For Melissa Schrumpf, welcoming customers to Reset is just like welcoming guests into her home. As creative director – and co-owner, along with husband William Schrumpf – Melissa says the luxury Double Bay wellness studio is designed to “feel like a private residence” where people can “come and reconnect and feel good about themselves”.

Opened last October, Reset features a communal “circuit” room for small groups (no more than five guests at a time) to rotate through traditional treatments like saunas, ice baths, a steam room and magnesium spa. Then there are smaller spaces – for private group and solo sessions – dedicated to contrast therapy, LED light treatment, halotherapy and compression massage.

The emphasis is on boutique service, Melissa says. That could entail providing guests with extra towels, hydration and guidance during their sessions, or educating would-be visitors in the benefits of wellness therapies.

Here, she talks us through what each of Reset’s treatments is about, and what you might get out of them.

Responses have been edited for length and clarity.

Traditional cedar sauna

Our saunas are traditional – the same as the Finnish use – and they heat the air around you. It’s higher humidity and, I guess, slightly more intensity within the space when compared with infrared saunas that use light waves to heat you from the inside out.

We set ours around 80 to 85 degrees Celsius, and the general recommendation is to do two or three saunas a week, for a minimum of 20 minutes each. It’s pretty incredible what it can do for your body. There are recent Finnish studies that suggest saunas can lower the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and dementia.

I see the most benefit with the nervous system. Just putting your body in that extreme heat, and learning how to breathe through it, can settle your fight-or-flight response. It can also help with relaxation, stress relief and muscle pain.

Ice baths

Our ice baths are designed for cold immersion, so they’re set between four and six degrees Celsius. Some people get a bit intimidated by them, but I find breathwork is really helpful – especially nasal breathing. Breathe in for four, then out for four. Try and at least get your shoulders in the water, then just breathe through it for as long as you can.

We recommend between one and four minutes’ exposure – even if it’s just a minute, you will still get that dopamine release. You’ll still feel amazing.

When you do contrast therapy (hot and cold immersion), it triggers your fight-or-flight response. But as you learn to manage it, it starts triggering your parasympathetic nervous system, which promotes rest-and-digest, which then promotes calm and aids digestion.

Ice baths are also amazing for balancing your stress hormones, improving your circulation and helping with inflammation. It also just helps with your overall mood.

Eucalyptus steam room

A steam room is another thermal experience, but it’s wet. Our steam room sits at 45 degrees – the room is infused with steam and also with eucalyptus oil.

We find it reduces muscle tension. It opens and cleans your pores. It can help with hydration. Introducing that eucalyptus oil can also help to clear congestion and help with respiratory health. Eucalyptus has anti-microbial properties, too.

It’s also just a really calming environment. I actually like to start my circuit in there just to sit and relax for a minute.

Magnesium bath

Magnesium baths channel ancient wellness methods like you’d find in Japanese or Hungarian bathhouses. There are water jets but they’re very minimal – it’s not like a hot tub. The jets filter the water and move it around gently, and the temperature is set to 25 degrees, which is very comfortable.

Magnesium is an incredible mineral that’s best applied topically through your skin, which makes it perfect for bathing. It’s amazing for muscle recovery and pain relief. It helps with circulation and reduces inflammation. It is great for hydration and can help to soothe skin conditions like acne or eczema or psoriasis. So it really does a lot.

It’s also really incredible for reducing stress levels and helping with your sleep. That’s why a lot of people actually come and do the circuit in the evenings. They walk out feeling really relaxed and people have told me their sleep is amazing afterwards.

Vitamin C-infused shower

Our circuit room and both of our contrast suites have a vitamin C shower – they might be some of the only ones in Sydney at the moment, which is exciting. The water is so light. Seriously, you need to try these showers!

The reason the water’s so lightweight is that it goes through three layers of filtering, and then the water is infused with concentrated vitamin C. That removes between 90 and 99 per cent of chlorine in the shower water. Some people find vitamin C helps with brightening their complexion, evening their skin tone, assisting with collagen production and strengthening and softening hair, skin and nails.

LED light therapy

Most people would have seen LED light therapy (also called red light therapy) used for facial treatment with those glowing beauty masks. What we do is full-body light therapy – our treatment room has a bed for you to lie on and then a light panel comes down from the ceiling. You can take the room for 30 or 60 minutes and one of our team members will knock halfway through so you can turn over and target your back as well.

The biggest thing LED light therapy is known for is supporting your skin – healing blemishes and evening skin tone – and supporting collagen production. It’s also really great for reducing inflammation, and assisting with muscle recovery and tension, too.

Halo salt cave

As you walk into the space, there are two rooms – the actual salt cave has to be closed at all times because salt can erode. So first there’s a dressing area where you can get into your robe, hang your towels, and get a drink from the water fountain. There are Bluetooth speakers so you can listen to a podcast or music or guided meditation.

The cave itself is built from Himalayan salt blocks with red travertine on the floor and ceiling. Once you go in, we have a machine that infuses the space with micro salt particles and magnesium – it will do that two to three times throughout your session. And it’s really gentle. I mean, you can definitely taste the salt, but it’s not too overpowering.

The number one benefit is supporting your respiratory health. Inhaling the salt particles can help with asthma, it can help with allergies, it can help with colds. It can also help with skin health and problems like acne, because salt itself naturally has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties.

The salt cave is a really amazing space for breathwork – especially open-mouth breathing to get the best benefits.

Compression therapy

We use Normatec boots for compression therapy – they look a bit like moon boots you pull up to your thighs, so they cover your legs and feet. They way they work is by increasing and decreasing air pressure to help with blood flow and reduce swelling, muscle pain and inflammation. It’s a bit like a robot massage – and you can choose from seven levels of pressure.

They’re really great for recovery if you work out really hard or play sports. It’s also great pre- or post-flight.

IV therapy

IV therapy is administered by our in-house registered nurse. After you apply for a booking, she gives you a call to talk through how you’re feeling, what you might be lacking, and what you’re looking for out of the vitamin infusion. She may also ask you to do bloods. Then she can create a tailored treatment or a one-off IV depending on what you’re looking for.

A lot of people look for help when they’re lacking energy, can’t sleep properly or they’ve been sick a lot. So the infusion might be high dose of vitamin C, magnesium, B12, or all of the above – something bespoke just for you.

Log in or join Broadsheet Access today and enter to win a huge wellness and recovery package from Reset worth $3925. You can also learn more about our exclusive member events, discounts and fab giveaways.

The Reset giveaway includes five private circuit sessions for you and four friends (sauna, ice bath, eucalyptus steam room, magnesium spa, vitamin-C infused shower); five contrast therapy sessions for one to three guests (sauna, ice bath, vitamin-C infused shower); five halo salt-cave sessions for one to three guests; five solo LED light treatment sessions; and five solo compression therapy sessions.

Competition runs till April 14, 2026.