Infrared masks and blankets sold at Sephora for up to $700 are loved by TikTokers, but studies show they’re not worth the hype

For more than 2,000 years, humans have sat in hot, steamy, airless rooms in the name of wellness. 

Saunas have long been enjoyed as a way of relaxing after a workout – and are said to boast a host of benefits like easing pain and plumping skin. 

And now, savvy tech firms have developed a way of carrying a sauna around with you, in the form of a blanket. 

Infrared sauna blankets are the latest wellness craze to take over TikTok, with more than 1.5million videos posted on the topic. 

The devices, which resemble a sleeping bag, use light waves to generate heat inside the body rather than the surrounding air, allowing the radiant heat to penetrate the body more deeply than a traditional walk-in sauna.

Now, the biggest brand in the hot blanket world has just launched at cosmetics superstore Sephora – and is expected to garner up to $10 million in retail sales by the end of 2024, according to industry sources. 

The HigherDOSE blanket, priced $700, claims to help post-workout muscle recovery and ‘detoxify’ the body.

Users online report improvements in their complexion, overall stress levels, and immune systems, and liken the satisfying feeling when a 45-minute sauna session ends to that of a good workout. 

And the array of infrared tools gaining popularity spans way beyond blankets. 

Sephora sells a yoga mat-like infrared device and red light face and neck masks that, for $350, promise to ‘ignite inner radiance with two powerful wavelengths of light (red/near infrared) to energize skin cells, visibly smooth fine lines, and target blemishes.’

HigherDOSE say their products introduce a, ‘new way to ignite glowing skin through detox, recovery and longevity’.

But do these devices work? And are they worth the hefty price-tag? 

The bulk of the studies have been performed on infrared saunas, rather than blanket-type devices. And the research has shown mixed results.

The benefits of infrared sauna therapy are said to lie in both the amount you sweat, and the effect of heat on the blood vessels under the skin.

Extreme rises in temperate cause blood vessels to dilate, or widen, which increases the flow of blood to the skin’s surface. Studies show that this does help muscles to recover after a workout and can boost the immune system, making you better able to fight infections. Increased blood flow to the skin can also have a plumping effect, smoothing out lines and wrinkles.

Some research has shown that this has a beneficial effect on blood pressure. A 2009 review published in the journal Canadian Family Physician found infrared therapy can be helpful in the treatment of mild to moderate hypertension (high blood pressure). The researchers also found some small benefits for chronic pain. 

But that analysis had several notable limitations, including a poor study design, small sample sizes, and potentially unreliable symptom reporting.

Another small study into the therapy’s impact on the circulatory system found that men with coronary heart disease risk factors saw improvement in the function of their endothelium – cells that lines the inside of blood vessels and play a crucial role in preventing potentially deadly blood clots.

However there were only 25 men in this study, and they were only followed for two weeks.

As for the supposed cosmetic benefits of sweating (said to flush toxins out from the skin), very few high-quality studies have found evidence to support this.  

What about other effects on skin?

Most of the devices on sale use a combination of infrared and red light therapy. 

Red light does not generate heat, but uses low wavelength light to penetrate the skin about two millimeters. 

It is believed to benefit the skin by boosting activity in the ‘powerhouses’ inside skin cells – a part called the mitochondria. This supposedly accelerates healing and growth, enhancing skin rejuvenation. 

The vast majority of studies looking at the impact of red light therapy on skin include small numbers of patients, and are sponsored by companies that make light devices.  

A 2006 study published in the Yonsei Medical Journal revealed that two hours of infrared sauna therapy can increase the amount of collagen produced by the skin three-fold. 

Collagen is the protein in skin that gives it elasticity. It declines with age, leaving the skin sagging and more lined.

The researchers noted 26-50 per cent improvement in the appearence of fine lines and non-severe wrinkles. Coarse wrinkle showed minimal improvement.

While promising, the study was small, involving just 20 women. What’s more, the skin effects were only measured every four weeks over the course of six months – and many other factors may be behind the effects.

According to Dr. Mathew Avram, director of dermatologic surgery at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, the effects of infrared and right light masks would, ‘if any, be modest at best with usage over a great deal of time.

‘If people see any improvement at all, what they might notice is maybe improved texture and tone of their skin, maybe a little bit of lessening of redness. But often the improvements, if any, are quite subtle and not always easy to detect,’ he told Today. 

While there has been some research into infrared therapy, experts make clear that more extensive research is needed before they can confirm benefits.