What the heater makers say about scent on the stones, how much the sauna scent listings say to add to the water, and the warnings on essential oil labels.
The short answer
- Check the heater’s manual first. Harvia’s Cilindro Pro manual says only aromas designed for sauna water may be used.
- Dilute it in the water. HUUM’s DROP manual says to use sauna fragrances and oils only in the steam water.
- Never pour it neat on the stones. HUUM says undiluted fragrances and oils can catch fire on the stones; Tylö’s US Sense Sport manual says fragrant essences may ignite.
- Use the dose on the bottle. The sauna scent listings we read give anything from a few drops in a ladle to 50 ml in about three litres. We hold no dose for a pure essential oil.
This page sets out what the heater makers’ manuals and the retailers’ listings say about scenting a sauna. We haven’t tested any of it, and where the sources say nothing we say so. It is general information: your heater’s manual and the label on the bottle come first.
Start with the heater’s manual
The heater is the hot part, so its maker’s instructions come before anything a scent seller says. What the manuals we’ve read say:
| Maker and manual | What it says about scent |
|---|---|
| Harvia, Cilindro Pro electric heater | Only special aromas designed for sauna water may be used |
| HUUM, DROP electric heater | Use sauna fragrances and oils only in the steam water; poured undiluted onto the stones they can catch fire |
| Tylö, Sense Sport heater (US manual) | Pour a few drops of Tylö Sauna Fragrance into the water in the fragrance holder; fragrant essences may ignite if poured directly onto the stones |
We didn’t find a statement on scent in the Narvi or SAWO material we read; Narvi’s Velvet manual says to use only clean household water as steam water. If your manual doesn’t mention scent, ask the maker before you add anything to the water.
Sources: Harvia: Cilindro Pro electric sauna heater, instructions for installation and use (PDF hosted by zoechling-holz.at); HUUM: DROP Electric Sauna Heater installation and operation manual (EU; DROP 4, 6, 7, 9); Tylö: Sense Sport USA Installation / User Guide (US edition; models SSU 5, SSU 7, SSU 8; doc 2900 5240); Narvi: Velvet Electric (Flow) heater manual, English section, p. 65. Checked between 1 and 3 October 2026.
In the water, not on the stones
The heater manuals we’ve read that mention scent put it in water. HUUM’s DROP manual says sauna fragrances and oils should be used only in the steam water, and Tylö’s US manual has the fragrance go into water in a holder. The sauna scent listings say the same: Finnmark’s listings for Osmia and Narvi scents say never to use the concentrate undiluted, and its listing for Luhta’s drops says they must be diluted before use. Aqualine’s listing for Harvia’s Lemon Grass scent says to use it only as directed in the product instructions, and not to apply it directly to sauna surfaces or skin.
The water itself matters too. HUUM’s DROP manual says to try to throw water only on the heater stones and not on metal surfaces, and SAWO says water thrown onto the stones needs to be suitable for household consumption. How much water to ladle at a time is on sauna buckets and ladles.
Sources: HUUM: DROP Electric Sauna Heater installation and operation manual (EU; DROP 4, 6, 7, 9); Tylö: Sense Sport USA Installation / User Guide (US edition; models SSU 5, SSU 7, SSU 8; doc 2900 5240); SAWO: Frequently Asked Questions. Checked 3 October 2026.
How much scent to add
There is no single dose. The listings give different amounts, in different units:
| Brand and bottle | Directions as listed | Per litre of sauna water |
|---|---|---|
| Emendo 10 mlFinnmark Sauna | “Mix three to six drops of the concentrate into a ladle of water and pour it over the hot stones; the rising steam carries the fragrance evenly through the sauna. The 10 ml bottle is concentrated, so a few drops are enough for each pour.” | — |
| Emendo 30 ml setFinnmark Sauna | “Mix three to six drops of any scent into a ladle of water and pour it over the hot stones, letting the steam carry the aroma through the sauna.” | — |
| Emendo 500 mlFinnmark Sauna | “Add half a decilitre (50 ml) to around 3 litres of water, then throw the mixture over the hot stones; the rising steam carries the aroma evenly through the room.” | 30p to 37p |
| Harvia 400 mlAqualine Saunas | “Mix with water and apply to the sauna stones for a fresh, aromatic sauna experience. 1 x 400ml.” | — |
| Harvia 1,000 mlAqualine Saunas | “Add 5ml of sauna aroma concentrate to 1 litre of water. Stir the mixture immediately before every onpouring onto the sauna stones, or use in fragrance cups. One 1000ml bottle provides approximately 100 - 200 sessions.” | 28p |
| Holl's 400 ml setSteam & Oak | “A few drops in the water bucket changes the whole session.” | — |
| Luhta 50 mlFinnmark Sauna | “The 50 ml concentrate must be diluted before use, which also lets you adjust the intensity of the fragrance to suit your preference.” | — |
