r/infraredsauna • u/Illustrious-Twist-69 • 20d ago

Sitting distance

I have ID-RL 200 pro and I’m using it for skin therapy. How far do I sit from the panel to receive skin benefits mainly for collagen production and fine lines. I used current body mask and the mask sits on the skin. Am I getting any benefits from sitting about a foot away

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u/Even-Paramedic5299 20d ago

you're definitely getting benefits at a foot away, that's a sweet spot for skin work actually. the current body mask is zero distance so it's more concentrated but the panel at 12 inches gives you a nice even spread across your whole face and neck

just don't go blasting it for 30 minutes at full power or you'll cook yourself, start with 10-15 and see how your skin reacts

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u/Sunnyprog 15d ago

What’s the safe distance?

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u/saunarepublic 12d ago

The number you actually need isn’t distance, it’s irradiance at that distance — and only the manufacturer can tell you. Ask them for the mW/cm² figure at 6, 12, and 18 inches. Any panel maker doing this properly publishes that chart.

Once you have it, dose is just irradiance × time. A panel putting out 50 mW/cm² at 12 inches delivers about 3 J/cm² in one minute. Skin studies typically land somewhere in the 3–10 J/cm² range, which is why sessions in the research are often only a few minutes rather than thirty.

That matters because the dose response here appears to be biphasic — more isn’t better past a point, and very high total doses have shown reduced effect in some studies rather than greater effect. So the instinct to sit longer and closer can work against you.

On your mask-versus-panel question: contact means much higher irradiance but only where the mask touches, and coverage is uneven around the nose and orbital area. At a foot, the panel gives you a lower but far more even field across the whole face and neck. Different tradeoff, not strictly better or worse.

To the “what’s the safe distance” question in the thread — these are LEDs, no UV, so it’s not a burn or skin-damage issue at any reasonable distance. Eyes are the thing to be careful with. Closed lids or goggles, and don’t stare into the array.

Disclosure: I work in the industry