WHY INFRARED?
INFRARED SAUNA FACTS
Infrared saunas are increasingly popular in the wellness community for a number of reasons including the numerous health benefits and they just make you feel good! What exactly is an infrared sauna? Before we dive into what infrared saunas are, we should first understand infrared wavelengths.
Infrared Wavelengths
The sun produces a combination of visible and invisible light, and one of those invisible spectrums is infrared rays. Invisible infrared wavelengths are what makes the sun feel warm (and ultraviolet wavelengths are what makes it bright). Scientists have established that infrared waves are beneficial to the human body as they increase the thermal energy in the body. Infrared does this without any of the harmful rays of sunlight.
There are three main categories of the infrared spectrum: near infrared, mid infrared, and far infrared.
Near Infrared is the shortest wavelength but penetrates the deepest. It has the distinct property that it is not captured by the water of the body allowing it to penetrate the deepest to increase your core thermal energy. Near infrared is associated with photobiomodulation which directly produces energy within the cells through ATP stimulation.
Mid infrared wavelengths are also captured by water molecules while temporarily increasing circulation through vasodilation, promoting temporary increase in blood flow and temporarily elevating heart rate and overall metabolism.
Far infrared is the closest of the wavelengths to the infrared heat given off by our own body. Far infrared is readily captured by the water molecules in the body and releasing its energy. Our bodies actually give off far infrared wavelengths at about 9.4 microns. Since far infrared wavelengths feel very natural and normal to us, our energy is temporarily enhanced and strengthened.
What is an Infrared Sauna?
While we call our Clearlight Infrared models “Saunas”, they are really infrared therapy cabins. It just so happens that the sauna environment is a great environment to deliver infrared as you are not wearing any clothing and you are surrounded by the infrared heat. The black panels you see inside the sauna are our True Wave® far infrared heaters. In our Sanctuary sauna models, the silver front heaters are our True Wave full spectrum heaters offering near, mid and far infrared.
Rather than use steam or the traditional “box of hot rocks” heating elements, the infrared sauna heaters use the infrared spectrum listed above to promote relaxation and other wellness benefits. In an infrared sauna, the air temperature is less important than the quality of the infrared heat. Just warm up your Clearlight® infrared sauna for about 15 minutes and get in. You will warm up with the sauna. As your body absorbs the infrared heat, this will increase thermal energy inducing a deep and relaxing sweat. Using your infrared sauna at lower temperatures means you can stay in longer and get more benefit.
Infrared Saunas Versus Traditional and Steam Saunas
The main difference between infrared saunas and traditional saunas is how they use heat. Traditional saunas use a single heater that is heating the air and this hot air heats the user. In contrast, infrared saunas use advanced therapy to promote heat generation in the body with only a small percentage of the heat heating the air. This results in a deeper sweat and at a lower ambient air temperature. In fact, infrared saunas usually operate between 115° – 135°F, while traditional saunas can get up to 195°F.
You will get all of the relaxation benefits of a traditional infrared sauna along with the increased health benefits that infrared offers all at a much more comfortable temperature. Infrared saunas are also dry saunas and many users find this makes for a more comfortable sauna session.
Not only are infrared saunas extremely beneficial, but they are also more efficient and require less electricity (according to Livestrong.com, a traditional sauna is almost three times as expensive to run as an infrared sauna). That also means that the warm-up time of an infrared sauna is much quicker than a traditional sauna.
Our Sanctuary Full Spectrum Saunas offer near, mid, and far infrared technologies and our Premier Far Infrared Saunas offer all of the benefits of far infrared heat. Surround Yourself In Wellness in a Clearlight® infrared sauna.
What is Infrared Radiant Heat?
Sunlight is a combination of visible and invisible light. All the colors of the rainbow are present in sunlight as well as both infrared and ultraviolet wavelengths which are wavelengths not visible to the naked eye. Out of all the invisible rays that emanate from the sun, far infrared is well known to our bodies because we actually produce far infrared. As far infrared comes from the sun it penetrates deeply into the skin to help dissolve unwanted substances that have accumulated in the body. The infrared rays have the power to revitalize your cells and metabolism.