| Narvi 100 mlFinnmark Sauna | “Mix 5–10 ml into 1 litre of fresh water in your sauna bucket, then ladle the mixture slowly over the hot stones; the slower you pour, the more enveloping the löyly.” | 75p to £1.50 |
| Osmia 50 mlFinnmark Sauna | “Mix two to three capfuls with around 5 litres of fresh water in your sauna bucket, then ladle the mixture slowly over the hot stones; the slower you pour, the more enveloping the steam.” | — |
| Osmia 150 ml setFinnmark Sauna | “Each 50 ml concentrate is diluted at two to three capfuls per 5 litres or so of water, then ladled slowly over the hot stones so the fragrance diffuses with the steam.” | — |
| Rento 10 mlFinnmark Sauna | “A few drops in the sauna water are enough; each ladle over the hot stones carries the scent evenly through the room. The 10 ml bottle is a true concentrate, made to be diluted, so a single bottle covers many sessions.” | — |
| Rento 400 mlFinnmark Sauna | “The 400 ml emulsion is concentrated, so two to four capfuls in a full bucket is enough for a long session.” | — |
| Rento 1,200 ml setFinnmark Sauna | “Add two to four capfuls to a bucket of water, and every ladle poured over the hot stones releases a steam that carries the scent evenly through the sauna.” | — |
Directions are quoted from the retailer's listing for one scent in each range, as we read it on 3 October 2026. They are the retailer's wording, not the maker's label, and the label on the bottle is what counts. The last column is our arithmetic, only where the listing gives the dose in millilitres: the bottle price divided by its size, times the dose for one litre of water, across the scents we recorded in that range. Aqualine Saunas doesn't say whether its prices include VAT.
Where the dose is in millilitres, the cost of a litre of scented water runs from 28p to £1.50; the lowest is an Aqualine Saunas price, and Aqualine doesn’t state VAT. All 33 scents, with prices, are on sauna scents compared.
Essential oils instead of a sauna scent
Pure essential oils come with no sauna dose. None of the product pages we read at Tisserand, Neal’s Yard Remedies or Nikura mentions sauna use; where they give directions, they are for diffusers, baths and massage. The Tisserand Institute says the essential oil in a bottle is 50 to 100 times more concentrated than in the plant.
What the sources do and don’t give you:
- The heater manual decides. Harvia’s Cilindro Pro manual says only aromas designed for sauna water may be used. HUUM’s DROP manual says to use sauna fragrances and oils only in the steam water.
- No dose. We hold no maker’s or brand’s dose for a pure essential oil in sauna water, so we can’t give one. The amounts in the table above are for those sauna scent products only.
- No mixing instructions. We found no maker’s instruction on how to disperse a pure oil in a bucket of water. For its own 1,000 ml scent, Aqualine’s listing for Harvia says to stir the mixture immediately before every pour.
A ready-made scent comes with its own directions, and several are made with essential oils: see what sauna scents are made from. The oils themselves are compared on essential oils for a sauna.
Sources: Tisserand Institute: Safety pages; Harvia: Cilindro Pro electric sauna heater, instructions for installation and use (PDF hosted by zoechling-holz.at); HUUM: DROP Electric Sauna Heater installation and operation manual (EU; DROP 4, 6, 7, 9). Checked between 1 and 3 October 2026.
Aroma bowls and holders
A holder is a bowl, ball or stone cup that holds the scent, usually in water, on or beside the heater. We list five:
| Item | Material | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Finnish Soapstone Sauna Scent/Oil Diffuser - SaunakkoFinnmark Sauna · Hukka DesignOut of stock when checked | 100% authentic Finnish soapstone | £13.99 |
| Finnish Soapstone Sauna Water Fountain Scent/Oil Diffuser - SolinaFinnmark Sauna · Hukka DesignOut of stock when checked | 100% authentic Finnish soapstone | £39.99 |
| Sauna Aroma Ball 3L Copper PlatedFinnmark Sauna · Nikkarien | Copper plated | £45.99 |
| Sauna Aroma Ball 3L Stainless SteelFinnmark Sauna · Nikkarien | Stainless steel | £45.99 |
| Tylo Jewel Sauna Heater Aromatherapy Fragrance Dispenser BowlLeisurequip · Tylö | Stainless steel | £53.50VAT not stated |
Prices as shown on 3 October 2026. Leisurequip does not say whether its prices include VAT. For Finnmark Sauna we recorded the displayed price and didn't check for a VAT statement.
The listings describe them as used with water: Finnmark’s for the aroma ball says to fill it with water and a few drops of sauna essence. Check any holder against your heater’s manual first, because HUUM’s DROP manual says to use sauna fragrances and oils only in the steam water. Two more warnings come with them. Leisurequip’s listing for the Tylö Jewel bowl says water goes in first, and never to add oils directly into an empty bowl. Tylö’s US Sense Sport manual says not to pour water into the fragrance holder once it has heated up, because boiling water can splash onto the people in the sauna. The same manual suggests a few drops of diluted sauna fragrance in the heater’s built-in air humidifier, filled with water before the sauna is switched on.
