Should You Shower After an Infrared Sauna?

There’s no fixed wait after an infrared sauna, so shower once the heavy sweating has eased and you feel steady. Choose lukewarm or comfortably cool water, keep your skincare gentle, and moisturise if your skin feels dry. Afterwards, stay hydrated, avoid alcohol, and wait until you’ve cooled down before tackling strenuous exercise.

A post-sauna shower is a sensible choice for most people. A shower rinses away sweat and leaves your skin feeling fresh.

At Fresh Treatments’ Infrared Sauna in Brunswick, our private facilities feature a shower, fresh towels, and drinking water so you can cool down and glow up before stepping back onto Sydney Road.

Why Showering After an Infrared Sauna Is a Good Idea

An infrared sauna session can make you sweat heavily. Leaving that sweat to dry on your skin can feel sticky, salty, and uncomfortable. Not exactly the polished wellness finish you had in mind.

A gentle shower helps to:

• Rinse sweat, salt, and residue from your skin
• Reduce that sticky post-sauna feeling
• Make changing into clean clothes more comfortable
• Create a calm transition back into the rest of your day

Showering afterwards won’t take away from the relaxed feeling of the session. You’ve already spent time unwinding in the warmth. You may also hear that you must delay showering so your body can keep “detoxifying”. There’s no need to build your routine around that idea. The point of showering is simply to rinse off and feel comfortable. 

How Long After an Infrared Sauna Should You Shower?

There’s no set waiting period. Take a few minutes to cool down, drink some water, and let the heaviest sweating ease. Drinking water matters because excessive sweating can contribute to dehydration. Shower once you feel comfortable and steady.

The answer depends on how you feel. You may be ready to shower once your sweating has slowed and you feel comfortable. If you’re still very warm, give yourself a little longer.

Try this simple check before getting into the shower:

• Has the heavy sweating started to settle?
• Do you feel steady when you stand?
• Are you comfortable enough to shower?

If you can answer yes to these questions, you’re probably ready. If you feel light-headed, sit down, drink some water, and wait until you feel steady. Wellness shouldn’t feel like a test of endurance.

Should the Shower Be Cold, Cool, or Warm?

You don’t need to launch yourself into freezing water to complete the experience.

A lukewarm shower is the easiest option for most people. It rinses the skin without adding more heat or delivering a sudden blast of cold.

Lukewarm water: Gentle, comfortable, and suitable for most people

Cool water: Refreshing if you want to feel cooler a little faster

Cold water: Optional if you already enjoy cold showers

Hot water: Not the most refreshing option straight after a sauna. Lukewarm or cool water will usually feel more comfortable

You can shower once you feel comfortable and steady, but there’s no need to rush. Choose a temperature that feels refreshing rather than punishing. 

A Simple Shower Routine After Your Session 

A simple routine is all you need:

1. Take a brief lukewarm or comfortably cool shower.
2. Rinse your skin thoroughly.
3. Use a mild cleanser if your skin still feels sweaty or sticky.
4. Pat your skin dry with a fresh towel.
5. Change into loose, breathable clothing.

There’s no need for a complicated collection of products. A comfortable rinse and a clean towel will do most of the work.

Caring for Your Skin After the Sauna

Your skin may feel warm and slightly sensitive after a sauna, so this isn’t the ideal moment for an aggressive scrub.

Keep your routine simple. Advice to use lukewarm water, avoid heavily fragranced products, and pat rather than rub your skin is consistent with Better Health Channel’s guidance for sensitive, eczema-prone skin:

• Skip harsh body scrubs and strong exfoliating acids
• Use a gentle, familiar cleanser
• Pat your skin dry instead of rubbing it
• Apply a light moisturiser if your skin feels dry or tight
• Choose fragrance-free products if your skin is easily irritated

If you have eczema, rosacea, heat-triggered hives, or another sensitive skin condition, follow the advice of your doctor or skincare professional. What feels soothing for one person may not suit another.

What to Do for the Rest of the Day

A few simple choices can help you carry that relaxed feeling into the rest of your day:

• Have a light meal or snack if you’re hungry
• Wait until you feel cool and comfortable before doing strenuous exercise
• Avoid alcohol immediately afterwards

You don’t need a complicated post-sauna ritual. Get comfortable and get on with your day. Job done.

Relax, Refresh, and Reset at Fresh Treatments

Fresh Treatments has brought modern wellness treatments together in a welcoming clinic since 2019 and is located at Level 1, 129A Sydney Road, Brunswick, close to Melbourne’s CBD.

Our private 45-minute infrared sauna sessions include red light therapy and a private shower.

You can book a solo sauna session from $40 or share the room with one or two friends. Fresh Treatments also provides several separate treatments:

Infrared sauna and red light therapy: The service most directly relevant to this article

Normatec Recovery: A separate recovery treatment

Cryotherapy: A separate whole-body cold treatment

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: A separate treatment available at the clinic

IV infusions and IM boosters: Separate services available at the clinic, with IV infusions administered by registered nurses

Body analysis: A separate body-composition service

The other treatments are separate options, not required steps after your sauna.

Book a private infrared sauna session for 45 minutes of infrared heat and red light therapy, followed by a private shower before you head back into Melbourne feeling ultra refreshed. 

Explore other guides:

• How does an infrared sauna work? 
• Infrared saunas vs traditional saunas