Sauna Ice Original provides a clean, raw, and intensely icy menthol experience that is maximally invigorating. Black Forest retains the icy coolness and open airways but adds a unique, rich, and addictive salmiak scent with notes of star anise, fennel, and balancing citrus. Black Forest is developed for those who want a completely new, exciting, and flavorful scent experience in the sauna.

No, not quite! Although they are often associated with each other, they are two completely different things. Licorice comes from the roots of the Glycyrrhiza glabra plant (licorice root) and has a softer, sweeter scent and flavour profile. Salmiak is traditionally an ammonium salt (ammonium chloride) that provides that characteristic, slightly sharper and saltier touch that we Swedes love in salty licorice and Fisherman’s Friend. In Black Forest, we have recreated that perfectly balanced salmiak scent – where icy menthol meets dark spice notes.

It was a real detective job! You see, you can't just take "salmiak" and make an essential oil from it; the scent has to be built up entirely botanically from scratch. After 17 failed attempts, we found the perfect formula in experiment number 18. By combining 7 different genuine essential oils – where star anise and anise provide the dark base, fennel and coriander seed add sweetness, and bergamot, bitter orange, and cedar create the aromatic bridge – a chemical synergy arises that, when meeting menthol, smells exactly like real salmiak.

Unlike our original product, the crystals in Black Forest are enriched with a rich layer of 100% genuine essential oils. We use natural minerals to fix the oil around the menthol crystals, giving them a moist surface.

When you dissolve the crystals in hot water according to the instructions, the oils follow the steam into the room without leaving stains or residue on the stones. However, avoid spilling oily crystals directly onto untreated wood on the sauna bench, as concentrated essential oils can cause temporary grease stains.

Place the crystals in the sauna ladle along with hot water (over 42 degrees Celsius). Let them melt for a few seconds and then pour onto the hot stones. Lean back, breathe, and enjoy!

Sauna Ice menthol crystals are guaranteed to be ~99.9% pure L-menthol. The remaining 0.1% is difficult to guarantee, but is most likely mostly water. The crystals are produced through a natural separation process of wild mint leaves. Read more about this under the question ""How is Sauna Ice produced?"".

The oil blend in Black Forest consists of essential oil from pink grapefruit and bergamot. The oil is stabilized with pyrogenic silicic acid, which is a natural mineral with fantastic chemical properties for stabilizing liquids. This allows the oil to form a film around each individual crystal and remain stable without the oil and crystals separating.

As a general recommendation, we usually say 2-4 crystals.

The size of the crystals can vary. People can also react to menthol with different intensity, depending on how sensitive the cold receptors on your skin and in your airways are. If you are a person who gets cold easily, you may be more susceptible to menthol (cool, huh?). The size of the sauna, the heat, and the effect you are looking for also have an impact.

Experiment and find the dosage that suits you best!

Yes, Sauna Ice Black Forest is completely safe to use as long as the user instructions are followed.

Our base consists of 100% natural menthol crystals enriched with pure essential oils. All our products are lab-tested and comply with strict EU regulations and chemical legislation (CLP).

However, because Black Forest is an extremely potent and concentrated product, there are some important safety rules to be aware of for a safe and enjoyable experience. Read more about these further up under the heading "Information" or on the back of the pouch.

Our menthol is extracted from the wild mint plant (Mentha arvensis). This plant species is cultivated almost exclusively in India and is used specifically for its naturally high content of L-menthol, which enables a very pure end product. The production takes place through a natural separation process:

1. Extraction: First, the essential oil is extracted from the wild mint leaves through steam distillation.
2. Crystallization: The oil is gradually cooled in a controlled manner. The pure menthol separates from the remaining oil and forms solid, transparent crystals of pure L-menthol.
3. Centrifugation: The crystals are separated from the remaining liquid in a centrifuge.
4. Sorting: The perfect crystal size for saunas is sorted out, and the remaining crystals find more suitable homes in other products such as nasal sprays, throat lozenges, skincare, baked goods, and chewing gum.

The result is a 100% natural product with a very short ingredient list: menthol.

