Ozonated Ice Baths: Benefits, Safety and Setup

An ozonated ice bath is a cold plunge (water around 33 to 50°F) with ozone bubbled into the water, so you get cold exposure and skin contact with ozone in the same session. Most cold tubs use a little ozone just to keep the water clean; an ozonated ice bath uses more, with the aim of a therapeutic effect through the skin.

Ice baths may not sound all that pleasant to most people. Who wants to sit in a tub full of icy water? But then again, ozone therapy is also one of those modalities that sound contradictory until you get into the science behind it. That’s what this website is all about — showing you the benefits and research behind some of the lesser known therapies so you can make informed decisions about your health. 

Read on to learn:

• What an ozonated ice bath is and what it does 
• The scientific research and evidence behind how it can potentially benefit your entire body 
• How to (and how not to) do an ozone ice bath 
• The best equipment for the job and where to find it 

What are Ozone Ice Baths?

An ozone ice bath is when a person emerges themselves into ice cold water treated with a therapeutic dose of ozone.  A session typically lasts for 2 - 6 minutes or as the person is able to tolerate.

It’s a combination of two different therapies, providing oxygenation and antioxidants from ozone therapy and the multitude of benefits from cold exposure.

Safety of Ozone Therapy

Ozone therapy safety is well established through a litany of research. Serious side effects are rare when it is done correctly.

However, even though ozone can be used in many parts of the body, it cannot be used directly into the lungs.  This is why it gets a bad rap, because it causes irritation when people breathe it. But it can be safely applied to other parts of the body, in this case the skin. 

Dr. Emma Borrelli, an almost unparalleled scientist in ozone therapy wrote, 

“It is useful to remember that oxygen-ozone for topical cutaneous use, by applying bags to the lower limbs in case of atrophic ulcers and in localized infections, is used by many decades in Europe, and that during these treatments no skin damage has ever been reported due to the contact of ozone with the skin.”

Research on Transcutaneous (Skin) Ozone 

Until recently, it was not believed ozone penetrated the skin, so it was primarily used for wound healing. 

However, Dr. Emma Borrelli has written about it in a paper called “Transcutaneous ozone therapy: an underestimated medical practice”, and she worked with Dr. Velio Bocci on one of the first studies of it.  Transcutaneous is the medical term for skin penetration. 

In that study, healthy volunteers sat for 20 minutes in a sauna cabin with an oxygen-ozone mixture piped in (head outside), and on a separate occasion with oxygen alone. (Bocci, Borrelli et al. 1999)

During the study and for 24 hours after, the researchers measured blood markers in the volunteers. 

They found higher oxygen levels in venous blood and a rise in markers of oxidation in the blood, especially after the ozone session, with no adverse effects after one session.

This means the ozone sauna created a systemic reaction within the body, showing that ozone’s effects do not just stay on the skin. How this compares with IV ozone still needs research.

Dr. Borrelli wrote this about transcutaneous ozone therapy:

“its use appears promising in the course of:

a. diseases of the musculoskeletal system

b. as an immune adjuvant in neoplasms

c. peripheral arteriopathies

d. ulcers

e. dermatitis, psoriasis, high severity lipodystrophy

f. chronic degenerative diseases (COPD, neurodegenerative

diseases)”

Why did she jump to this conclusion?

To get technical, it was not the ozone that passed through the skin.  But it created compounds (lipid peroxides and reactive oxygen species) which were then absorbed by the body and caused a systemic reaction.

This is the same type of response you see in other forms of ozone therapy, so she deduced that creating a similar response may work with similar ailments.

Ozone skin exposure has been used clinically for decades.  The scientific community has long known about its ability to help with wound healing and other skin issues. But a lot of doctors have been adamant that it also helped people with chronic disease.  Clinicians were getting results but didn’t necessarily know the mechanism of action. Understanding the use of ozone on the skin for a systemic benefit was far behind the well-known mechanism of action for other forms of ozone therapy. 

Now we know a little more.

More research is needed, as this evidence is not entirely conclusive. However, many people swear by transcutaneous ozone therapy. Anecdotes often precede the research in this field, so we’re optimistic about the clinical results, despite not having the hard research ironed out.

We don’t believe it can yet be considered a replacement for IV, rectal, or vaginal ozone.  Because those are well understood and demonstrate fantastic clinical results in energy, metabolism, oxygenation, and more.

However, ozone ice baths may have a greater effect on anti-aging and beauty care for the skin.  Certainly the ice bath portion has a lot of benefits in and of itself.  The two therapies are combined for the ultimate health session.

Ozone bath vs ozonated ice bath

An ozone bath usually means a warm bath or hydrotherapy tub with ozone bubbled in, or a sauna-style cabinet where ozone reaches the skin through warm, open pores. Warmth opens the skin and is the setup used in most of the transcutaneous ozone research, including the sauna-cabin study above. See ozone sauna therapy.

