Top 3 South Korean Beauty and Wellness Spas
During my recent trip to Seoul, I had the pleasure of receiving a full body and facial treatment from Shangpree Spa and connecting with the founder, June Hee Kim. The treatments of the award-winning spa are rooted in the elements of traditional Korean herbs and Eastern medicine. Ingredients including green tea for detoxing and charcoal for measuring balance.
The unique treatment I received, the Charcoal body mask, started with professional aestheticians slathering a charcoal cream all over my body. In just moments, the charcoal would heat up the parts of my body with strong circulation while the my hands and feet remained cold due to low circulation. The body mask provides a benchmark for what type of treatment I should receive.
1. Shangpree Spa for your spa treatment fix
At Shangpree spa, you can experience both full body and facial spa treatments with elements rooted from traditional Korean medicinal herbs. From a Green Team detox facial treatment to a charcoal full body circulation treatment, Shangpree Spa will fill your soul and restore your body with the mantra of beauty from the inside out.
The serene ambience and traditional elements used are not the only reasons why Shanpree is considered a top spa in Asia. Shangpree aestheticians complete the magic of the treatments with rigorous training required. A minimum of three years of training is required for facial aestheticians and even longer to perform full body treatments! This is a must stop spot to escape from the bustling city for peace and restoration.
2. Spa Lei for your traditional Korean bathhouse experience
The traditional Korean bathhouse experience called jjimjilbang includes various types of saunas and pools as well as an opportunity to get completely scrubbed down from head to toe. The full body scrub down is comparable to the treatment at a traditional Moroccan hammam. The Korean bathhouse typically offers multiple rooms with themed saunas like salt, charcoal, and stone and pools of hot water, cold water, and sea water.
Korean bathhouses are usually split up so men and women can completely strip down to embrace the sensuality of each the scrub massages, saunas and pools. Spa Lei is an all women’s spa and cannot be missed while touring Seoul.
3. Kwangdong Hospital of Traditional Korean Medicine
For a traditional Eastern medicine treatment, visit Kwangdong Hospital, which offers a variety of acupuncture treatments from the Phelps-made-popular cupping to moxibustion, an herbal medicine steaming treatment for pain relief. The hospital prides itself in personalized treatments and eastern medicine practices based on the philosophy of improving healthy through strengthening and awakening natural healing forces.
For a one time visit before delving into needs and cups, you can try one of the relaxation treatments that stimulate full-body circulation through a body massage of immune strengthening herbal body wrap toning the skin and improving blood and lymphatic circulation.