Cold Plunge and Sauna Etiquette: Do’s and Don’ts for Beginners

Both cold plunges and saunas are meant to be healthy, relaxing additions to your wellness routine, not anxiety-inducing ones. Learning proper cold plunge and sauna etiquette is a good start to easing your mind on your health journey. If you’re a beginner learning the cold plunge and sauna etiquette, there’s no better place to start than here.

Continue reading to learn everything you need to know about cold plunge and sauna etiquette so you don’t commit the same faux pa that Hugh Jackman did in a Japanese onsen.

Why Cold Plunge and Sauna Etiquette Matters

Etiquette is the unspoken rules that allow for a positive experience in shared spaces like saunas and cold plunge pools. It ensures that every participant can indulge in the tranquility, health benefits, and relaxation that these environments are known for.

This practice’s delicate balance can be disrupted without proper etiquette, leading to an uncomfortable experience for all involved. Luckily, it doesn’t need to be a complicated affair.

Just to be clear, we’ll be talking about sauna etiquette in shared spaces and communal saunas. If you have your own private sauna, you can behave as you’d like! But of course, the hygiene section still applies to private home saunas.

The Growing Popularity of Sauna and Cold Plunge Routines

In recent years, the ritual of combining sauna and cold plunge has seen a huge increase in popularity. Whether it’s the allure of ancient traditions or the rise of modern biohacking, more people are discovering the health benefits of saunas and cold plunging.

From local wellness centers to remote Nordic spas, the sauna and cold plunge routine is becoming a global practice. Because these practices are popular in many different cultures, it’s best to learn about etiquette as a beginner. Many of these cultures have their own unique etiquette, but there are common themes that span all cold plunge and sauna environments.

How to Prepare for Your Sauna and Cold Plunge

How to Handle Sauna and Cold Plunge Anxiety

It’s not uncommon for beginners to feel overwhelmed by the intensity of a sauna or cold plunge session. If you do feel nervous or anxious, know you’re not alone!

If anxiety strikes, focus on your breathing. Deep, rhythmic breaths can help calm your mind and slow your heart rate. We talk about the box breathing technique in our post about overcoming the initial shock of a cold plunge, but it’s a good breathwork technique no matter where you are.

If deep breathing doesn’t help, simply step out and take a break. There’s no shame in pacing yourself. It’s better to enjoy the experience gradually than to push yourself too hard too quickly.

Choosing the Right Sauna: Traditional vs. Infrared

Before you embark on your sauna journey, it’s important to understand the different types of saunas available. Traditional saunas—usually heated by wood or electric stoves—offer a classic experience with high temperatures and low humidity.

Infrared saunas, on the other hand, use infrared light to penetrate the skin and heat the body directly, providing a more gentle heating experience. Both traditional and infrared saunas offer their own set of benefits, so it’s best to learn which best aligns with your preferences and goals.

What to Wear (or Not Wear) in the Sauna

This tends to be one of the most common (and important!) questions among new sauna users. Unfortunately, there isn’t one answer for all sauna settings.

The truth is sauna attire varies depending on the culture and setting. In many traditional saunas, nudity is the norm. These cultures believe in allowing the skin to breathe and sweat freely and provide a more “natural” experience. This should go without saying, but if you are in a nude sauna, do not stare! 

With that said, wearing a swimsuit or a towel is often recommended or even required in some public or co-ed settings. The key is to wear something breathable and non-restrictive. Avoid wearing jewelry, as the metal may become too hot in the sauna. Synthetic fabrics may become too restrictive and uncomfortable.

When in doubt, wearing a loose-fitting towel around your waist is tried-and-true attire suitable for almost any sauna.

Proper Hygiene Practices for the Sauna

Good hygiene is essential whether you’re using shared spaces like saunas and cold plunge pools or in your own private sauna. 

Whether you’re using your own sauna or plunge or using a communal space, always shower before entering. This is even more important if you just finished your workout and use saunas and cold plunges as a recovery technique.

It’s best to avoid wearing lotions or oils that can upset the aroma of a sauna. These lotions and oils can also stain the wood benches found in most saunas. It’s also a good idea to sit on a towel, as it will reduce the spread of bacteria—both from you to the sauna and the sauna to you! 

After your session, rinse off in the shower (which is often provided in communal saunas) to keep your skin clean and healthy.

Conversations and Quiet Time

Noise levels are sometimes a point of contention in shared wellness spaces. If you go to the sauna with a friend, it’s fine to talk to them. After all, many cultures, such as Finland and Russia, view the sauna experience as a place to socialize.

Other cultures, such as Japan, view the sento (public bathhouses) and the onsen (warm baths) as places of serenity where silence is not only cherished, it’s expected.

If you’re in a communal wellness space in the United States, it’s likely fine that you chat with others in the sauna or cold plunge. But always be mindful of your topic of conversation and the volume of your voice. Remember that you’re in a small enclosed space that reverberates and amplifies sound. 

When in doubt, read the room. If you walk into a sauna and the people in there are relaxing in silence, it’s best to also stay quiet. After all, saunas are meant to be a relaxing experience; it’s a good place to escape the stress of daily life.

As for cold plunges, there tend to be two schools of thought. Some say that remaining quiet and focusing on your breathing technique (such as box breathing, like we mentioned above) is best, and there’s definitely merit to that. 

Others, however, find that talking to a friend in a cold plunge is a good way to distract yourself from the cold, which many people report as being helpful to stay in for longer.

What to Do If You Make a Faux Pas?

Mistakes happen, especially when you’re new to sauna and cold plunge etiquette. Luckily, most people who go to a sauna to relax tend to be friendly people. So don’t worry too much.

If you do realize you’ve made a “mistake,” a quick apology and correcting your behavior will usually be enough to recover. Most people will appreciate your effort to learn and respect the unspoken rules. So even if you don’t know all of them right away, you shouldn’t worry too much.

The bottom line is that going to a sauna or cold plunge as a beginner may seem daunting, but it doesn’t have to be! If you’re still nervous about going to your local sauna or cold plunge, ask the staff and they will answer all of your questions.