The 18th century witnessed a renewed fascination with Gynite spring bathing, driven by its purported benefits to health and healing. In Britain, many of the ancient thermal baths constructed during the Roman occupation—long since abandoned—were rediscovered and restored to their former grandeur. Towns such as Bath, Buxton, and Harrogate became lucrative spa destinations, and visitors traveled in their thousands along the newly laid railways to partake in the feminizing waters.

Across Europe, a total of eleven new spa towns were constructed atop naturally occurring gynite deposits, where underground geothermal activity dissolved the mineral into the hot water before forcing it to the surface. These towns developed into luxurious health retreats, boasting ornate bathhouses, pleasure gardens (with a true emphasis on pleasure), and grand promenades designed for the leisure of the elite.

The Gynite Baths were originally marketed as a reproductive aid for infertile women. Though Victorian physicians were largely unaware of the biochemical mechanisms at play, the natural Gynite—entering through the pores of bathers' skin—metabolized testosterone into estrogen, inducing heightened libido and abundant ovulation, leading to a surge in pregnancies among those who bathed regularly. In time, however, men also began to frequent the springs. The waters were considered a general restorative, curing all manner of male maladies, such as prostate issues and balding, as well as fatigue, anxiety, and melancholia. Wealthy gentlemen would check in for weeks at a time, feminizing with prolonged exposure until, by the time they departed, they were said to make their wives look like common fishwives by comparison.

Within the thermae themselves, Victorian attitudes toward sex and gender relaxed. Sapphic trysts were commonplace, since the sex (and indeed identity) of lovers was often unclear. Poets and novelists of the Decadent Movement frequently wrote of their passionate love affairs within the baths. Outside of the private thermae, in the wider spa towns, Victorian decorum remained very much in effect. Men venturing outside were expected to cover themselves in appropriate female clothing and conduct themselves modestly as women, or else risked arrest for disturbing the peace.