Far Infrared
Far infrared waves penetrate into our body and activate the sweat glands. The sweat glands are one of the tools that the body has at hand to eliminate toxins. The skin is actually the largest organ of the human body and has been called many times; “the third kidney” because of its ability to discharge large amounts of waste material through the sweat glands. It is one of the best mechanisms the body has for elimination. Bring the benefits of an infrared sauna into your home with a new Clearlight® infrared sauna.
A research paper that was published decades ago by researchers S.Inouye and M. Kabaya showed that far infrared has the ability to cause a vibration in human tissue if wavelengths similar to the ones produced by the body are introduced. This is similar to the effects demonstrated in infrared spectroscopy. When introduced in the proper wavelengths of 9.3 to 9.4 microns, water molecules can begin to vibrate. This vibration reduces the ion bonds of water and the eventual breakdown causes encapsulated gasses and other toxic materials to be released to be eliminated.
Full Spectrum Infrared
Full Spectrum heater is ceiling mounted. It will not be mounted vertically as shown.Full spectrum refers to the entire infrared spectrum: near infrared, mid infrared and far infrared. With the addition of near and mid infrared, you will get the maximum benefit from your Clearlight® sauna.
Near Infrared is the shortest wavelength, and will be absorbed just below the surface of the skin creating a sweat that promotes healing and revitalization.
Mid infrared is a longer wavelength that can penetrate deeper into the body’s soft tissue increasing circulation, releasing oxygen to reach injured areas.
Far infrared is the longest wavelength which penetrates the fat cells causing vasodilation, where the fat cells vibrate to expel toxins, resulting in the greatest levels of detoxification and stimulate your metabolism to aid in weight-loss.
The sun is the primary source of radiant energy, but not all of this energy is beneficial. Although life needs energy from the sun, too much sunlight damages the skin. Infrared heat provides all the healthy benefits of natural sunlight without any of the dangerous effects of solar radiation.
For years, the healthcare industry recommended infrared heat lamps as a source of infrared therapy but the lamps were cumbersome, extremely hot and difficult to maintain at a constant temperature. Today, many healthcare professionals use infrared heaters to treat a variety of diseases throughout the world. Clearlight® infrared saunas use our state of the art True Wave™ heaters.
The efficacy of infrared waves is very broad and the subject of recent study by NASA. Among the infrared waves, the far infrared rays, which have a wavelength of 6-12 microns, are especially good for the human body. These waves have the potential to penetrate 1.5 to 2 inches or more into the body allowing for deep heat and raise your core body temperature from deep inside. The deep heat of far infrared is why scholars believe that the Ondol (traditional warm floor of Korea) is good for health because the materials for the Ondol are stone and earth, both of which radiate far infrared waves when heated.
The far infrared rays consist of similar wavelengths as those emitted naturally by the human body. This is one potential explanation of why many feel energetically rejuvenated and balanced from contact with far infrared waves. It is also believed that far infrared waves help improve blood circulation and recovery from fatigue.
Near and mid infrared range from 0.75 – 5.5 microns and enhance the benefits of far infrared. With the deeper penetration, full spectrum infrared will raise your core body temperature faster, aids in wound healing by bringing more blood to the affected area, helps reduce inflammation and much more. We estimate 10-15% additional benefit from a full spectrum sauna.
Why Infrared Technology?
Tests have shown that the energy output of our True Wave™ far infrared heaters is tuned so closely to the body’s own radiant energy that our bodies absorb as much as 93% of the far infrared waves that reach our skin.
By comparison, conventional saunas must rely only on indirect means of heat: first, on convection (air currents) and then, conduction (direct contact of hot air with the skin) to produce its heating effect. Your Clearlight Infrared Sauna is best used at temperatures between 100° to 125°F versus 180° to 220°F for traditional hot-air saunas. Since conventional saunas require 30 to 90 minutes of warm-up before use, electricity costs are reported to be a lot higher than those of Clearlight Infrared Saunas which are ready to use in 10-15 minutes.
