{"id":102019,"date":"2026-07-28T17:00:13","date_gmt":"2026-07-28T17:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/102019\/"},"modified":"2026-07-28T17:00:13","modified_gmt":"2026-07-28T17:00:13","slug":"k-beauty-body-care-brings-korean-bathhouse-traditions-to-your-shower-routine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/korea\/102019\/","title":{"rendered":"K-Beauty Body Care Brings Korean Bathhouse Traditions To Your Shower Routine"},"content":{"rendered":"

Steaming hot-water soaks, vigorous scrubs, and fluorescent Italy towels: the enduring hallmarks of the jjimjilbang experience. Once a ritual<\/a> requiring a flight to Korea \u2014 or at least an afternoon at your nearest Korean bathhouse \u2014 these practices are now trickling over to your K-beauty body care routine.<\/p>\n

\u201cKorean bathhouse culture is special because it’s deeply woven into our culture and upbringing,\u201d says Erica Choi<\/a>, esthetician and founder of Superegg<\/a>. \u201cMany Koreans and Korean Americans have memories of going to the neighborhood bathhouse with their parents or grandparents as children. It wasn\u2019t just about getting clean; it was a place to spend time together, unwind, and care for your body.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beyond the nostalgic elements, Korean bathhouse culture has a few defining features that set it apart from other body care routines. And if you\u2019re curious to see what those are, K-beauty brands<\/a> have begun reinterpreting those practices for your shower shelf<\/a>. Below, everything you need to know about the rising wave of jimjilbang-rooted body care rituals \u2014 plus expert-approved picks to bring you a little closer to the experience.<\/p>\n

glamstock \/ Imazins\/ImaZinS\/Getty ImagesWhat Is A Jjimjilbang, Or Korean Bathhouse?<\/p>\n

Jjimjilbang refers to the bathhouses found in every neighborhood in Korea, a combination of a community bathhouse and wellness spa and a regular fixture of \u201cplaces you have to visit in Korea\u201d TikToks. Many are open 24\/7, most are affordable, and all should leave you feeling revived.<\/p>\n

But to define it just as a place doesn\u2019t quite capture the significance of the jjimjilbang experience. Choi recalls the signature snack bar, where banana milk, Yakult, and roasted sauna eggs reign supreme. \u201cSomehow it always tasted better after spending hours soaking, steaming, and scrubbing,\u201d she says. There are also the coordinated shirt-and-shorts uniforms provided for lounging in shared areas, yangmeori towels rolled up to resemble sheep\u2019s heads, and nude mogyoktang areas for bathing and soaking, always split by gender.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere\u2019s not really a great analogy in the West,\u201d says Michelle Lee,<\/a> chief marketing officer of Landing International | K-Beauty World<\/a> and former editor-in-chief of Allure. \u201cIt\u2019s not like a super luxe, relaxing spa experience. Every jjimjilbang is a bit different, but typically you\u2019re cycling through heat, steam, cold, and exfoliation with some food along the way. You’re naked and then wearing a provided outfit, you’re getting scrubbed hard, you’re sweating, you\u2019re freezing your ass off, and you\u2019re not feeling self-conscious, ideally. It\u2019s a cultural thing and seen as a bonding experience for a father to bring his son or a mother to bring her daughter.\u201d<\/p>\n

Charlotte Cho<\/a>, esthetician and co-founder of Then I Met You<\/a> and Soko Glam<\/a>, also emphasizes the communal element as key to the Korean bathhouse experience \u2014 something admittedly difficult to recreate in a single product. \u201cYou are encouraged to relax, nap, and munch on snacks for hours, all in the proximity of your friends and family,\u201d she says. \u201cAt a Korean bathhouse, overstaying your welcome is part of the wellness experience, which includes detoxing, massages, facials, body scrubs, and even a vaginal cleanse.\u201d<\/p>\n

