In Norwegian culture, bathing is less of a trend and more tradition, embraced for its varying wellness benefits. It was a few years spent living in Norway that inspired Freya Berwick to open Sense of Self, a tranquil bathhouse in Melbourne, and soon to be Sydney (the new location is set to open in the second half of 2025).
Her love of bathing has, of course, inspired a holistic but balanced approach to wellness and beauty in general. A business owner and new mum, Freya tempers cold plunging with baby bedtimes, minimal skincare with capsule dressing. Her routine is real and refreshing but aspirational — think deep work before sunrise and swims in the afternoon. Our interview with Freya, and the inner workings of her beauty habits, below.
To begin, what does beauty mean to you?
Any aesthetic, process, object or place that brings joy. An appreciation of beauty is a core value of mine so naturally, I seek out beauty in basically everything I do. When I experience something beautiful, I am deeply satisfied.
Tell me about your approach to wellness — what shapes it?
For me, it starts with my body and listening to its cues over any ‘should-do’s’. If it feels aligned and regenerative, and I am doing it for the right reasons, then I am all about it. I guess the other part of this is figuring out ‘the right reason’…. which, in the age of wellness being slapped on to basically anything, is having a very tuned filter of ‘does this actually contribute to my wellbeing?’.
My go-to’s for feeling connected to myself, and therefore feeling well, are being in nature, swimming, walks and hikes with friends, and of course, bathing.
Where did your love of bathing come from?
After spending three formative years in Norway in my 20s, I particularly loved the sauna (or any other means of getting sweaty) followed by a cold dip. Going from hot to cold is such a powerful contrast that forces you into your body and I just love it. Even better if it is done in a beautiful environment, which I believe helps maintain the presence for longer.
How has your approach to wellness changed or adapted alongside being a business founder? How do you find balance?
I think I have just become more discerning and attuned to my own needs. Tuning into your body’s cues takes time and practice, as does training a “BS-filter”. Being more attuned has also helped me be more fluid and free in my approach because I can rely on my own signals rather than structures and rules.
Tell me about Sense of Self — how did you develop that idea?
Sense Of Self came from a desire to create spaces of belonging and connection as an antidote to our modern lives that are increasingly pulling us out of our bodies, eating up our idle time and fracturing our social connections. That all sounds very serious, and I guess it is, but a part of the foundation of SOS is to bring things back to the basics, which also means not making things too complicated.
What makes a bathhouse special or sacred, in your opinion? What are the SOS details that are the most important to you?
The difference between a bathhouse and a building with pools and saunas is about the meaning you create, the permission you give, and therefore the quality of connection and experiences you have.
We are all so time-poor these days, so finding the time is often one of the biggest barriers to relaxation and self-care. I see it as our job to make sure that someone’s experience is as impactful as possible, which is a delicate layering of narrative, architecture, way finding, operations and exceptional customer service. So yes, back to the question…. all the details are important to me.
What’s your personal SOS rituals, or how do you like to use your space?
I have to be honest and say that I haven’t used our space all that much in the past year, which is because I have a 6-month-old baby (Florence or “Flossy” as she is affectionately known).
Prior to Flossy’s arrival, I loved coming in to SOS before anyone else arrived for a sauna and cold plunge after a morning run. I also love to sneak down and behave like a guest after work, but I’m inclined to want to look after people, which can be a bit confusing for someone if the person they were just in the bath with then gets up and starts waiting on them…
You’ve obviously had a lot of wellness experiences globally — anything magic that really stands out?
Oooh that is a tricky one… My time in Norway running up mountains and diving into beautiful, freezing waterways is up there. But as a facility, I would have to say Therme Vals, designed by Peter Zumthor, in Switzerland was the most memorable. Other than being all of my favourite things in one place (mountains, water, architecture, bathing) I was so deeply moved by the use of design and nature to amplify relaxation and introspection.
Incredible. Moving onto day to day, what does a typical morning look like for you?
Not much is typical at the moment because of my baby, but I do love a routine so (for better or worse) I’m always striving for one.
I tend to get up early before anyone else because I love alone time, and find it’s when my thinking is clearest. I wake up and head straight to the coffee machine, and then either sit at my desk and sink my teeth into some deep work over coffee, or do some non-fiction reading. On the rare occasion I’ll sneak into SOS before our team arrives. But I like to knock out my to-do list and deep thinking first thing so I can be more present and available, either with our team or my family during the day.
Depending on Flossy’s care arrangements I’ll then go for a run with my friend Jules, or have a coffee and cuddle in bed with my partner Fraz, Floss and our whippet Twiggy before having a shower and getting ready for the day. They are brief but I really love a shower for shifting funks, switching modes and a sense of readiness.
While I don’t invest much in skincare and makeup, I do love curating a wardrobe of simple items that all work well together, so relish getting into my clothes for the day. My favourite part is putting on my collection of Hamish Munro rings, all gifts from Fraz.
And what about your evening wind down ritual?
I have an aspiration to swim laps in the late afternoon more, but rarely achieve that. I absolutely love the beauty of swimming — the light, the repetition, the bubbles, the buoyancy.
The reality, though, is that the evening is structured around baby bedtime, which I have learnt to love as an anchor in our life. Previous to having a baby we had many after-work activities and they often tipped me over the edge into exhaustion. So, our evening starts with a bath with Floss, then we put on our heavy moisturisers together, get into our PJs before she has a feed and goes down.
Once she’s down, Fraz and I finally have a moment to ourselves, which is spent over dinner where we catch up on our day, talk about our feelings (ha!) and make all the plans. Then we tend to migrate to the couch with Twiggy. While I love watching shows I can get too absorbed mid-week so will often peel off and read whatever novel I am devouring. Fiction is my wind down — something completely different to reality.
I know you mentioned you’re a skincare minimalist, but is there anything you can’t live without?
A rich moisturiser that doesn’t feel too oily and an SPF that doesn’t sting (and can be re-applied without feeling like you’re wearing kiddy zinc).
It’s a bit daggy but I have very sensitive skin so my go-to moisturiser is La Roche-Posay Toleriane Riche for my night time moisturiser. And I am forever on the hunt for an SPF that ticks all the boxes…
What about makeup?
I have always felt under-qualified in the beauty and makeup department and as such I don’t wear much. But the item that never leaves my bathroom bag is Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue. No skills required to slap that one on and feel a bit cuter.
Outside of bathing, what rituals do you swear by?
Burning a scent, either an essential oil or natural incense, to settle into some cosy time, to focus, or even to mark a shift in state in the home (i.e to go from cleaning to deep thinking mode). I genuinely love our SOS House Blend Essential Oil that we diffuse in the bathhouse — it is so nostalgic and delish.
Finally, what’s on your ‘to buy’ beauty wishlist right now?
It’s not a product and again not very sexy but I love a laser facial at a derm clinic. I have rosacea, so every six months or so I go in for some laser genesis to spruce up my skin.