Sources: HUUM: DROP Electric Sauna Heater installation and operation manual (EU; DROP 4, 6, 7, 9); Tylö: Sense Sport USA Installation / User Guide (US edition; models SSU 5, SSU 7, SSU 8; doc 2900 5240). Checked 3 October 2026.
Fire warnings
What the labels, data sheets and manuals say:
- Nikura’s safety data sheet for its Eucalyptus (Chinese) oil gives a flash point of 45.5 °C and says to keep it away from heat, sparks, open flames and hot surfaces. Its sheet for steam-distilled lemon oil gives 53.5 °C.
- 12 of the 21 Tisserand listings we read carried a flammable or keep-away-from-heat warning.
- The Tisserand Institute’s safety guidelines say essential oils are flammable and should not be used in any way that involves close proximity to a naked flame.
- Harvia’s Cilindro Pro manual gives a suitable sauna room temperature of about 65 to 75 °C, and Narvi’s Velvet manual recommends 60 to 80 °C. Both are above those flash points.
On storage, Tisserand’s FAQ says to keep bottles tightly closed in a cool, dark place out of direct sunlight and well out of reach of children.
Sources: Nikura: Safety Data Sheet, Eucalyptus (Chinese) Essential Oil (revision 23/03/2026); Nikura: Safety Data Sheet, Lemon (Steam Distilled) Essential Oil (dated 12/08/2025); Tisserand Institute: Safety Guidelines; Harvia: Cilindro Pro electric sauna heater, instructions for installation and use (PDF hosted by zoechling-holz.at); Narvi: Velvet electric sauna heater with Flow controller, installation and instruction manual (EN section); Tisserand Aromatherapy: Frequently Asked Questions. Checked between 1 and 3 October 2026.
What the labels say
Beyond fire, the warnings on essential oil labels are about handling the neat oil. Tisserand’s listed warning statements include:
- “Do not use undiluted on the skin.”
- “Keep out of reach of children.”
- “Avoid contact with sensitive areas, such as eyes.”
Tisserand says it added warning symbols and extra safety warnings to its essential oil packaging because of changes to UK and EU law, and that the oils remain safe to use provided they are used as instructed on the carton and website. The Tisserand Institute, a separate body, says some fresh-air exchange is advisable whenever essential oils are being used or diffused, and that essential oils can be harmful if not used with due care.
These pages don’t give health advice. If a label or a seller’s page raises a question about your own health, ask a pharmacist or doctor.
Sources: Tisserand Aromatherapy: Hazard symbols & warning statements on my products packaging; Tisserand Institute: Safety Guidelines; Tisserand Institute: Safety pages. Checked 3 October 2026.
Infrared saunas and steam rooms
An infrared cabin heated by panels alone has no stones and no water to carry a scent. We found no maker’s guidance on scent in an infrared cabin, so we have nothing sourced to pass on: ask the cabin’s maker.
Steam rooms use different equipment. SAWO lists an aroma pump among its steam accessories, and Leisurequip sells Tylö’s essences for steam rooms as well as saunas. The differences between the two rooms are on sauna vs steam room.
Sources: SAWO: Steam Accessories. Checked 3 October 2026.
Questions about essential oils in a sauna
How do you use essential oils in a sauna?
In water, if your heater's manual allows scent at all. HUUM's DROP heater manual says to use sauna fragrances and oils only in the steam water. Harvia's Cilindro Pro manual says only aromas designed for sauna water may be used. Most of the ready-made sauna scent listings we read give a dose; we hold none for a pure essential oil.
How many drops of essential oil do you put in sauna water?
We hold no maker's or brand's dose for a pure essential oil in sauna water, so we can't give one. Ready-made sauna scents come with their own directions, which differ from range to range: follow the ones on the product you have.
Can you put essential oil directly on sauna rocks?
No. HUUM's DROP heater manual says sauna fragrances and oils can catch fire if poured undiluted directly onto the stones, and Tylö's US Sense Sport manual carries a danger warning that fragrant essences may ignite if poured directly onto the stones.
Is eucalyptus oil flammable?
Nikura's safety data sheet for its Eucalyptus (Chinese) essential oil classes it as a flammable liquid and vapour, with a flash point of 45.5 °C, and says to keep it away from heat and hot surfaces. Both Tisserand eucalyptus oils we read carried a flammable warning.
Can you use essential oils in an infrared sauna?
We found no maker's guidance on it. An infrared cabin heated by panels alone has no stones or water to carry the scent, so ask the cabin's maker before using any oil in it.