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.
