Beauty has long been pursued in bodies of water, with many skin-transforming therapies drawn from their soothing springs. Let us immerse you in the aquatic sources.
France, Vichy
Digestive problems. Liver ailments. Migraines. Rheumatism. Skin conditions. There are almost as many uses for and mythologies surrounding Vichy’s bubbling spring water as there are actual springs in the area. And there are many mineral springs in the area – approximately 200. You can pick your ideal setting, from spas to forests, to drink and swim in the alkaline, naturally sparkling water – which is like dipping your body into a vat of Perrier. It’s a pastime that’s steeped in history: Around 2,150 years ago, the Romans dunked themselves in Vichy’s springs; even Julius Caesar made the trip (and he had to go by horse). Aristocrats from across Europe followed in his footsteps for centuries. The pilgrimage to Vichy is still alive and well, but those seeking a remedy for serious medical conditions are operating largely on faith. There’s only one way to find out for yourself if they’ll work.
Vichy, France. Photo: Milo
Originally published in the March 2019 issue of Vogue Arabia
Jordan, Dead Sea
There is romance in seeking refuge in the Dead Sea – this is, after all, where Cleopatra came to bathe in its mystical powers (or so the legend goes). The Dead Sea is the lowest place on earth, and one of the saltiest: Swimmers float like buoys here, propelled to the surface by the water’s incredibly high salinity. (The Dead Sea has 10 times more salt than an ocean, and technically it’s not even a sea – it’s a lake.) On its shores, visitors cake themselves in mud with antibacterial properties. This has made the Dead Sea a place of pilgrimage for those with skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, and acne. Others come to relieve asthma and arthritis since the water’s magnesium bromide content is said to calm inflammation. The Dead Sea is inhospitable to aquatic life, so there’s no fear of lurking predators, but the briny water will sting any wounds, and jagged salt hunks on the lake’s floor can cut skin. Swimming shoes are a necessity.
Dead Sea, Jordan.
Taiwan, Beitou
The “hot tears of the earth” are in Taiwan – a poetic description of the island’s landscape, which is peppered with 130 hot springs. There’s a rich culture of soaking in these springs and bathhouses – a tradition imported from Japan, which ruled Taiwan in the early 1900s (more on Japan’s reverence for bathing coming up). Locals and tourists seek the sulfuric waters that are said to be so good for skin that they can heal acne and psoriasis. The Beitou region, just north of Taipei, is home to some of the most jaw-dropping hot springs. Their rich teal waters flanked by lush trees will redefine your visual reference point for green. The heat from the thermal water and the tropical climate also lend a dreamy, steamy effect to these natural stone-lined pools. The nearby Hot Spring Museum, dedicated to the Taiwanese bathing ritual, is as fine a place as any to dry off.
Hot Springs In Beitou, Taiwan.
Germany, Baden-Baden
“After 10 minutes, you forget time,” wrote Mark Twain of swimming in Baden-Baden, a historic village in the south of Germany nestled between the Black Forest and the Rhine Valley. Baden-Baden is famous for being a spa town; that is to say, it was built around thermal pools (“baden” means to bathe in German), with restaurants and one very famous opera house added later. The town’s 12 hot springs produce silica- and sodium-rich water that’s been piped into the surrounding bathhouses for almost 2 000 years; there are still ruins of those ancient Roman baths on display. Today, the oldest and most palatial bathhouse is the Friedrichsbad, where you can swim like royalty – Queen Victoria came for its opulent pools, which are surrounded by truly massive marble columns and frescoed walls. The waters were said to cure heart disease and respiratory problems and to have protected villagers against the bubonic plague. Today, it might help clear up your back breakouts.
Brenners Park-Hotel & Spa In Baden-Baden
Japan, Kinosaki
Japan is the birthplace of one of the world’s oldest and most meditative bathing rituals: the tradition of soaking in onsen. The word is Japanese for hot springs, but onsen can also mean manmade bathhouses and open-air tubs. There are thousands of onsen in some of the most idyllic parts of Japan because taking in nature is often part of the ritual. Onsen are situated along rivers and oceans and nestled on mountaintops with sweeping vistas. Generations have bathed in their mineral-rich, sulfuric waters until they’ve reached the state of yudedako, or “boiled octopus.” Because of Japan’s tectonic-plate placement and volcanic activity, most onsen are hotter than the average Jacuzzi – they typically hover around a toasty 42C. Ritual dictates that you soap up before you enter and – this part is non-negotiable – strip down. There are onsen in Tokyo (some of the most contemporary baths double as art installations) and in the countryside. In the town of Kinosaki, you can spend a day walking from onsen to onsen – like café-hopping but far more enlightening. A visit to an onsen is said to treat acne and asthma, ease tight muscles, and soothe irritated skin. But more than that, submerging yourself in an onsen is a way to commune with the past as you ground yourself in the present.
Aman Spa In Amanemu Japan
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