Last week I had the pleasure of setting aside a few hours in the middle of an otherwise hectic Wednesday for some much-needed and deserved spa time. I can’t remember the last time I actually set aside a few hours for a complete head-to-toe pampering session… I usually just devote a few short minutes each day with a great scrub, deep conditioning treatment, face mask, or something of that nature. The 3 hours I spent at Juvenex last week were 3 of the best hours I’ve had in a long time.
I headed up to NYC’s Koreatown neighborhood at the suggestion of an acquaintance to try their $195 package that includes sauna and steam room access, 3 over-the-top amazing soaking tubs, a full body scrub, a 60 minute full body massage, and a cucumber face mask. Considering an hour massage at any decent spa would be at least $120, this package is a steal. My experience started by stripping down in a quiet disrobing area, putting on my spa robe, and heading for the showers immediately followed by about 10 glorious minutes in a semi-precious stone sauna that’s thought to have healing properties. After sweating out toxins (and I’m sure there were plenty, I had a Diet Coke with lunch about 2 hours prior), I rehydrated my skin in the herb-scented steam room for several minutes. The hot mist felt fantastic on my skin and helped clear up the last remaining signs of the cold I had from the week before. When I got out, an ultra-cordial Asian lady greeted me with a glass of cold lemon spring water and guided me to the first of three soaking pools. The first pool was a frigid bath meant to “shock” the body after the sauna and steam time. Indeed I was shocked.  So much so that I ditched the additional 5 minutes I was supposed to spend in that tub and headed straight for the second, a warm tub filled with about 100 floating whole lemons. As I reclined in the soaking tub, I laid back on the smooth tiles, kicked my feet up and played a little game I like to call “gather all the lemons into the center of the tub with just your toes.” I spent about 15 minutes there, and when I realized my fingers and toes looked like prunes at their worst, I decided to hop into the final pool: a hot tub that filled with tons of ginseng. It smelled incredible, and rolling the giant tea bag of hot ginseng around my back was probably one of the most unexpected joys I encountered at Juvenex. In fact, I’m thinking of heading to Chinatown to buy ginseng in bulk so I can replicate that feeling at home.
After soaking endlessly I was guided to a more private area of the spa (although the whole time I was there I was basically the only person using the facilities), where I was politely encouraged to get completely naked and lie face up on a massage bed. Truth be told, that day was also the first time in recent memory that I’d been naked on a bed with another person in the room (no, no happy endings, get your mind out of the gutter). The seemingly-polite Asian lady that had handed me my spring water began intensely loofahing every inch of my body. And I mean every inch. If you were wondering “hey, is there someone that’ll help exfoliate my boobs and butt crack?” -yes, in fact there is. The scrub took about 15 minutes and was followed up by a head massage, shampoo, and a light coating of lotion on the entire surface area of my body.
The entire experience was topped off by a vigorous 60 minute full-body massage (is it wrong to say that I like it rough?), and a fresh cucumber mask that left my face smooth, hydrated, and glowing.
Verdict? I booked another appointment for December. I’ll need it to get through the madness of the holidays.
Disclosure: All products were provided for review. No monetary compensation was received for this review. All opinions belong to the author.
