Seshin (때밀이): the Korean body scrub explained

Seshin is a vigorous full-body exfoliation performed by an attendant after a long soak, using an abrasive Italy towel. It leaves skin remarkably smooth and is a genuine cultural institution — it is also intense, and not something to do often or on sensitive skin.

What actually happens

You soak until skin is thoroughly softened, then lie on a table while an attendant scrubs you with a coarse mitt. Grey rolls of dead skin come off visibly, which is the part first-timers find startling and regulars find satisfying.

The Italy towel

The rough viscose mitt used for seshin was developed in Korea in the 1960s — Korean accounts credit a Busan textile mill, Hanil Textiles, in 1967 — and it is named for the viscose rayon yarn imported from Italy and then woven here, not for anything Italian about the practice. It is sold in every Korean supermarket and is a genuine piece of Korean material culture.

The honest caveat

This is aggressive physical exfoliation. Skin does feel extraordinarily smooth afterwards, and doing it frequently, or on eczema-prone, sensitive or actively broken-out skin, is a route to a damaged barrier. Occasional is the operative word.

Afterwards

Moisturise generously and skip actives that evening. Freshly scrubbed skin absorbs more of everything, including things you would rather it did not absorb more of.

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✍️ Written & reviewed by the KoreaPlus Editorial team — dermatologist-informed, cosmetic-science researched & source-cited. Last reviewed: 2026-08-23.

General educational information using cosmetic structure-function wording — not medical advice. Always patch-test new actives. © KoreaPlus.