The short answer: A Korean body scrub, called seshin, is a full-body exfoliation done in a bathhouse or jjimjilbang. You soak in hot water for about 15 to 30 minutes, then a trained attendant scrubs you head to toe with a rough Italy towel, removing softened dead skin. It leaves skin very smooth, but it is an intense form of mechanical exfoliation: skip it on sunburned, broken or irritated skin, and space sessions well apart.
For many Koreans, a body scrub isn’t a spa luxury. It’s a neighborhood habit with roots in the public bathhouse. For visitors, it can be the most memorable hour of a trip to Seoul or Busan, and the moment you discover how much dead skin a person can carry.
Here is how the Korean body scrub works, where it comes from, what to expect on the table and how to do it safely, whether you try it in Korea or at a Korean spa in the US.
In this article
Bathhouses and jjimjilbang
Korea has two related institutions. The mogyoktang is the public bathhouse: gender-separated rooms with hot and cold pools, showers and, usually, a scrub table in the corner. Seoul’s first modern public bathhouse is known to have opened in 1925, beginning a golden age of public bathing that lasted until the 1970s. Bathhouses peaked in March 2004, with nearly 10,000 operating nationwide (The Korea Times).
The jjimjilbang builds a much bigger world around the bath. Korea.net, the government’s official portal, describes it as a spa, community center, recreation center and cheap hotel wrapped together, with multiple baths, dry sauna rooms, an ice room, sleeping areas and a restaurant serving basic Korean food (Korea.net). Visitors can spend hours moving between hot rooms, meals and naps. The bathing areas remain separated by gender, and that’s where the scrubbing happens.
Neighborhood bathhouses have been closing. In 2022, The Korea Herald, citing the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, reported that 707 public bathhouses had closed nationwide since 2020 (The Korea Herald). The scrub itself has adapted rather than disappeared, as you’ll see below.
What a Korean body scrub is
Seshin (세신, also romanized sesin) means, roughly, washing the body. In practice it means a full-body exfoliation performed by an attendant, often called a seshinsa, while you lie on a waterproof table. The Korea Times traces the rise of professional scrubbers to the 1960s, when they began offering full-body scrubs in public baths (The Korea Times).
The tool is the Italy towel, a coarse mitt that has become a symbol of Korean bathing. It was first developed in Busan. As the story is usually told, a textile company called Hanil Textile imported a rough Italian fabric in 1967 and came up with the idea of using it to scrub skin. Busan also produced the automatic back scrubber, invented by Son Jeong-gi in 1981 (The Korea Times). Our guide on how to use an Italy towel covers the mitt itself.
What comes off is the outermost layer of dead skin, softened by the soak. It rolls away in gray strands that Koreans call ttae. It looks dramatic. It is not a sign that you were dirty; it’s what happens when well-hydrated surface cells meet a rough cloth.
Key takeaways
- Seshin is a full-body scrub done by an attendant after a long soak, using an Italy towel.
- The Italy towel was first developed in Busan, reportedly from a rough Italian fabric imported in 1967.
- It’s a strong form of mechanical exfoliation. Skip it on sunburned, broken or inflamed skin.
- Repeated hard rubbing has been linked to friction-related darkening of the skin, so space sessions out.
What to expect, step by step
The details vary from a basic neighborhood bathhouse to a boutique scrub studio, but the sequence is consistent.
- Book or sign up. At a bathhouse, tell the scrub attendant you want seshin and, if relevant, which areas you want scrubbed. Korea.net’s guide notes you should let the attendant know how many people are coming and which body parts you want scrubbed (Korea.net).
- Shower, then soak. Warm water softens the skin so dead cells come off more easily. The Korea Herald describes soaks of about 20 to 30 minutes (The Korea Herald); a boutique program described by Korea JoongAng Daily starts with a 15-minute bath (Korea JoongAng Daily).
- Lie on the table. The attendant scrubs you methodically from toes to neck; the boutique program described above allots about 30 minutes to this step.
- Rinse and finish. Basic scrubs end with a rinse and sometimes a quick hair wash. Premium packages may add a milk moisturizer, massage, facial or scalp treatment.
- Moisturize. Freshly exfoliated skin loses water easily. Apply a body moisturizer soon after, while skin is still slightly damp.
Prices vary widely. In 2022, a 50-minute session at one of Seoul’s new one-person scrub shops cost 40,000 to 50,000 won, nearly double the traditional bathhouse price, with premium Gangnam studios charging over 100,000 won (The Korea Herald). In 2025, a boutique package including a bath, full-body scrub, milk body care, facial and hair treatment started at 83,000 won (Korea JoongAng Daily).
| Setting | What it’s like | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Neighborhood bathhouse (mogyoktang) | Communal, gender-separated bath; scrub table in the bathing room | The traditional experience at the lowest price |
| Jjimjilbang | Large sauna complex with baths, hot rooms, sleeping and eating areas | A full day out; scrubs available in the bathing area |
| One-person scrub studio | Private room with a tub and table | First-timers, privacy, tourists |
| Korean spa in the US | Jjimjilbang-style complex with scrub services | Trying seshin without a flight |
The private format has grown quickly. One-person scrub salons began appearing in late 2021, partly in response to pandemic concerns (The Korea Herald), and by 2025 one Seoul scrub boutique reported that 70 to 80 percent of its customers came from overseas (Korea JoongAng Daily).
