Sauna infusion with pure essential oils

A couple of ladles of water on the hot stones – and the scent decides whether sweating becomes a ritual.

What you'll find here isn't an alcohol-based concentrate with synthetic fragrance, but pure essential oils that you dose yourself. One 10 ml bottle lasts for roughly 20 infusions.

How to dose correctly

Pure essential oils are considerably more concentrated than ready-made infusion concentrates. Less really is more here.

  1. Fill the bucket. 1 litre of water for a normal infusion, 2–3 litres for several ladles.
  2. Add the oil. 5–10 drops per litre of water. Start with 5 – you can always go up.
  3. Stir well. Oil and water don't mix by themselves. Stir briefly with the ladle, right before the infusion.
  4. Pour slowly. The first ladle over the back stones, in several portions rather than all at once.
  5. Waft. Use the towel to move the moist air from top to bottom. This is the moment the scent reaches the room.
  6. Rest afterwards. 15–20 minutes of rest after the round, ideally lying down.

Three things you shouldn't do:

  • Never put oil neat on the stones. Essential oils are highly flammable – a flash-off can occur.
  • Don't use fatty carrier oils (almond, jojoba, castor). They don't evaporate but carbonise on the stones.
  • With spiced oils such as cassia or clove (contained in Winterwärme), halve the dose – 3–5 drops per litre is enough.

On consumption: a 10 ml bottle holds around 200 drops, which is roughly 20 to 40 infusions.

the classic

Eucalyptus

Intense, herbaceous and unmistakable – the scent most people associate with sauna. Clear and grounding, forgiving in its dosing and the obvious starting point if you're beginning from scratch.

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fruity & light

Grapefruit

Sunny and zesty. Grapefruit brings lightness to the infusion and suits the first round particularly well, while the body is still settling in. Citrus notes fade faster – in a sauna that's no drawback.

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the best of both worlds

Frischegeist

A fusion of herbal freshness and citrus. Lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, lemon and lemongrass – balanced, and our best-selling blend if you'd rather not choose.

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Discover our blends too

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Sauna infusion with pure oils: what matters

The infusion is the moment a sauna round is decided. Until then it's simply warm – only when the water hits the stones and the steam gathers under the ceiling does what the Finns call “löyly” arise. Which scent fills the room shapes the memory of the whole evening.

Most infusion concentrates on the market consist of water, alcohol and fragrances, some of them synthetic. That works and smells intense, but has a flat character: a single accord that stays the same from the first ladle to the last. A pure oil behaves differently. It opens in layers, changes with the temperature, and smells different at the third ladle than at the first.

Single oil or blend?

Both have their place. A single oil such as eucalyptus or peppermint is purist and clearly recognisable – good when you know what you want. A blend takes the composing off your hands: Kräuterwind bundles eucalyptus, thyme, peppermint and rosemary into a classic herbal infusion, Frischegeist combines herbal notes with citrus.

If you like it woody, there's no way past Swiss stone pine – the scent is inseparable from Alpine saunas. Greener and more resinous is spruce needle, the classic forest infusion. If you want both without blending yourself: Walderwachen combines stone pine with eucalyptus and lemon. It gets deeper and drier with cedarwood or with Waldliebe.

Layering scents across several rounds

One detail that makes the difference: don't use the same scent all evening. The nose adapts to an aroma after about fifteen minutes and barely registers it. Switching across three rounds keeps you attentive.

A proven order: light and fruity to begin with grapefruit or orange, strong and herbal in the second round with eucalyptus or Kräuterwind, woody and calm to finish with spruce needle or Waldliebe.

If the evening should wind down afterwards, Sonnenruhe of lavender, lemon and orange is the softer alternative to another conifer scent. In the cold season Winterwärme suits the final round – sparingly dosed.

What “pure” means to us

Every label carries the botanical name, the country of origin and a batch number. The oils are obtained by steam distillation or cold pressing, without extenders, without carriers, without synthetic additions. Filling is done by hand in Germany, in small batches.

That an oil smells minimally different from batch to batch is not a defect. Soil, hours of sunshine and harvest timing influence every distillation. An oil that always smells exactly the same has most likely been standardised.

Frequently asked questions about sauna infusions

How many drops of essential oil go into a sauna infusion?

5 to 10 drops per litre of water. For spiced oils such as cassia or clove, 3 to 5 drops are enough. When in doubt start lower – you can add more in the next round, but you can't take it back.

Can I put essential oils neat on the sauna stones?

No. Essential oils are highly flammable and can flash off on glowing stones. They also evaporate too quickly to spread through the room. Always stir into water first.

What's the difference from a ready-made infusion concentrate?

Ready-made concentrates consist largely of water and alcohol, plus a fragrance component that is often synthetic. With us you buy the pure oil and dose it yourself. That goes further and you know exactly what's in it.

How long does a 10 ml bottle last?

Around 200 drops, so roughly 20 to 40 infusions – depending on your dosing and the size of your bucket.

Can I use carrier oils such as almond or jojoba in the sauna?

No. Fatty plant oils don't evaporate but carbonise on the hot stones and leave residues. Only essential oils are suitable for the sauna.

How do I store the oils correctly?

Cool, dark and tightly closed. Use citrus oils within a year; woody oils keep considerably longer.

Why does the same variety sometimes smell slightly different?

Because these are natural products. Soil, weather and harvest timing influence every distillation. The batch number on the label makes this traceable.