It’s common knowledge that the vast majority of Los Angeles is obsessed with looking great and feeling better. By now, plastic surgery is the norm, beauty regimes require the assistance of professionals and green juice might as well replace tap water. But there’s much more behind the superficial Hollywood façade, as Angelenos still indulge in habitual pampering. Not everyone has the money nor aesthetic preference for the lavish Burke Williams. So where to? Look no further than the most densely populated district in LA: Koreatown.

In fact, Los Angeles houses some of the best Korean spas in the US, a veritable grab bag of relaxing destinations that provide a mise-en-scène of joy, in terms of physical euphoria and muscular relief. The jimjilbang are the the traditional center of Korean spas, a room lined with varying saunas, housed in sobering and rejuvenating castles of clay, jade and Himalayan pink salt. At these Korean spas there’s no need to get fancy when the objective is to slough off dead skin, soak in a tub, sweat in a sauna and emerge with smooth, glowing baby skin.

Just a little warning for Korean Spa novices: You are required to be naked in the non-coed areas, it’s not really a choice. But no need to fret, once you disrobe and step into a steaming sauna, the only thing on your mind is relaxation, healing, and rejuvenation.