An ozonated ice bath is a cold plunge with ozone in the water. Cold closes the pores, so the main benefits come from the cold itself, with the ozone adding skin contact and clean water. If your main goal is ozone through the skin, a warm setup is the better-studied option; if it is cold exposure, an ozonated plunge gives you both.

Benefits of Ozonated Ice Baths for Cold Exposure

Combining ice baths and ozone therapy

Cold therapy alone is known for many benefits.  It’s a hormetic therapy that stimulates the body toward healing.  

These are just some of the benefits of ice baths:

• Increased energy and metabolism
• Increased mental clarity
• Improved circulation
• Fat Loss
• Improved mood
• Helps with depression, anxiety, and stress
• Decreased pain
• Hormonal stress response (noradrenaline and dopamine)

In my opinion, it’s possibly one of the most underestimated interventions for optimizing and restoring the body to a healthy state.

Benefits of transcutaneous (skin) ozone therapy:

• May Improved oxygenation, energy, and metabolism
• May decrease brain fog
• May improve circulation
• Speeds wound healing
• Stimulates collagen production

So you can see why these two therapies are a good match for each other.  They work with many of the same issues with entirely different mechanisms.  Isn’t the body incredible?

Uses

It’s difficult to say there are specific “uses” for Morozko Forge cold plunges (although there certainly are).  It’s kind of like saying, “this is the use of exercise.”  Well, exercise just helps the body to build back stronger and stronger.

Cold plunge therapy helps the body to correct and optimize, similar to exercise.  

These are some of the top reasons people use cold exposure combined with ozone. Most of the evidence here is for cold exposure itself; the ozone part is backed mainly by clinical experience, and none of this replaces care for a diagnosed disease:

• Hormonal imbalance
• Low testosterone
• Fat loss
• Fatigue
• General support alongside care for chronic illness
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Joint pain
• Athletic recovery
• Metabolic health
• Skin problems - acne, eczema, psoriasis, rosacea
• Vascular issues - blood pressure, blood flow

Side Effects of Ozonated Cold Therapy

These are side effects of cold exposure:

• Shivering
• Feeling of coldness
• Already dead skin cells flaking off (due to the ozone)

Deliberate cold exposure is safe for most healthy people when you get out whenever you feel ready.

Don’t breathe the ozone coming off the water

Ozone bubbled into water doesn’t all stay there. Some escapes at the surface, right where your face is. Ozone is a lung irritant, so use the bath in a well-ventilated space, keep your face away from the bubbles or diffuser, don’t put your head under, and get out and air the room if you notice a sharp smell, coughing or throat irritation.

Cold immersion cautions

Sudden cold raises heart rate and blood pressure. If you have heart disease, high blood pressure, or are pregnant, talk to your doctor before you start. Never plunge alone or after drinking alcohol, and get out if you feel numb, confused or can’t control your breathing.

An Ice Bath with a Cheap Ozone Generator is Not Enough

Most ice baths have an ozone generator for keeping the water clean.  Ozone is a strong antiseptic so it dismantles bacteria build up.

Morozko Forge is one of the few ice baths marketed with a higher, therapy-oriented level of ozone delivered into the water.  

They use a medical grade ozone generator to achieve this, rather than a small generator that is typically used for fish tanks.

An ice bath company needs to use medical grade ozone equipment to deliver the appropriate amount of ozone.

Equipment

Most ice baths use a small, fish tank ozone generator that is good for eliminating bacteria, but not powerful enough to deliver a whole body ozone therapy.  

One of the few ice baths built with ozone therapy in mind is produced by Morozko Forge.  

Here’s how it can benefit you… 

• On demand ice cold water, down to 33 degrees Fahrenheit so you don’t have to wait around for it to cool down 

• Grounding therapy built into the metal tub, allowing the Schumann Resonance from earth to balance the body.  It’s like getting into a natural, ice cold river instead of a bathtub with a broken water heater 

• Ozone therapy delivered to a therapeutic level.  Other ice baths use a cheap commercial generator that is only useful for disinfecting, but not ozone therapy. You get the benefits of ozone therapy alongside cold therapy 

The ice bath by Morozko Forge truly is an unparallelled three-in-one therapeutic agent — combining cold therapy, ozone therapy and grounding therapy. 

Ice Bath Cost - $21,250 $9,900

Are there cheaper ice baths out there? Sure. For pete’s sake, you can make your own out of a chest freezer. But you know the old phrase “you get what you pay for”. A DIY ice bath (or any other ice bath on the market, for that matter) compared to the Morozko Forge is like a unicycle compared to a luxury sports car. 

