Go beyond the big box stores and stuffy sweaters this holiday season. We’ve created a gift guide with our most beloved gifts as chosen by our staff. From botanical oils and cozy towels for the homebody to our floating sauna experience (which allows you to jump from the upper deck into the frigid Lake Superior waters) for the adrenaline junkie, you can find something for everyone on your list.
Peyton’s Pick: Herbal Hydrosols
“I don’t have a skincare routine. Typically, if more than one product is involved, I’m out. Hydrosols are the thing I can’t live without. Some people have their “car chapstick,” I have my ‘car hydrosol.’ Use in and after a sauna session, after the gym, first thing in the morning, before and after makeup application. Throw it in your beach bag, make it non-negotiable in your airplane carry-on bag, your before-a-stressful-work-meeting reset.” Peyton Stasiak, Director of Experience
Refreshing and hydrating while holding the essence of the botanicals…hydrosols don’t mess up! This hydrosol is used in skin care recipes, meditation, energy work, fragrance blends, and other aromatherapy preparations.
Spray all over your face and neck…anytime.
Enjoy two varieties:
Rose: A true classic, humanity has been deeply entwined with the rose for millennia, and cultivation is thought to have begun over 5,000 years ago. Roses have long been symbolic of love, nobility, and sacrality. Our organic rose hydrosol has a rich and heady aroma reminiscent of lush blooms opening in the early summer to uplift your senses.
Frankincense: Organic frankincense hydrosol is a beautiful distillation that can be used to prepare the mind for prayer, meditation, or yoga. This hydrosol has a fresh scent that is resinous and sweet with woody undertones, and its skin-supportive qualities make it a favorite in skin care formulations.
Derek’s Pick: The Body Brush
“I use it daily and love it for exfoliation and lymphatic drainage. The long handle has a bit of an angle which really helps me hit the middle of my back. I would recommend incorporating it into your routine before a sauna, bath, or shower.” Derek Plagman, Sales Manager
A perfect companion for your bathing ritual, this natural bristle brush is made from sustainable bamboo and has a long handle to reach the mid back.
Best used on dry skin, the bristles will gently buff and exfoliate dry skin cells. When used in gentle sweeping motions, the dry brush will help support lymphatic drainage.
This brush can also be used on wet skin to work soap into a rich lather.
How to use: Prior to your shower or sauna and beginning with the feet, use swift gentle strokes upward toward the pelvis. Continue to work up to the core from the extremities. Following your favorite bathing practice, follow up with a body oil or moisturizer for soft, hydrated skin.
Lauren’s Pick: Essential Oil Discovery Sets
“Growing up, we loved using the sauna when we visited our cabin in Northern Minnesota, connecting with loved ones and running into the lake or snow to cool down in between. As an adult, I cherish these moments just as much, and sharing the gift of sauna with friends who’ve never used one before is so special. We love enhancing the experience with essential oils, which we first discovered after a guided sauna session on the floating sauna in Duluth, MN. Now that we’ve released seasonal collections, I can’t wait to gift these to those who’ve joined us throughout the years.” Lauren Dahmes, Marketing Manager
In Finland, sauna is so revered that specific words have developed from the practice. Pouring water over the rocks to create steam has its own. It’s called löyly (LOW-lu), and it connotes soul, spirit, and life. When we throw water on the rocks, we’re adding soul to the room. When we sauna together, we are living well together.
Each of these collections contains 4 botanical varieties inspired by the seasons.
- Spring/Summer Collection: Basil, Eucalyptus, Petitgrain, Patchouli
- Autumn Collection: Cedarwood, Black Pepper, Sweet Orange, Clove
- Winter Collection: Cypress, Mint Blend, Cinnamon Leaf, Fir Needle
Directions for use: Add 1-3 drops to a sauna ladle and pour on the rocks for an elevated steam.
Charlie’s Pick: Sauna Water
“Sauna Water is a great non-alcoholic beverage that can also be used as a mixer for craft cocktails. A perfect gift for the host or hostess, a gift exchange, or stocking stuffers during the holidays.” Charlie Hilligoss, Director of Operations
This non-alcoholic beverage is a sparkling botanical water designed to celebrate sauna culture in all forms.
The ingredients used in this hydrating beverage were inspired by our experiences in Northern Minnesota’s winter cold and the countless hours of time spent inside saunas that always followed.
Aromatics of fresh spruce and awakening spices, with a thirst-quenching acidity of citrus fruit to keep everything in balance.
Ingredients: Spruce tips, Cardamom, Juniper Berries, Lemon, and All Spice
Brewed in collaboration with Portage Brewing.
Order for local pick-up in Duluth.
Order Sauna Water shipped to your door.
Lindsey’s Pick: Turkish Cotton Towel
“This is the perfect towel for the sauna, but also the beach or a picnic. It folds up small, it’s lightweight, dries fast, and is so, so soft.” Lindsey Rasmussen, Experience & Education Admin and Sauna Guide
Our hectic lives require the need to pause. From the Northern roots of Finnish sauna to the Mediterranean joy of Turkish Hammam we find that pause. The sauna is often simple; it is a ritual that involves less gear than a ski down the mountain. Yet, essential to the practice is always a sauna towel (Even if you enjoy the sauna au naturel).
Our sauna towels provide the best the world has to offer. Turkish cotton from the Aegean region using techniques free of toxic and harmful chemicals by local weavers who primarily employ women.
Mel’s Pick: Guided Sauna and Cold Plunge Experiences
“I HIGHLY recommend gifting an experience gift card. Last holiday season I gave my parents and each sibling a gift card for the Duluth Sauna Experience. It was a memorable way to gather and spend quality time as a family. I’ll never forget seeing how each family member reacted to doing the cold plunge. As I am not too big on buying “stuff,” it was the perfect option for a gift!” Mel Peirson, Sauna Guide
At Cedar and Stone, we’re building North America’s most beautiful saunas and sauna experiences. Because Minnesota deserves it, you deserve it.
Many are curious about the wellness benefits and cultural relevance of thermic bathing but have only ever experienced sauna in a tight, dingy space, which leaves them asking:
“Why am I in here? How do I do this? What’s the hype?”
Great questions.
We’re here to guide you through the truest form of the sauna ritual — hot, cold, rest, rehydrate, repeat.
Join us for our signature guided sauna sessions in Minneapolis and Duluth, MN. These experiences include: gentle and informed guidance, herbal tea, seasonal aromatherapy, cold immersion, towel service, and more.
Purchase experience gift cards.
Justin’s Pick: A Beautiful Outdoor Sauna
“My family saw the sauna as the second gathering space; the first was the dinner table and the second was the sauna. When you have your outdoor sauna it is an invitation for social gathering and connection around wellness, something that we’ve seen take a backseat in today’s technology-driven world. If you care deeply about beauty, design, and the place in which you want to spend time, we want to work with you to bring the ritual of sauna to your property.” Justin Juntunen, CEO & Co-Founder
Historically, saunas have been built with materials from nearby: timber from the forest, rocks from the soil, water from a natural source nearby.
When we squeeze the sauna into a bathroom corner or downstairs closet, we lose some of the most important ingredients for quality sauna.The outside sauna is this celebration of the seasons, a celebration of the elements, its a commitment to living our lives connected to the outdoors. Especially when we think about northern and cold weather climates.
It’s this commitment to every single season, “I will not be oppressed by the winter, I’m actually finding deep joy in experiencing the fullness of winter. I’ve had the heat and now I need the cold. Not, “I’m so worried about the cold that I bear through it and hibernate all season.”
Book a call with our team to reserve yours.
