Bathrooms have been a staple of many societies for a long time. Greece, Turkey, Rome – even San Francisco had a resort culture. However, if you’ve ever been to a Korean bathhouse (also called saunas), well, those are their classes. Also called jjimjilbang, these Korean hot spots have exploded in US metropolitan areas in recent years. Furthermore, the worldwide rise of jjimjilbangs is not to be expected by 홈타이.

When visiting these saunas, one should be okay with public nudity, but trust me, the ahjumma (Korean word for aunt) in the corner doesn’t give a shit about one. It’s there because it’s a reasonable hiding place to relax: body scrubs until the skin wakes up, soothing face coverings for a glow, hot spas to open pores, heated stone floors, cool pools, hot saunas, and other decorating experiences.

After relaxation, it has medical advantages for sure

According to a 2018 survey of sauna washing in Finland, going to a sauna regularly is associated with several medical benefits, notably an improvement in cardiovascular, circulatory, and endurance functions. A trip to a jjimjilbang – or playing family involvement – can ease a lot of things that distress one. Several other studies support comparative findings, noting that sitting in this hot and humid climate can reduce hypertension and lower the risk of heart, pneumonia, and neurocognitive diseases such as dementia.

For the unenlightened, here’s the full overview.

Most Korean saunas classify the pool and shower areas into male and female. While there are common areas for everyone, such as saunas and relaxation rooms, their accessibility depends on the spa. What they usually share is a clothing pattern, where they offer matching pajama-like outfits after paying the extra fee, which ranges from $30 to $90 for the entire day. One will then, at that point, enter the guidance-separated pool and shower areas where clothing is not normally allowed. Before entering any of the pools and hot tubs, they will ask one to shower and scrub to limit outside microorganisms and soil.

Consider reproducing this involvement with the home

For those not in Seoul or Busan, there’s a compelling reason to drive many miles to experience this unique style of pampering yourself. If one is in a larger city like New York City, San Francisco, or Los Angeles, one may be able to find nearby Korean saunas in the area. In case one isn’t happy with being exposed around other people, or (legally) tracking the oddly oriented parallel division, there are still ways to duplicate the benefits of a sauna.