Dry and cool! Never store Sauna Ice in the sauna. Moisture can make dosing more difficult if it becomes sticky in the bag/jar. Sauna Ice has a melting point of 42 degrees Celsius. If you have a bag or jar in the sauna, it will melt quickly. When it then solidifies at lower temperatures, the menthol will not recrystallize but will become a single menthol cake. The product is not ruined as the effect is unaffected by this, but it becomes significantly more difficult to dose as you have to break, scrape, or chop off pieces.

Yes, but it is very rare. What people often mistake for menthol allergy is in fact a reaction to substances such as carvone or limonene. These are found in, for example, spearmint (common in toothpaste), but do not occur in the menthol crystals from wild mint used in Sauna Ice. At very high concentrations, menthol can be perceived as irritating to the skin or eyes, but this is then a reaction to the strength and not an actual allergy.

Black Forest contains genuine essential oils from, among others, star anise, citrus and coriander. These add naturally occurring fragrance allergens (Limonene, Linalool, Linalyl acetate, Geraniol and Citral). Persons with known contact allergy to these substances should exercise caution.

Yes! Sauna Ice is a strong product, but about 15 minutes after use, 90% of the scent should be gone. No residue will remain on the stones either. Good sauna etiquette dictates that you ask your fellow sauna-goers if they are okay with you using Sauna Ice before use.

Yes! Sauna Ice is a strong product, but about 15 minutes after use, 90% of the scent should be gone. No residue will remain on the stones either. Good sauna etiquette dictates that you ask your fellow sauna-goers if they are okay with you using Sauna Ice before use.

No! Sauna Ice leaves no residue on the stones, as long as it is used with water in accordance with the instructions. Ladle on as usual and the next person using the sauna will not notice that you have used Sauna Ice.

Yes! A wood-fired sauna with Sauna Ice is a perfect combination. The king of saunas with the king of sauna fragrances.

Yes! Follow the instructions and avoid throwing directly onto the heating coils.

Hmm... Since there's no heater to throw water on, you'll need to be a bit creative. We've had some customers with infrared saunas who bring a mug of hot water into the sauna and add Sauna Ice to it. You won't get the cooling effect on your skin, but you will get easier breathing and a wonderful scent!

The essential oils in Black Forest have a long history in aromatherapy. Spice oils such as star anise and fennel are known for their calming and warming properties, which contribute to a deep and relaxed state of mind during a sauna session.

L-menthol (menthol crystals) activates the body's cold receptors, TRPM8, on the skin and in the airways. These receptors normally react to cold, and when stimulated by menthol, the brain perceives the air as cooler and that the airways are "opening up." This provides a strong subjective feeling of freer breathing and increased comfort during a sauna session, even though it is not a physical or medicinal decongestant. The subsequent effect is that our customers use the sauna more often, longer, and at higher temperatures, which has a significant and proven health benefit.

Menthol also has a proven effect of relieving dry cough during and after a cold.

Please consult a doctor. We have customers who have reported both that they cannot use Sauna Ice as it worsens their asthma, and customers who can finally sauna with their partner with asthma again thanks to Sauna Ice. If you are unsure how it will affect your specific asthma, we recommend not using Sauna Ice.

Yes. Menthol, like all other oils, has a natural flash point and an autoignition point. Although it's unlikely, it's possible for example that a large crystal falls among the stones and heats up to the point of autoignition, creating a 10-15 cm high flame. There is no danger as it burns up quickly and is easy to extinguish with a scoop of water, but it can be perceived as unpleasant. If you use warm water with Sauna Ice, the crystal will melt, distribute evenly over the stones, and the risk is then virtually nonexistent.

Sauna Ice's oil-infused product line is a completely unique sauna fragrance and the first of its kind. The combination of a stabilized oil film around the menthol crystals creates a magical sauna experience.

The difference is that Sauna Ice menthol crystals are 100% pure menthol in solid form, while common sauna fragrances are often diluted liquids. It provides a physically cooling sensation that opens up the airways and is significantly more potent than traditional sauna fragrances. In Black Forest, you get all the benefits that Sauna Ice Original offers, with added fragrance and health effects from carefully selected essential oils.

Yes, but be careful! Sauna Ice is extremely potent. Children are more sensitive and the menthol can be unpleasant. Avoid using it completely if children under 3 years old are in the sauna.

The product never becomes bad or dangerous, but its effect diminishes over time. We usually use 2-3 years as a benchmark, but if it's not stored airtight, that time is significantly shorter.