Sauna fragrances and essential oils: how we use them and why scent touches our senses
Sometimes a single scent is enough to carry us, in our minds, somewhere entirely different.
Perhaps it is a pine forest after rain, fresh orange peel on a winter morning or the warm smell of wood when we enter a cosy cabin on a cold evening.
We need not even have visited that place ourselves. A scent can awaken memories and send our imagination travelling.
Sauna is no different.
When water meets the hot stones, löyly rises slowly and warmth fills the room, a special atmosphere emerges. Add a hint of birch, and perhaps a Finnish summer forest beside a lake appears in our mind’s eye.
For people who love scent, a sauna session becomes a small journey of the senses.
Why do scents touch our emotions?
Sometimes we forget what was said on a particular day. Years later, a familiar smell can bring back the light in a room, a person or a feeling long gone.
There is a scientific explanation: our sense of smell is closely connected with brain regions involved in processing emotions and memories, including the amygdala and hippocampus.
Smells can therefore evoke particularly vivid personal memories.
Yet not everyone experiences a fragrance in the same way. Pine may mean quiet and nature to one person, while another immediately thinks of childhood Christmases.
That is what makes scent fascinating: its meaning comes not only from a plant, but also from our experiences.
If music can give a special moment a melody, scent can give it a memory.
Choosing a sauna fragrance: like music for a particular moment
The world of sauna fragrances is surprisingly varied. There is more than eucalyptus and mint. Each fragrance family has its own character and can create a different mood.
Birch: a Finnish summer
Birch trees and the traditional birch whisk, called vihta or vasta, belong to Finnish sauna culture.
The fresh, green scent suggests leaves in a summer breeze, a little wooden house beside a lake and long, light Nordic evenings.
Perhaps this is the scent that makes us feel surrounded by nature.
Pine, spruce and forest: a walk among tall trees
Woody, fresh and sometimes slightly resinous.
Close your eyes and you might imagine walking over a soft forest floor, surrounded by moss, trees and clear air.
A wonderful fragrance family for anyone who loves forests and their particular stillness.
Eucalyptus and mint: a breath of freshness
Eucalyptus and mint have a distinctive, refreshing character.
Some aromatic compounds, such as menthol, also stimulate sensory nerves and can create a cooling sensation even though the sauna air remains warm.
Some people enjoy that freshness, but it does not mean these fragrances treat respiratory illnesses.
Citrus: a little sunshine in the sauna
A while ago, someone gave me an orange-scented sauna oil.
For me, orange has a wonderfully warm, cheerful quality. Sauna is already a place of warmth, yet this scent seems to bring sunshine into the room too.
Orange reminds me of a winter afternoon, cold outside, with freshly peeled fruit on the table indoors.
Lemon is quite different. It smells bright, fresh and lively, like a light breeze on a summer morning.
Then there is mandarin’s gentle sweetness, blood orange’s fruity intensity, elegant and slightly bitter bergamot, and grapefruit’s sparkling freshness.
Although all belong to the citrus family, each has its own character.
Citrus scents are also widely used in German Aufguss sessions. Lemon, orange and citrus blends appear in many manufacturers’ ranges and sauna facilities.
We may not always be able to travel south into the sunshine. But a scent we love can at least open a window for our imagination.
Lavender and chamomile: a slow evening
Gentle floral and herbal notes recall a summer garden, freshly washed bed linen or a book read on a quiet evening.
If you like these scents, they can be a pleasant part of an evening ritual.
Tar and smoke sauna: stories from an old wooden cabin
Deep, smoky, woody and sometimes slightly resinous, this scent evokes old wooden cabins and the traditional Finnish smoke sauna.
Smoke sauna has a long history in Finland. Its distinctive smell comes from its traditional heating method.
Sauna fragrances with tar or smoky notes aim to capture something of that atmosphere.
Cinnamon, gingerbread and winter spices: Christmas memories
As the days grow shorter, our fragrance preferences often change too.
Cinnamon, gingerbread and winter spice notes evoke Christmas markets, candlelight and cosy hours.
Such scents can be quite intense, so use a particularly restrained dose.
The choice does not end there: juniper, lemongrass, fruity compositions and even unusual fragrance ideas can give a sauna its own personality.
Before your next sauna, perhaps ask:
what scent would I enjoy today?
Are sauna fragrance and essential oil the same?
Not quite.
Essential oils are concentrated aromatic plant extracts, for example from eucalyptus, pine, peppermint or lavender.
Sauna fragrances or sauna infusion products are specifically formulated for use in suitable sauna facilities.
Some contain natural essential oils; others also contain fragrances or further ingredients.
Certain sauna fragrances from Finnish manufacturer Emendo contain water and alcohol as well as fragrance ingredients. A ready-made sauna essence is therefore not the same as a bottle of pure essential oil.
There are also highly concentrated sauna oils requiring only a few drops.
Not every ordinary fragrance oil or essential oil is suitable for a sauna infusion. What matters is whether the product is explicitly intended for that purpose.
How do you use sauna fragrances?
Preparation can be part of a lovely sauna ritual.
Fill a sauna bucket with fresh water, choose your scent and mix in the appropriate amount of a suitable infusion product according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Use a sauna ladle to pour small amounts of the prepared water onto the hot stones, provided the heater is designed for this.
The water hisses, steam rises and the chosen fragrance gradually unfolds.
The correct dosage depends on the product.
For example, the manufacturer recommends 50 ml in 3 litres of water for Emendo Forest Sauna Fragrance in the 500 ml bottle. Other highly concentrated sauna oils may require only a few drops.
Important: never pour undiluted essential oils or sauna essences directly onto hot sauna stones or heating elements. Among other risks, this can cause a fire.
Pure essential oils also do not dissolve completely in water. Adding a few drops of an ordinary essential oil to a bucket does not automatically make the mixture safe for sauna use.
The simplest approach is to choose a product explicitly intended for sauna infusions and follow both its instructions and the heater’s manual.
How much fragrance feels pleasant?
More scent does not automatically mean more enjoyment.
Strong fragrances can cause irritation, headaches or allergic reactions in sensitive people.
People with respiratory conditions, allergies or particular fragrance sensitivity should take care. Product instructions are especially important for children and during pregnancy too.
Never use your own infusion products in a public sauna without asking. You share the space with people who may have very different preferences.
A pleasant scent can enrich our sense of wellbeing, but it does not replace medical treatment, and its effects are experienced differently by different people.
When a scent becomes a memory
Finnish sauna needs neither music nor added fragrance to be special.
Sometimes warm wood, hot stones, the sound of water and a few quiet minutes are enough.
But if you love scents, a particular fragrance can add another dimension.
Perhaps one day the smell of birch leaves will take us back to a quiet evening by a lake.
Perhaps an orange will let us dream of a sunny summer in the middle of winter.
Perhaps a particular scent will eventually accompany us through life as naturally as a favourite piece of music.
Everyone has their own sauna ritual. Perhaps yours begins with a scent you love.
Sources and further information
German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) — Ätherische Öle: Duftende Wirkungen mit Einschränkungen
Emendo — Sauna Fragrance Forest 500 ml
Finnish Sauna Society — Quality Guidelines for Sauna Whisks
Scientific review — The Role of Odor-Evoked Memory in Psychological and Physiological Health
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