All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission. Self-care seems to be a cultural nuance in our modern first western world. But consider the spa. What we may think of as a luxury indulgence involving plushy robes, cucumber eyes, and hefty gratuities, is a much more casual affair globally.
The public bathhouse has been a cultural staple since it was the hot social spot in ancient Roman times, and it's been reinterpreted as an exotic blue lagoon in the northern Atlantic, and a mainstay in technologically-pulsing cities like Seoul, even to this day; so much that the jimjilbang the Korean term for spa is a hour epicenter for everyone of every age.
I caught on late to the bathhouse trend, only after hearing about how more were cropping up in New York City, making them more accessible us to percent commoners. Korean bathhouses, in particular, boasted the most bargain-waging premise of paying one flat fee for an all-day pass.
The idea of having all day to lounge in various saunas, steam rooms, and hydrotherapy pools seemed like such a luxurious playground to me, even if in reality I cannot withstand the punishing conditions of either for much longer than minute increments at a time.
The cool thing about Korean spas is that since they expect people to stay for long periods of time at once, they have full restaurants inside and lounging areas to nap in. Steam, sauna, eat, nap — bliss. When you're a gainfully-employed adult working in the mercilessly fast-paced world of media, sometimes even setting aside time to relax is tedious.