With multiple areas to dip in and out of, it\u2019s easy to overstay. \u201cThe hot saunas have themes, such as the Himalayan salt room, which uses salt\u2019s properties to regulate blood pressure, clear the skin, and even relieve allergies,\u201d says Cho. \u201cThere are ice rooms, which are cold rooms that stimulate the body\u2019s natural antioxidants while firming the skin. In hot tubs, the focus is often on hydrotherapy, utilizing strategically placed jets as a form of aqua-acupuncture to enhance circulation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Not all of these aspects travel easily from bathhouse to bathroom counter, but a few are going global.<\/p>\n

sluffHow Are Korean Bathhouse Practices Influencing K-Beauty Body Care?<\/p>\n

You can do a lot at the jjimjilbang, but there\u2019s one treatment everyone always talks about: the extremely thorough full-body scrub. \u201cIt\u2019s one of my favorite treatments at a Korean bathhouse because a lady in bras and panties will slough off your dead skin using an exfoliating body mitt,\u201d says Cho. To be precise, the mitt is an Italy towel, easily recognizable by its bright green, pink, yellow, and blue colors. \u201cThe Italy towel has been a bathhouse staple forever and spawned a whole generation of body exfoliation tools and textures,\u201d says Lee. \u201cPhysical exfoliation fell out of favor for [K-beauty] facial skin care, but it\u2019s in full force when it comes to the body.\u201d<\/p>\n

You might think that the popularity of physical scrubs would translate into hundreds of at-home body care options, but that\u2019s not the case, at least not yet. Compared to the hundreds of thousands of Korean skin care options available for your face, K-beauty body care offerings are somewhat scant. \u201cPeople assume K-beauty is all about skin care, but body care in Korea is surprisingly simple,\u201d says Christina Han<\/a>, co-founder of Sluff<\/a>. \u201cGo into any Olive Young in Seoul and there are entire floors dedicated to facial skin care. Ask where the body care is, and it’s usually one shelf in the corner.\u201d<\/p>\n

So Han founded Sluff to make that shelf stretch a little further, and to recreate the bathhouse body scrub experience (but faster, easier, and possible from the comfort of your own shower, anywhere in the world). Her curated line includes an exfoliating Pre-Sluff Bar<\/a>, an Italy towel-esque Mitt Duo<\/a>, and nonsticky body lotion<\/a> to slather all over when you\u2019re done. Combined, they recreate the feeling of leaving the jjimjilbang \u2014 \u201cyour skin is baby soft; you feel reborn\u201d \u2014 whenever you feel like it. \u201cWithout booking a spa appointment or getting naked in front of strangers,\u201d says Han.<\/p>\n

Han\u2019s brand is one of several dreaming up genius ways to make the bathhouse experience more accessible worldwide. Others like Laundryo\u00fc<\/a>, House of Balance<\/a>, and Knock<\/a> are also teasing out some of the best parts, from the poststeam toner splash to a pre-soaked body glove (more on those below). Lee says she\u2019s also noticed shifts in K-beauty body care aimed at hydration. \u201cFormulationwise, the bathhouse obsession with clean, deeply hydrated skin has pushed Korean body care toward a much more sophisticated moisture-barrier philosophy than Western body lotion ever really had,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

Can Everyone Use Bathhouse-Inspired Korean Body Care? <\/p>\n

Everyone can reap the benefits of bathhouse-inspired Korean body care. Better yet, the routine requires no more than three steps. Some enjoy a 10-step Korean skin care ritual, but if you\u2019re not one of those people, rest assured that K-beauty body care involves far fewer products.<\/p>\n

According to Han, \u201csluffing\u201d and jjimjilbang-rooted body care works for all skin types, although those with especially sensitive skin should take care to be gentle. \u201cYou control the pressure, how often, and which areas need the extra attention,\u201d she says. \u201cSome people go all in once a week. Others just focus on rough spots like areas with [keratosis pilaris (KP)], elbows, and knees.\u201d The benefits are immediate. \u201cSofter, smoother skin; self-tanner goes on more evenly; old tans come off faster; ingrown hairs become less frequent; KP bumps are smoother; and for those who slather themselves in body creams and oils, these products will actually absorb better instead of sitting on top of dead skin,\u201d she says. \u201cIt isn’t about adding another cream to your routine; it’s about removing what’s standing in the way first. Once you get rid of the dead skin layer and product buildup barrier, everything you apply afterward works better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Aside from the extra-thorough exfoliation, Choi believes the intentional nature of bathhouse body care is something everyone can (and should) enjoy. \u201cMany of us grew up with memories of our mothers or grandmothers asking us to soak in hot water before gently scrubbing our skin, or being scrubbed by the experienced ajummas at the bathhouse until your skin felt unbelievably soft,\u201d she says. \u201cIt wasn’t treated as a luxury. It was simply part of taking care of yourself.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Top K-Beauty Body Care Picks Inspired By Korean Bathhouse Traditions<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re headed to Seoul, you can find a jjimjilbang wherever you stay with minimal effort; just pick a direction and start walking. For those searching for one close to Incheon airport, Choi especially recommends Cimer at Paradise City<\/a>. \u201cIt has a more modern, elevated feel while still incorporating many traditional Korean spa experiences,\u201d she says. \u201cI love that it combines pools, thermal baths, saunas, and classic jjimjilbang rooms in one beautifully designed space. If you land early on an overnight flight, spending a few relaxing hours there before checking into your hotel is a wonderful way to recover from jet lag and ease into your trip.\u201d<\/p>\n

