Korean body scrub (seshin): what it is, what it costs, how it feels

01

What seshin is

Seshin (세신), also called ttaemiri (때밀이), is a full-body exfoliation done by a trained bath attendant using an Italy towel, the green or red scrub mitt every Korean home has. It removes layers of dead skin (you will see it come off) and is a normal part of a bathhouse visit, not a luxury treatment.

02

Two ways to get one

• At a bathhouse or jjimjilbang: the scrub area is inside the bath zone, so you are naked. A full-body scrub is about ₩20,000–35,000, a back-only scrub about ₩15,000. No booking, you just ask at the scrub corner.
• At a private scrub shop: a one-on-one room, often women-only, usually with a bath, scrub, massage and face pack in one course. About ₩50,000–150,000 for 60–90 minutes. Book ahead, often a week before for popular shops.

03

How it goes, step by step

• Soak first. 20–30 minutes in the hot tub softens your skin; the scrubber may send you back in if you skip it.
• Find the scrub corner and say “seshin” (세신). You pay or get a number, and wait your turn.
• Lie on the vinyl table. The attendant turns you front, side, back, other side. Just go floppy.
• Scrub, rinse, done. A basic scrub takes about 20–40 minutes. Add-ons like a massage, oil, or cucumber or milk face pack cost extra.

04

Does it hurt?

It is firm, not painful, and your skin may look pink for an hour. If it is too much, say “sal-sal hae ju-se-yo” (살살 해주세요, gently please). Skip it if you are sunburned, have a skin flare-up, or just waxed or got a new tattoo.

05

Men, women, tipping

Men and women scrub on their own sides. The women’s side often costs a little more and has more add-ons. There is no tipping in Korea, the price on the board is the price.

06

Aftercare

Moisturize right away, skip exfoliating products for a few days, and go easy on sun. Most Koreans scrub every couple of weeks to once a month, not every visit.

07

Scrub shops we like

Private, book-ahead shops near Myeongdong, Hongdae and Gangnam, many of them women-only.