A word from the Author:

I cannot express enough how much better you will feel.  Everything from mood to hormones to skin are optimized.  It’s YOUR body that does the work.  This is one of the best tools to stimulate your body to do that work.

It took me a while to end up buying one.  But once I understood what it does, it was a no brainer.  It’s hard to put a price on health.  

What costs more? 

I’m sorry for being a little pushy here.  It’s hard to convince people via a written article.  But I’m truly passionate about this because of how I’ve seen cold exposure transform myself and benefit others.  If I could, I would put one of these in every single home because it’s one of the most potent health optimizers in my opinion.

Plus, it’s pretty cool.  I enjoy doing ice baths with family and friends, having proselytized over ten people in my immediate circle who swore “I could never do an ice bath”.  Now they regularly do them.  

People get nervous.  They get in and feel like they accomplished something.  And they come out in a fantastic mood.  So it’s really fun to do in group settings.  Maybe we could get rid of alcohol and just replace it with cold exposure? ;)

With one purchase, I changed the trajectory of health for my entire family and some friends.

MediSkill has no affiliation with Morozko Forge and receives nothing for mentioning it.

Morozko Forge Ice Bath:

• FREE Morozko Forge Breathing Guide ($100)
• FREE transcutaneous medical grade ozone therapy machine built in ($10,000)
• FREE grounding with Schumann Resonance built in ($1,000)
• FREE Morozko method training ($100)
• FREE Ozone Therapy 101 Course ($150)
• Morozko Forge Ice Bath ($9,900)

Because it’s a three in one therapy, you’re getting a $21,250 product for $9,900.

Click here to join the family and buy a Morozko Forge Ice Bath.

Financing is available too!  Click here to get started with your Forge!

Ozonated Ice Bath Protocols

Many people are worried about hypothermia, which is a dangerous lowering of body heat. 

Deliberate cold exposure just means you get in when you want and you get out when you want.  The key is to listen to your body, and to read the cold immersion cautions below first, especially if you have a heart condition.  

That being said, here are general guidelines:  

• Use of the ice bath up to daily
• Stay in until you want to get out.  Don’t force it.  2-6 minutes is a typical session.  Some stay in for less time and others for longer.
• Once you start to shiver, this is when your body is getting a therapeutic response
• Do some light exercise after the ice bath for 5-30 minutes.  Jumping jacks, bodyweight movements, running, kettlebell exercises, etc.  You need to move around, so don’t sit and try to warm yourself  
• Do deep breathing exercises before, during, and after the forge.  Get your breath under control while in the forge.  Try to relax all your muscles and your breathing while in.

Rules of the Forge:

• Lead by example.  Don’t shame anybody for not wanting to get in, “Oh don’t be a pansy”.  Everyone gets in when they want to and gets out when they want to, with no negativity.  This is the best way to encourage others to try.
• Once you get out, put yourself in a posture of confidence - stand tall with your shoulders back.  This conditions the mind in a positive way.
• Breathe and relax.

New to ozone at home? Our free guide covers the basics, equipment and safety.

Frequently asked questions

What is an ozonated ice bath?

An ozonated ice bath combines cold-water immersion with therapeutic levels of ozone dissolved in the water. Sessions typically last 2–6 minutes and aim to deliver both the benefits of cold exposure and transcutaneous ozone therapy.

Is ozone therapy safe for use on the skin?

Yes. Topical and transcutaneous ozone applications have been used safely for decades in Europe. Ozone should never be inhaled, so keep your face away from the water surface and use the bath in a well-ventilated space.

What benefits are associated with ozonated ice baths?

Reported benefits include improved circulation, increased energy and metabolism, enhanced mood, reduced inflammation and pain, faster wound healing, improved skin health, and potential systemic antioxidant effects from transcutaneous ozone exposure.

What conditions are ozonated ice baths commonly used for?

They are commonly used for fatigue, hormonal imbalance, metabolic issues, anxiety and depression, joint pain, athletic recovery, skin conditions, and vascular issues, usually alongside other care.

What are the side effects of ozonated ice baths?

Side effects are usually mild and may include shivering, cold discomfort, and temporary skin flaking due to ozone’s effect on dead skin cells. Users should exit the bath when uncomfortable and follow safety guidance.

Why is a cheap ozone generator not sufficient for ice bath therapy?

Most ice baths use small ozone generators intended only for water sanitation. Therapeutic ozonated ice baths require medical-grade ozone generators capable of delivering precise and effective ozone concentrations.

What equipment is needed for an ozonated ice bath?

Required equipment includes a medical-grade ozone generator, medical oxygen supply, appropriate ozone delivery system for water, and an ice bath or cold plunge designed to safely handle therapeutic ozone levels.

How long should an ozonated ice bath session last?

Typical sessions last between 2 and 6 minutes, though some users stay longer. The key guideline is to listen to the body and exit when discomfort becomes excessive.