ASMR or "autonomous sensory meridian response" was typically something I associated with creepy whispering, eating sounds or sexual fantasies, but what this really describes is a "subjective experience of low-grade euphoria" and can be a combination of positive feelings and/or distinct tingling of the skin also known as "tingles". I feel like to some degree, many of us have experienced this on some level whether it's someone playing with our hair in elementary school (we girls did this a lot during movie time) or feeling good/jealous when witnessing someone else get a massage or their makeup done. ASMR is now a booming area on YouTube and there are a ton of different categories of ASMR to cater to anyone. I never realized that ASMR was something I had been enjoying for years in the form of watching massages, nails being done and estheticians performing facials. I would use them to relax or fall asleep before bed and now that there are so many high production value videos to watch that I have curated a selection of my favourite artists!
Shili TV
All of Shili's videos are in Mandarin, but have English subtitles although I probably have picked up some Mandarin spa terms in my time watching these videos! What I love about these videos in addition to the sound quality and spa aspects is the fact that Shili visits all of these businesses in China that offer a range of treatments from head to toe including ones that you would really only find in Asia like eye and ear cleanings, hair spas, gua sha massages and Chinese holistic medicine so I also feel like I'm getting a cultural lesson as well! There is very minimal speaking in Shili's videos with the conversation limited to hellos, thank yous and what is being done during the treatments.
ASMR Emiko Ffujio
SLIME. This is an area I did not think I would enjoy, but then I realized that there was always something SO satisfying about squeezing Play Doh so if you like that, you will LOVE slime videos! Emiko is from Japan and makes her own slime and in some videos she shows you how to make a certain type of slime (yes there are MANY different kinds) with my favourites being clear and cloud slime and in others she not only makes the slime, but makes it look like food like in the Apple Pie video seen here! When I first saw this, I had to really make sure it was all slime because it just looked so real! There is no speaking in Emiko's videos - just satisfying slime noises!
Myaling is from Korea and this is where we get into some HIGH production value when it comes to these videos. Myaling's videos tend to be around an hour so lots of time to relax and fall asleep. She does a range of videos centered around self-care and pampering role play (hair, makeup and skincare) but my favourites of hers are her massage and facial videos. The level of detail in her videos (and a lot of other ASMR artists actually) will make you realize how much MORE effort they put into editing and setting up their backgrounds than any other type of YouTuber. Myaling speaks in English for her videos with minimal talking in her spa-like videos and obviously full conversations in her role play videos. She also seems like a really nice person and only shows half of her face in her videos.
rappeler하쁠리
OMG rappeler is a true artist in this world of ASMR because she tends to MAKE everything! Her speciality is MAKING these books that often pop up or have interactive elements that she can use to provide the ASMR experience. One of my favourites is her book about "ears" where she has re-created ears that you can tap on. I have come to enjoy light tapping noises so I find this video quite relaxing. One of her latest videos was actually sponsored by Disney and it's for the new movie "Raya and the Last Dragon" where she has created an entire pop-up book dedicated to the story that also might give you the tingles! This lady is so talented with her crafting abilities that I am always impressed with the time she takes to produce unique content. Rappeler speaks in Korean in her videos, but I find her pleasant to listen to.
AROMA ASMR
AROMA ASMR is a fairly new discovery for me and is what looks like a Korean spa. All of the videos featured here have no speaking and are mainly facial massage with hands or tools. This is a very technical channel and definitely focuses more on what a real facial would feel like with the ASMR sounds being a bonus. There is no production fluff when it comes pretty bottles or backgrounds. These videos get down to business and you could probably use them as reference for massage technique because I'm pretty sure these treatments are done by a real esthetician.
Yukata's Reflexology
FredsVoiceASMR
I am throwing in Fred, not because I watch him all the time, but because he is not the typical ASMR artist you find on YouTube. For one, he's male and you should click the video above or watch some of his other ones because if you like Christ Hemsworth or Thor, Fred is the spitting image of him! Most of his videos are spoken role play which are not my style, but his style is so masculine and different that I thought he was worth mentioning!
Do you watch ASMR? If not, is this something you are interested in trying? ASMR has evolved from this almost shameful secret to a true form of relaxation and now that you can enjoy ASMR in the form of slime, facials or reflexology it doesn't seem quite so weird. Let me know in the comments if you check out any of these channels!
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