Robby Besner's pitch is essentially this: modern life has made detoxification non-optional, and infrared saunas — particularly full-spectrum ones — are among the most natural and effective tools we have for reducing that burden. The 70% glyphosate contamination figure is striking, and while the exact number is contested in the literature, the directional point stands. We are absorbing more environmental toxins than previous generations, and our bodies were not designed for this particular load.
The core mechanism here is straightforward. Infrared energy penetrates the skin more deeply than the heated air of a traditional Finnish sauna, raising core temperature and inducing a sweat that carries fat-soluble toxins — heavy metals, certain pesticides, BPA — out through the skin. The argument for full-spectrum is that near-infrared supports cellular repair, mid-infrared improves circulation, and far-infrared drives the deep tissue heating that mobilizes toxins. Each frequency doing different work on the same body.
This lands in well-trodden territory in the knowledge base. The Connie Zack episode on sauna therapy covers similar ground — infrared for detoxification, cardiovascular support, and longevity — and the Sunlighten piece takes a nearly identical angle. What Besner adds is the EMF reduction argument and the gemstone integration, which are more product-differentiation claims than peer-reviewed findings.
The longevity data in the broader sauna literature is some of the strongest we have. The Finnish cohort studies Rhonda Patrick cites — nearly 1,700 participants over decades — show 50% reductions in cardiovascular mortality for four-to-seven sessions per week. That research used traditional saunas, not infrared. Whether full-spectrum infrared produces equivalent or superior outcomes remains an open question. The research comparing the two modalities directly is thin.
There's genuine scientific consensus that sweating mobilizes certain toxins, that regular heat exposure reduces inflammation and improves cardiovascular markers, and that far-infrared penetrates tissue more deeply than surface heat. These are not controversial claims.
What's murkier: the tourmaline-gemstone story and the negative ion claims. These are difficult to study rigorously, and the longevity statistics Besner cites — residents averaging 105 years near tourmaline deposits — don't come from controlled research. They're compelling anecdotes, not evidence. Besner is an entrepreneur with a genuine passion for the technology, and that sincerity comes through, but it also means the claims aren't always measured against the evidence standard they'd need to clear in a clinical setting.
If you're going to use infrared sauna for detoxification support — and there are good reasons to — consistency matters more than brand. The cumulative effect Besner describes is real: regular sessions, over weeks and months, measurably reduce certain toxin markers. Three to four sessions per week, 20 to 30 minutes, is the range the evidence supports. Hydrate well before and after. Give your body time to warm up gradually rather than blasting straight to maximum temperature.
If you're dealing with a chronic illness — Lyme, autoimmune, post-treatment fatigue — sauna can genuinely support recovery as part of a broader protocol. But pace it. When your body is fighting hard, adding a significant thermal stressor every day can deplete rather than restore. Two to three times per week is a more conservative starting point.
Here's the thing that keeps surfacing across all of this research: the best detoxification tools are also the best longevity tools. Sauna. Cold exposure. Exercise. Fasting. They all work through overlapping mechanisms — heat shock proteins, mitochondrial stress adaptation, improved lymphatic flow, reduced systemic inflammation. You're not choosing between detoxification and longevity optimization. You're doing the same thing under two different names. That's either reassuring or suspicious depending on your instincts, but the convergence of mechanisms across independent research lines suggests the underlying biology is real, even when the marketing around it gets creative.