Sweat It Out: My Experience in an Infrared Sauna with Color & Sound Therapy

I've never been a big salon-&-spa kinda gal. I can count on two hands the number of times I've gotten my nails done in my life; I get my hair cut about once a year, & I have it professionally colored approximately never; I get massages here & there, & I recently tried cupping, but I've never had a facial or done any other kind of spa services.

All that to say that when I had the opportunity to book an appointment with j. bellezza, a local boutique, salon, & beauty lounge, to try an infrared sauna session, I was really excited about it... but I had no idea what to expect. I'd never done a regular sauna session, much less an infrared one!

The weekend before Rosh HaShanah, I left work a little early & got to j. bellezza around 3pm for my appointment. Their space is bright & white & airy, & everyone at the front desk was friendly & kind - which is what I want out of a salon/spa, given that I'm always always nervous upon entry. I feel like everyone can tell that I have no idea what I'm doing!

I was greeted by Megan, director of store development, who led me to one of j. bellezza's two infrared sauna rooms & explained the process. Because j. bellezza is committed to wellness & beauty through providing natural & organic products & services, they use medical-grade sunlighten saunas, which provide three infrared wavelengths thought to produce benefits like detoxification, relaxation, immune support, & muscle recovery.

Chromotherapy: Relaxing with the Rainbow
The saunas also provide chromotherapy, color & light therapy intended to provide physical, emotional, & mental healing. Each color is said to possess frequencies of a specific vibration, & each vibration is related to different physical symptoms. (Read about all the color options.) While you're in the sauna, you can choose your lighting - either rotating through all of them or sticking with one or two that provide the specific benefits you seek.

I mostly went with "strong blue," said to "lubricate joints & help address stress, nervous tension, & infections," & with regular blue, which "promotes relaxation and calm [& is] thought to have a positive effect on all kinds of pain." Blue tones also keep the sauna dark & relaxing, which is nice & relaxing in itself.

Inside the Sauna: What It's Like
I disrobed & stepped into the sauna to find that it was set to 150 degrees, a surprisingly not-humid heat that just felt steamy & relaxing, like a hot bath without the moisture. Music plays lightly inside the sauna for acoustic resonance therapy, which adds to the relaxing atmosphere.

I'm an incredibly sweaty person, so I was nervous about the whole experience - but while I did get very sweaty, it was, somehow, not bothersome. Instead, it felt rejuvenating & positive, like I was sweating out the bad stuff & basking in a warm calmness. I tried to clear my mind & meditate, not thinking about work or my to-do list or how many minutes I had left or what else was left in the day.



j. bellezza offers both 30- and 45-minute sauna sessions, but I found 30 minutes to be the perfect amount of time. I was very sweaty by the end, but it felt nice; any more time might've been too sweaty for me! As someone accustomed to multi-tasking, it's also hard for me to relax that much - so this was a good, slow start.

Afterward, I dried off, stretched a little bit, refreshed my makeup, & was given my choice of four Apres protein drinks to help me re-hydrate. I chose the cold brew coffee flavor, which had just a light coffee taste & left me feeling light & happy instead of weighed down after such an otherwise relaxing experience.

Plus: A Quick, Pretty Blow-out
When my sauna experience was over, I headed over to the salon side of things, where Jennavieve, one of j. bellezza's staff stylists, gave me a blowout before I celebrated Mike's birthday dinner with him & his parents.

Jennavieve, who was originally in college for pediatrics & radiology, became a stylist because she wanted to make people feel good & happy, rather than giving them sad, painful news all the time. She's now been a stylist for four years, & damn, she's good at it. She gave me a pepperminty deep conditioning treatment & a soft, wavy blowout that left me feeling pretty & chic - not two words I typically use to describe myself!

Here I am, all "dressed up" & posed before dinner at Fahrenheit with Mike & his parents in celebration of his birthday. Uh, we forgot to take any photos together (oops), but at least I documented this Becky hair.

So... Would I Do It Again?
Yep. In fact, I've already booked my next session!

Because here's the really amazing part: A 30-minute infrared sauna session at j. bellezza is only $35. I thought for sure it would be an expensive, treat-yo'self, splurge of an experience, something I'd have to spend serious effort working into my budget - but for $35, I can definitely afford to prioritize this experience again in the near future.

A few things: Per their website, if you book online (for the sauna, a blowout, or another service), you can use their promo code ONLINE to get 15% off your first order. You can also enter their online giveaway to win three infrared sauna sessions - & stay tuned to my Instagram later this week for a giveaway for a $100 Pinecrest gift card, which you can use at j. bellezza!

My next session is this month, & I'm pumped about going back. Does chromotherapy work? Does acoustic resonance therapy work? Heck, I don't know. But does it feel good? Absolutely - & maybe that's all that really matters, anyway.

Disclaimer: This post is sponsored by Pinecrest as part of a paid partnership. I was also offered & provided a complimentary infrared sauna session & blowout at j. bellezza, located at Pinecrest, but as always, all opinions are my own - & I just booked another session on my own dime because I like it that much. ;)