Etiquette for first-timers
- Expect nudity in the bathing area. Bathing rooms are separated by gender, and you bathe and get scrubbed without clothes. If that’s uncomfortable, a private scrub studio is a good first step.
- Wash before you soak. Shower thoroughly before entering shared pools.
- Speak up about pressure. Scrubbers work firmly. Saying “a little softer” is normal and expected.
- Mention skin concerns. Point out any sunburn, rash, recent waxing, tattoos that are still healing or sensitive areas before they start.
- Hydrate. Drink water before and after, especially if you spend time in the hot rooms.
On heat: Cleveland Clinic lists dehydration as one of the biggest risks of sauna use, suggests keeping sessions to around 15 to 20 minutes, and advises leaving immediately if you feel dizzy, weak or unwell. It also advises avoiding saunas after drinking alcohol and checking with a doctor first if you are pregnant, over 65, have a heart condition or high or low blood pressure, or take medication (Cleveland Clinic).
What a Korean body scrub does to your skin
Seshin is mechanical exfoliation, the kind that uses a tool to physically remove dead skin cells. The immediate result is unusually smooth, soft skin that absorbs moisturizer readily. The trade-off is friction, and a professional scrub is about as vigorous as exfoliation gets.
The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) advises that the more aggressive the exfoliation method, the less often you should do it. It warns that people with darker skin tones can develop dark spots from aggressive exfoliation, and that you should never exfoliate sunburned skin or skin with open cuts or wounds (AAD).
There is also a specific condition linked to habitual hard scrubbing. Dermatology case series describe friction melanosis: brownish patches over bony areas of the trunk and limbs in people who repeatedly rub their skin with nylon towels, loofahs or scrub brushes (Siragusa et al., 2001). A study of 13 patients in Jordan linked it to repetitive rubbing with loofahs or towels and listed rough materials and darker skin types among contributing factors (Al-Aboosi et al., 2004). An occasional scrub is very different from daily hard rubbing, but it’s a good reason to avoid scrubbing bony areas too hard or too often.
See a board-certified dermatologist if
- Your skin is raw, weeping, very red or painful after a scrub.
- You develop brown or gray patches over bony areas after regular scrubbing.
- You have eczema, psoriasis or another skin condition and want to know whether scrubbing is safe for you.
- A scraped area shows signs of infection, such as warmth, swelling or pus.
Afterward, treat your skin as freshly exfoliated: moisturize, skip other exfoliants for a while, and use sunscreen on exposed areas. Our guide to Korean sunscreen covers formulas for face and body.
Trying it in the US
You don’t need a plane ticket. Korean-style spas have spread across the US; Korea.net highlighted a 40,000-square-foot jjimjilbang-style spa in Palisades Park, New Jersey, with clay, steam, ice and salt rooms and a restaurant serving Korean dishes (Korea.net). Spas modeled on the jjimjilbang often list body scrubs on their service menus; check before you go.
At home, you can recreate a gentler version with a long warm shower or bath and an Italy towel, using lighter pressure than a professional would. For your face, stick to gentler methods and the rest of your Korean skincare routine.
Frequently asked questions
How often should you get a Korean body scrub?
Think in weeks, not days. Dermatologists advise exfoliating less often the more aggressive the method, and a professional scrub is very aggressive. Let your skin fully settle between sessions.
Does a Korean body scrub hurt?
It shouldn’t hurt, though it is firm and can sting in sensitive spots. Ask the attendant to go softer if it’s uncomfortable. Pain, rawness or bleeding means too much pressure.
What is the gray stuff that comes off?
It’s softened dead skin from the outermost layer, mixed with residue. Koreans call it ttae. It doesn’t mean you were dirty.
Can I get a body scrub with sensitive skin or eczema?
Ask a dermatologist first. Vigorous mechanical exfoliation can irritate sensitive or inflamed skin, and the AAD advises against exfoliating broken skin.
Can I use the hot rooms if I’m pregnant?
Check with your obstetric provider first. Cleveland Clinic advises people who are pregnant or trying to become pregnant to consult a doctor before sauna use. The bath and scrub can be adapted, but ask before you go.
Sources
- Park Jin-hai. “Busan couple documents Korea’s bathhouse heritage.” The Korea Times, 2025. source
- Sanders C. “A journey into steam.” Korea.net, 2014. source
- Choi Jae-hee. “Going solo: Korean body scrubs adapt to pandemic.” The Korea Herald, 2022. source
- Min Yea-Ji. “[While in Korea] Episode 9.” Korea.net, 2019. source
- Woo Ji-won. “Mugwort, milk and moisturizer: How old Korean spa treatments are luring young tourists.” Korea JoongAng Daily, 2025. source
- Cleveland Clinic. “Get Your Sweat On: The Benefits of a Sauna.” Health Essentials, 2024. source
- American Academy of Dermatology. “How to safely exfoliate at home.” AAD, 2026. source
- Siragusa M, Ferri R, Cavallari V, Schepis C. “Friction melanosis, friction amyloidosis, macular amyloidosis, towel melanosis: many names for the same clinical entity.” European Journal of Dermatology, 2001. source
- Al-Aboosi M, Abalkhail A, Kasim O, et al. “Friction melanosis: a clinical, histologic, and ultrastructural study in Jordanian patients.” International Journal of Dermatology, 2004. source
- Korea.net. “Korean saunas booming in US: NYT.” Korea.net, 2017. source
This article is for general information and isn’t a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.