Ever since one of my girlfriends told me she and her husband spent an entire kid-free day at Island Spa and Sauna in Edison, I was intrigued. She described it as relaxing, restorative, and unlike any spa experience they’d had before. Around the same time, my parents happened to mention a jjimjilbang they visited in South Korea while traveling, raving about the traditional scrubs and healing saunas. Between those two glowing reviews, my curiosity was officially piqued. As a busy mom, I’m always looking for little ways to recharge, and this felt like the ultimate upgrade to my usual self-care routine. I couldn’t wait to see what this unique blend of culture and wellness at Island Spa and Sauna was all about especially right here in New Jersey. And if you’re looking for the ultimate spa day trip in New Jersey, check out 11 relaxing NJ spas for your next girls day or couples getaway. (feature photo credit:Island Spa & Sauna )
Island Spa and Sauna in Edison: not your typical day spa in New Jersey
I didn’t know what to expect at a Korean bathhouse before my visit to Island Spa and Sauna and was looking forward to gaining the full Korean bathhouse experience. Still, I was excited to go get a traditional full body scrub in hopes of emerging with new, bright, dewy skin– because exquisite skincare is what Koreans are so well known for.
A tranquil escape for couples and besties
I brought my husband as my guest to Island Spa and Sauna, and as soon as we stepped inside, I realized that this was not going to be a candle-strewn, American-style boutique spa affair. This was a Korean experience, so that meant technology played a role immediately, in the form of electronic wristbands that function as your locker key as well as a scannable account— our passes and payment for everything that lay beyond the reception area’s sleek wooden desk. Daily admission includes complimentary spa loungewear, a personal locker for shoes and belongings, as well as access to all open amenities—including 3 hot tubs, 1 cold bath, 1 aroma steam sauna, 6 dry sauna, standing/sitting showers, toiletries, bathing area, towel, sleeping room, lounging area, and complimentary wifi. We were handed our complimentary spa uniforms (loose tees and long shorts, somewhat like recreational soccer uniforms) and set about our jjimjilbang’ing.
Step inside, be transported to tranquility at Island Spa and Sauna
Island Spa and Sauna is a corporate-looking fortress of a building (definitely not your typical boutique spa vibe) with multiple areas, including a Korean style restaurant and juice bar, lounge, sleeping room, media room, and relaxation pods equipped with free wifi. Then there is the outcropping of saunas– perhaps the primary draw of coming to a place like this– and nudity-mandatory, gender-segregated baths that are very nice, actually. While the jjimjilbang is not necessarily luxurious, it does offer a communal experience like none other.
At the front lobby, we tucked away our street shoes into a designated locker just for shoes. Then we parted ways and headed barefoot to our respective bathhouses, which each include a locker room, four different soaking tubs, steam rooms and showers. While my husband went on for a relaxing Swedish massage, I checked in for my service, a Body Scrub Regular. The attendant instructed me to shower first, then soak in one of the hot tubs for 20-30 minutes before my scrub. Koreans take their cleanliness and sanitization seriously, so make sure you shower and perhaps, go the extra mile and utilize the toiletries provided by the spa to shave, brush your teeth, wash your face, and so on.
What to know before you go to Island Spa and Sauna in Edison
For first-timers in a Korean bathhouse, like myself, it can be awkward stripping to your birthday suit and hopping into tubs with strangers. It’s all about acting. If you’re not confident or comfortable, just pretend to act confident and comfortable. Act like you own the place, too. You’ll have less eyes on you that way, trust me. Though I’m more bashful than exhibitionist, I quickly got over any qualms about public nudity. Because, momma– you birthed a tiny human being! Anyway, two must-do’s: soak in the herbal hot bath and opt for a body scrub.
The scrub corner in the bathhouse is run by Korean scrub mistresses who use a coarse glove to get at every inch of their guest’s body. And they wear a black lace bra and underwear to do it. The scrub, or “seshin”, is a brisk, efficient, no-nonsense service (that at times, feels punishing, yet strangely satisfying), but also calming because there’s the constant hum from the surrounding hot tubs and the rush of bucketfuls of warm water being thrown on you periodically throughout your scrub.
First, she wraps a towel around your head covering your eyes for ultimate relaxation (or more likely, so you don’t accidentally look at naked guests lying right beside you). Throughout the intense cleansing process, your body will be masterfully contorted into positions necessary to get at every nook and cranny. It’s a little awkward at first, but necessary in order to effectively rid the body of all the dirt and layers of dead skin that accumulate to reveal smooth baby pink skin.
Working on your zen works up an appetite
Before hitting the saunas, we took a lunch break and checked out Café Island, serving up traditional Korean fare and fresh sushi. By now, we had both somehow worked up an appetite and each enjoyed large platters of delicious marinated beef bulgogi. Another time I’d like to try the uber traditional sauna-baked eggs.
Next up, if you’ve gotten a scrub, your pores will be clear and ready to soak up the benefits of the saunas. There are six saunas at Island Spa and Sauna, each with a different theme and promise of benefits: a charcoal room to stimulate sweat glands and release built-up toxins; a Himalayan salt room to flush out impurities from your skin; a baked clay sauna to increase circulation of blood to your muscles. In another sauna, a hot air bath filled with ambient sounds of a natural forest lulled me to sleep.
We completed our circuit of dry-sauna’ing, having followed the recommended path of beginning with the least hot sauna (Charcoal Island, still a toasty 135 degrees), working our way through the archipelago to the hottest (Treasure Island, hovering around 175 degrees), and finally cooling off in the snowy themed Ice Island while wearing a Caviar sheet mask (available for purchase at the spa). Don’t forget to replenish yourself at the Island Juice Bar with a fresh smoothie or juice, or if you’re feeling decadent, a green tea patbingsoo which is a must-try Korean shaved ice dessert.
Get your sweat on and get super relaxed
Sweating regularly, even without vigorous physical activity, apparently makes you very sleepy. I literally did nothing at Island Spa and Sauna, and yet I did so much. You cook your body at temperatures north of 100 degrees in the company of sweaty strangers. It’s relaxing, feels good, and you sleep like baby afterwards. After one visit to Island Spa and Sauna, I intend to start incorporating Korean style body scrubs into my skincare and self-care routine at least quarterly– though I’m told that in Korea, it’s just a part of the culture from early childhood on, and visits to the bathhouse are a weekly family ritual. I’m slowly learning the importance of a multi-step skincare routine, and this one is an affordable luxury that I will be treating myself to more regularly. Cultural exports like jjimjilbang did not come so naturally to me in the beginning, but by the end of my day spent at Island Spa and Sauna, I left feeling refreshed and extraordinarily rejuvenated. And bright, dewy skin? Check. I’m still sparkling, weeks later.
For more information, visit Island Spa & Sauna on their website, Facebook, and Instagram.
Island Spa & Sauna
1769 Lincoln Highway
Edison, NJ 08817
(732) 253-7379
Become an NJMOM Insider! For all the best things to do with your family around New Jersey, sign up for our weekly newsletter delivered right to your inbox each week, and don’t forget to tag your photos #NJMOM and @njmom for a chance to be featured on our social media.
