reference, regulations in the United States enable electric saunas to heat up to about 185°F. If your heater isn’t getting there on its own, these suggestions should do the trick. Now, onto those hot tips we promised that will help to add a few extra degrees to your sauna experience: Right to the source: Your heater Ensure your heater (if you have the KIP), is mounted so the bottom of the heater is about 5-7” from the ground. If it is any higher, the hot air will be less likely to heat the lower part of your sauna. Move the temperature sensor lower. The purpose of the high-limit sensor is to shut off your heater if the room gets too hot. Since heat rises, if your sensor is too high, it could trigger the heater shut-off prematurely. We recommend placing the sensor 14"-18" down from the ceiling and 14"-18" away from the heater.   Do not overpack the heater with sauna stones. Each KIP heater comes with a box of sauna stones –– you should have 5-10 stones left over. Fill the heater by starting with the smallest rocks and add stones until the elements are just covered.  See More Heater Tips on YouTube Inside the sauna   Close the vents. Most Almost Heaven saunas come with a set of vents: one under the heater to pull in fresh air, and a second near the ceiling on the wall opposite the heater to exhaust. We recommend leaving these vents open as the heater is warming up to avoid triggering the high-limit sensor. There is no harm in closing them as you begin your session and opening them again if it gets stuffy. Fan the hot air. Setting up a small fan or waving a towel will help spread out some of the hot air that tends to congregate near the top of the sauna. Add some humidity to your dry sauna! The beauty of a traditional heater is that you can sprinkle water over the stones, creating a burst of steam that dissipates throughout the sauna room. Though dry heat and wet heat are technically the same temperature, the wet heat feels a lot hotter than just dry alone. Outside the sauna Cover the sauna for extra insulation. This is particularly effective on barrel saunas located outdoors in colder climates. Adding an extra layer to the top of your sauna will help to trap that hot air in tightly. Our recommendations are poly insulation layered on top of an indoor sauna, or a rain jacket on a barrel sauna, as both of these options are able to stay intact while the sauna is in use.   Poly insulation layered on top of an indoor sauna. Rain jacket on a barrel sauna.     Tightly seal the sauna. Any gaps between barrel sauna staves or around the door can be releasing valuable hot air. Make sure the hinges on your door are tight to keep the door from slipping. If there are additional spaces around the door, adding a piece of weather stripping will help to increase the temperature in your sauna. As for barrel saunas, ensuring you’ve added as many staves as possible and fully tightened the bands is essential to sealing the sauna well.  Remember, as you keep those temperatures rising, be sure to take it slow and stay hydrated. Your body will need time to acclimate to higher temperatures. But now that you have the inside scoop, go enjoy yourself an extra-sweaty sauna!  If you have any questions on how to increase the temperature on your specific sauna heater, give Almost Heaven Saunas a call at 888.355.3050.