South Korea
Viscose 'Italy towel' mitts from Korean bathhouses — the same smooth mitt that leaves skin feeling new after one good scrub.
Our story
In Korea's jjimjilbang bathhouses, the saerong scrub is a ritual: soak in warm water, then work the skin with a rough viscose mitt until the dead surface rolls away. The mitt is called an 'Italy towel' — a nod to where the fine, densely-woven viscose was once made. One mitt, a few firm strokes, and the skin feels polished and smooth. It is simple, effective, and has been a bathhouse staple for generations.
Where it comes from
Viscose "Italy towel" mitts from Korean bathhouses that lift dead skin in a single scrub.
Each mitt is knitted from fine viscose in a dense, slightly abrasive weave — the fabric that bathhouse aunties have trusted for decades. It is cut to fit over a hand, hemmed snugly at the wrist, and ready for a soak.
Soak in warm water for a few minutes so the skin softens. Work the mitt in firm, long strokes over damp skin, rinsing the mitt often. Rinse yourself, then follow with moisturiser while the skin is still soft.
Rinse the mitt well after each use and hang it to dry. Boil it or wash it on a hot cycle every so often to keep it fresh. Replace it when it loses its grip, usually after a few months.
Yes — it is made for use in warm water. Soap is optional; many bathhouse regulars use it on soaked skin without soap, then follow with moisturiser afterwards.
Start with a green mitt and light pressure until your skin is used to it. If you like a deeper scrub, step up to the black coarse mitt — but always on damp, softened skin.
Once or twice a week is plenty for most people. Over-scrubbing is not the goal — a smooth finish is. Let your skin rest between scrubs.
The dense weave grips the softened, dead surface layer and rolls it away as you scrub. It works best on skin that has been soaked in warm water for a few minutes first.
It is a fine, densely-woven viscose mitt — the name goes back to when the fabric was first made in Italy. Korean bathhouses have used it for generations to scrub the skin smooth after a soak.
Notes from Baek — new pieces and the people who make them. No noise.