Yes! Infrared heat is all around us. This photo below shows everything emits and receives infrared heat. This image was taken with a camera that takes a regular photograph and an infrared image of the subjects at the exact same time.
The human body emits and receives infrared heat in the far infrared band. Other surfaces, like a warm street or heated vending cart, give off infrared in the middle and near infrared band.
Do you want to experience far infrared heat right now? Take you hands and put your palms together. Move your hands about 1/2 an inch apart. You will feel warmth emanating from your palms. This is far infrared heat very similar to the infrared heat emitted from our True Wave™ heaters. Radiant far infrared is all around us and is essential for human life.
Benefits of Far-Infrared Saunas Vs. Traditional Saunas
Clearlight® infrared saunas use low-EMF True Wave™ Carbon/Ceramic heaters that produce invisible, far infrared heat. This is the same type of heat as produced by the sun and our bodies. Infrared heat is very safe and not at all like the heat produced by microwaves. In an infrared sauna, only 20 percent of the energy is used to heat the air, leaving the rest of the energy to heat the body. The radiant heat can penetrate deep below the skin producing a gentle warming inside the body.
The temperature inside an infrared sauna is adjustable and averages a comfortable 100°F to 130 °F. These lower temperatures allow you to sweat faster and to tolerate a longer sauna session offering greater therapeutic benefit. Typical sessions last 20 to 45 minutes and can be repeated once or twice during the day to maximize the benefits. Infrared saunas leave you feeling invigorated, not depleted like conventional saunas.
Infrared heaters warm the body in the same manner as natural sunlight. Infrared heat therapy uses the wavelength of the visible and non-visible light spectrum of sunlight that heats the body normally. Traditional saunas raise the temperature of the air to a very high level within the chamber to warm the body. Some people have difficulty breathing in this extremely warm air. Infrared saunas work differently. Instead of heating the air within the enclosure, infrared saunas heat the body directly. The result is deeper tissue penetration. In an infrared sauna, the body perspires and receives all of the healthy benefits but avoids the harmful and extremely hot air of a traditional steam sauna.
The Importance of Low EMF Infrared Components
Clearlight® Infrared Saunas are Low EMF
As a premier wellness company, your health and safety are our number one focus. Our True Wave™ far infrared and full spectrum infrared heaters are most effective and safest infrared heaters available. Clearlight Infrared Sauna® models are the only ONLY infrared sauna that cancels out EMF. Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) are energy waves with frequencies below 300 hertz or cycles per second.
All Clearlight Infrared Sauna® models offer the lowest and safest EMF levels of any infrared sauna on the market, bar-none. The EMF levels in your Clearlight Premier™ and Clearlight Sanctuary™ saunas will be mostly below 1mg when tested directly on the heater itself. Where you are sitting in the sauna, the EMF levels are virtually 0mg. All of our competitors are over 20 times above the threshold of concern.
Be sure to ask when shopping for an infrared sauna if their infrared saunas are low EMF.
“I have always known of the benefits of saunas and regularly would use the one in my gym. I was elated when my friend referred me to your company making it possible to have and use an infrared sauna in the privacy of my own home. I use my sauna every day the first thing each morning and can see how my body is detoxifying as a result. My aches and pains have decreased considerably and my skin has a beautiful glow. After each use, I have an immense feeling of wellness and vigor that takes me through the day. Having my infrared sauna in my home is no less than having heaven on earth.”
Fleuretta, Brooklyn, NY
LOW EMF (ELECTROMAGNETIC FIELD)
As the pioneer of low EMF carbon infrared sauna heaters, our patent-pending infrared heater technology reduces the EMF levels where you are sitting in the sauna to virtually zero. Our exclusive manufacturing process allows us to cancel out EMF to levels that are virtually undetectable.
Using ultra-sensitive EMF testing equipment, all of our heaters are tested to ensure safe levels of EMF. Electromagnetic Fields are measured in milligauss (mG). It is generally accepted that exposure to EMF should not exceed 3 milligauss. The EPA (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency) has proposed a safety standard of 3 mG. Sweden has also set a recommended safety limit of 3 mG. When EMF levels are measured inside your Clearlight® sauna all around your seated position, EMF levels are virtually undetectable.