For those staying at home, these scrubs, towels, gloves, and body toners will get you pretty close to the real thing.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Laundryou<\/p>\n

Soft Body Red Glove Clean <\/p>\n

Packaged like a sheet mask and pre-soaked in smoothing essence, these embossed mitts foam up with just a little water to slough away rough, dull skin from the neck down. Because they get a little boost from mild chemical exfoliants, you can scrub lightly. \u201cThe design is inspired by a traditional Korean bathing culture,\u201d says Jian Lee<\/a>, CEO and founder of Laundryo\u00fc<\/a>. \u201cBuilding on the idea of the Italy towel, we created a glove-shaped exfoliating cloth that your hand slips into easily, allowing you to feel the cleansing action directly on your skin while staying true to our modern focus on hygiene and convenience.\u201d They\u2019re especially perfect for flights. \u201cAs I travel frequently, I wanted to eliminate the hassle of carrying separate body wash bottles,\u201d she explains. \u201cSo we developed a product that combines the fabric and body wash together \u2014 similar to a sheet mask, but for the body. It\u2019s actually the product I use most frequently out of our entire lineup.\u201d<\/p>\n

See On Olive Young<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Binu Binu<\/p>\n

Seshin Korean Scrub Soap<\/p>\n

$22<\/p>\n

Choi loves every soap from this brand, which comes in bars infused with kelp or nutty boricha. \u201cTheir beautifully crafted botanical bars elevate an everyday shower into something much more intentional, while still feeling rooted in Korean bathing traditions,\u201d she says. If we had to pick just one, it would be the Seshin Korean Scrub Soap, designed to recreate the ultra-clean feeling you get after a particularly satisfying bathhouse scrub. It\u2019s made with black sesame seeds for natural exfoliation, plus washed blue clay and sea salt. Together, they leave skin feeling soft and refreshed, no extra scrubbing implements required. To complete her shower ritual, Choi recommends pairing these bars with a spritz of Superegg Kind Atmosphere Biome Mist<\/a>, a generous coat of House of Balance Body Slow Oil Serum<\/a>, and a DIY massage with her Flow Egg Sculpting Gua Sha<\/a>.<\/p>\n

See On Binu Binu<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

House of Balance<\/p>\n

Black Bean Pod 4pm Body Scrub<\/p>\n

$44<\/p>\n

Another pick that takes a shortcut to scrubbing is this scrub by House of Balance, which combines both physical and chemical exfoliants to help do the work of a body wash and Italy towel in one. \u201cIt\u2019s our way of bringing the Korean bathhouse ritual into a more skin-friendly, modern routine,\u201d says TJ Yoon, CEO and founder of House of Balance. Each tub is packed with a blend of exfoliating particles: black bean husk, charcoal, and volcanic minerals. They\u2019re then boosted by a cocktail of AHA, BHA, PHA, and LHA. \u201cThe acids help loosen the bonds between dead skin cells, so the natural scrub particles can lift them away more gently and effectively with less rubbing,\u201d says Yoon. \u201cWe also added ingredients like camellia flower extract, seaweed, and black-bean extract to replenish moisture and support the skin barrier after exfoliation.\u201d<\/p>\n

See On House of Balance<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Iota<\/p>\n

Supermochi Body Exfoliator+<\/p>\n

$39<\/p>\n

Cho\u2019s picks are this \u201csensorial\u201d brightening scrub and a pack of classic Italy towels<\/a>, color-coded based on intensity. Much like House of Balance\u2019s version, it combines a blend of physical and chemical exfoliants. Packed with Balinese sea salt, Thai sweet rice, Korean red bean, ube extract, prebiotics, probiotics, and AHA exfoliants, it\u2019s great for dry, rough, or dull skin. Best of all is its soft texture, intentionally formulated to feel like soft rice cakes. It\u2019s not a cold banana milk from the jjimjilbang fridge, but it does feel like a treat.<\/p>\n

See On Soko Glam<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

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