The quest for wellness, allied with a yearning for connection with each other and with nature is propelling a boom in sauna culture around the world.

Sauna rituals are central to the cultural heritage of countries like Finland and Estonia, but the practice is spreading as countries including Ireland, the UK and Canada embrace the tradition. In Norway, a sauna renaissance is underway per Dezeen, as local communities fund and build their own; while in Japan, sauna-going has been reinvented as a cool hobby, even generating dedicated sauna merch.

In the UK, coastal saunas are taking off, with several startups popping up along the country’s beaches from Cornwall to the Shetland Islands. One key feature for many is communal bathing sessions, leaning into the nature of sauna as a social experience.

Sea Scrub Sauna is one such startup based in Kent, England. “You leave feeling happier,” says co-founder Robin Bartlett who set up the business with his cousin and co-founder Luke Sinclair in 2023 after being inspired by the boom in floating community saunas on the Norwegian fjords. The startup now runs three locations including Margate and Whitstable where guests can rotate a sauna session with a cold-water plunge in a whisky barrel or a bracing dip in the sea.

In an interview with VML Intelligence, Bartlett explains that “the heat with the cold-water immersion, does something pretty special to the body and the mind,” adding that “everyone who arrives, leaves calmer and happier, and reset. Emotionally and mentally, it's a real wind down, but also gives you a re-energizing feeling.” Add that to the positive and calming impact of spending time with nature and it’s “pure pleasure” says Bartlett.

Alongside the wellness benefits, saunas are also answering a need for social opportunities. As VML Intelligence noted in "The Future 100: 2024" loneliness is now a global issue fueling an appetite for community and connection: two-thirds of survey respondents agree there is no sense of community anymore.

Sauna spaces are well placed to actively foster new connections. “You just meet people from all walks of life and have amazing conversations,” says Bartlett, who says that even the Brits have really embraced this aspect. “You have people of all ages, genders, races, and real diversity going into a sauna and meeting people they wouldn't meet otherwise. Being in a sauna in just your swimwear is a great equalizer. You're being a little bit vulnerable, which means you're open to have really good conversations with people. It's a bit like a pub, but without the alcohol.”

Being in a sauna in just your swimwear is a great equalizer...it's a bit like a pub, but without the alcohol.

Robin Bartlett

Cofounder, Sea Scrub Sauna

The startup is forging its own approach to sauna wellness, introducing events like full moon rituals and cacao ceremonies, and experimenting with sound baths. And visitors are creating their own rituals too, from life drawing classes to sharing affirmations. “The opportunity is to create a culture – we’re not constrained by the bounds of tradition,” says Bartlett.

Ensuring these facilities are accessible to local communities is key and wellness brand Haeckels was a pioneer in this space, launching its volunteer-run ‘Sea Bathing Machine’ and offering it as a free community resource to residents of Margate and Walpole Bay since 2018. In a note on its website, the brand explains how it has fostered friendships, saying, “the sauna brings different communities together, removes social barriers and encourages conversation… By creating a truly free space anyone can exist in, it transcends age, nationality and class.”

Scandinavia has long understood the power of communal bathing to foster thriving social connections, now other countries are catching on. Interviewed for the Prosocial effervescence trend in "The Future 100: 2024" professor and cultural expert Kirsty Sedgman from the University of Bristol commented, “there’s so much evidence to suggest that if you can step outside that comfort zone of people who are exactly like you and meet a wider range of people, it leads to massive personal health benefits, and also to stronger communities and better performing economies.”

While the growth in saunas is unlocking opportunities in wellness, lifestyle and travel, it also offers valuable insights for any brand that wants to foster togetherness. As The Guardian notes, it may be no coincidence that Finland is not just the sauna capital of the world, it’s also rated the happiest country.

Please provide your contact information to continue.

Before submitting your information, please read our Privacy Policy as it contains detailed information on the processing of your personal data and how we use it.

Related Content

A woman with long dark hair wearing a white jacket covered in graffiti and a grey broad brimmed hat smiles looking off camera
Insight

Radha Agrawal, cofounder and CEO, Daybreaker

"Marketing and advertising on the frontlines of belonging could change the world."
Read Article
Six people stand, silhouettes visible, in front of a screen image of a green floral field.
Insight

Radical reconnection

Interactions with strangers are helping people rediscover lost human connections.
Read Article