Please see the testing below performed by EMF testing lab VitaTech Electromagnetics. These EMF reading are measured directly on the heater. Where you are seated in the sauna, the levels are virtually zero.
CLEARLIGHT® SAUNAS ARE THE ONLY INFRARED SAUNA WITH VIRTUALLY NO EMF!
Electromagnetic Fields (EMF) are energy waves with frequencies below 300 hertz or cycles per second. The electromagnetic fields we encounter daily come from every day things such as power lines, radar and microwave towers, television and computer screens, motors, fluorescent lights, microwave ovens, cell phones, electric blankets, house wiring and hundreds of other common electrical devices.
Levels of electromagnetic fields (EMF) from human-made sources have increased steadily over the past 50-100 years. Most EMF exposures come from increased use of electricity and new technologies. In the past decades, potential adverse effects from EMF exposure on human health have been an important topic of research. In fact, in California, the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) created the California Electric and Magnetic Fields Program to research and provide education and technical assistance on the possible health effects of exposure to EMF.
In the California EMF report published in 2002, the three scientists concluded, among other things, that “To one degree or another, all three of the DHS scientists are inclined to believe that EMFs can cause some degree of increased risk of childhood leukemia, adult brain cancer, Lou Gehrig’s Disease, and miscarriage.” and indicated that levels below 3mg are safe.
You can visit the California EMF Program website at: http://www.ehib.org/emf/
IS EMF HARMFUL TO THE HUMAN BODY?
Numerous studies have produced contradictory results, yet some experts are convinced that the threat is real.
Dr. David Carpenter, Dean at the School of Public Health, State University of New York believes it is likely that up to 30% of all childhood cancers come from exposure to EMFs. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) warns “There is reason for concern” and advises prudent avoidance”.
Martin Halper, the EPA’s Director of Analysis and Support says “I have never seen a set of epidemiological studies that remotely approached the weight of evidence that we’re seeing with EMFs. Clearly, there is something here.”
Concern over EMFs exploded after Paul Brodeur wrote a series of articles in the New Yorker Magazine in June 1989. Because of Paul Brodeur’s reputation. his articles had a catalytic effect on scientists, reporters and concerned people throughout the world.
In November 1989, the Department of Energy reported that “It has now become generally accepted that there are, indeed, biological effects due to field exposure.”
The EMF issue gained more publicity in 1990 when alarming reports appeared in Time, the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and popular computer publications. ABC’s Ted Koppel and CBS’s Dan Rather both aired special segments on EMFs.
Some health effects linked with EMF are:
Memory Loss
Depression
Loss of Energy
Irritability
Inability To Concentrate
Weakened Immune System
Chronic Fatigue
Headaches
The following are links to more information about the effects of EMF and Clips from a variety of sources:
1) The American Cancer Society
2) US Center for Disease Control Fact Sheet about EMF
3) World Health Organization – International EMF Project
6) EMF Readings From Various Devices We Use Every Day
7) Excerpt from Peter Asmus book “Introduction to Energy in California” (University of California Press, 2009):
“Remember when people who spoke of cigarettes causing cancer were derided as being alarmist nuts? (If you do remember that, you are at least 55 years old!) Today people who assert that there could be, let alone that there is, a risk associated with cell phone use are viewed as a bit wacky. Well, the Marlboro man died of lung cancer and it appears there is a growing body of information to suggest that the Nokia man might be saddled with dementia or Alzheimer’s (among others) for the privilege!
Consider the following findings:
• 3% of the population may have severe reactions to electromagnetic fields (EMFs) thought by some to shorten life expectancy.
• Young people who start using cell phones before the age of 20 have a five-fold increase in brain cancer risk.
• Up to one-third of the population may suffer from electrical hypersensitivity from EMF exposure.”
With over 23 years manufacturing and selling far infrared saunas, we ensure that our products are healthful and safe.