If you’re a first-timer looking to experience a best-in-class Korean Body Scrub in a jimjilbang, or Korean bathhouse, then head to Spa Lei in Seoul.
Korea is known as the beauty capital of the World. They are trend setters and know how to take care of their bodies the right way. Therefore it’s natural that one of the top experiences on everyone’s list is a jimjilbang, or Korean spa and bathhouse. Some are co-ed and if getting naked in front of everyone wasn’t already intimidating, I could not imagine doing it in a coed bathhouse. Luckily, I found Spa Lei—a woman’s only jimjilbang—in the heart of Sinsa district in Gangnam.
Most bath houses offer various baths, saunas, food services, massage facilities, outdoor gardens, and some even cinemas. What makes Spa Lei unique is the fact that it’s a pampering facility spread across multiple floors that is open 24/7. Women usually go out clubbing at night, then head to Spa Lei and spend the entire night getting pampered, before going back to work in the morning. Koreans are known to make a whole day out of it. I mean…how cool is that?! I didn’t head to Spa Lei following a night of dancing and drinking. I headed to Spa Lei after an afternoon exploring the nearby Starfield Library. Prior to going to Spa Lei, I was going to stop by another unique Korean café called Banana Tree where they serve you cake in flower pots. But I was all café-ed out. If you get the chance, I recommend you stop by before heading the to the spa.
It wasn’t until we spoke with the owner at our stay at Cheong Yeon Jae that we found out that Spa Lei is actually considered a high-end jimjilbang near the Gangnam district. The price is higher than the other more local bathhouses, but we paid for the quality. I had read online that some were not very sanitary. The fact that I was going to have to be naked and lying on a table made me want to make sure I was in a clean and sanitary bathhouse. Spa Lei was a bit more expensive, but at least I was sure I was paying for quality.
The most popular treatment in Korean bathhouses is the Korean Body Scrub. A rigorous full body exfoliation process that is said to improve circulation, tone skin, stimulate the Lymphatic System and help you clear your mind. I went for a bigger package—Korean Body Scrub, Massage, and Facial. It came out to be about $80-$90, which is considered expensive in Seoul. But once again, the quality and sanitation of Spa Lei made it worth the price.
Now it’s important that you read the below steps on what happens in a Korean bathhouse. Many Korean bathhouses don’t speak English, so if you come with an understanding of the process, it will be easier for you to understand their gestures. Our reservation at Spa Lei was set for 6PM. After spending an afternoon exploring Starfield Library at the COEX Mall, I was off to the Sinsa district for our well-deserved spa treatment.
Step 1: Get there early!
When you enter the facility you will be charged a ₩14,000 entry fee, or $12. You will be asked to get there 45 minutes to 30 minutes before your appointment, so that you have time to soak in the hot tubs and soften your skin. This is a very important step. The Korean body scrub will hurt if your skin is not warm and soft enough. Plus, it’s just fun to hang around hot tubs and saunas and unwind from your day wandering around Seoul.
Step 2: You are given a towel, bath robe, and wristband
You will be asked to take off your shoes as soon as you enter and put them in a locker. You will then be handed a wristband with a number and a key on it. You will be sent up to the third floor and directed to the changing rooms. Here you take off all of your clothes, get naked, and put a robe around yourself. Put your clothes in the locker and keep your wristband with you since the key is on it.
Step 3: Get Naked and Shower
When you are done, follow the crowd or look for the hot tub filled room. When you enter you will see a number of different hot tubs and saunas at different temperatures. More on this in the next step. But before you take a dip you HAVE TO SHOWER. You will be given a loofah and soap to scrub yourself with before stepping into the boiling hot tubs. You need to keep your hair up at all times, so don’t get it wet, as it’s considered unsanitary to dip your hair in the hot tubs.
Step 4: Spend time in the hot tubs
Each bath has a different temperature. You want to get as hot as you can. The hot tubs are important because they soften your skin before they scrub you down. It makes it easier for the skin to rub off you and it will hurt you less. They recommend you soak in hot tubs anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour! I only did it for 15 minutes…it was way too hot for my body to handle.
Step 5: Korean Body Scrub
One of the ladies who worked there waved me over to the end of the hot tub filled room. It was time for my Korean Body Scrub. The lady was wearing a small black see through bra and a thong. She was basically naked along with me and everyone else at the spa. It made me feel a bit more comfortable with myself. The scrub happens in a small area at the end of the spa. Four pink massage-like tables are lined up next to each other. Each has it’s own dedicated spa woman.
I was asked to lie down on the pink plastic table and the scrubbing began. She used a rough exfoliating brush strapped to her hands and started to scrub deep into my skin. And I mean everywhere, even those intimate places you wouldn’t think someone might scrub you in. She repeated the scrubbing about three or four time, each time from a different angle. Since she didn’t speak English she would occasionally gesture me to turn onto my side, on my back, or on my stomach. If you opened your eyes and looked at the pink table, you would see your dead skin cells covering it. They looked like eraser shavings…the idea sounds gross, but I promise you, you feel reborn once it’s done! After about 20-30 minutes of her scrubbing me down, she proceeded to throw a bucket of hot water over me to clean off all the dead skin cells. My Korean body scrub was officially done!
Step 6: Facial and Massage
Now the spa lady moved onto my favorite part (the most relaxing part), the facial! She started off by slathering my face in a super cold cucumber mask. The cucumbers had been mashed up and stored in a fridge to make it easier to spread on my face. My face was then banded like a mummy to keep the cool cucumbers on it. It freaked me out at first! While I stayed in the dark under the bands, she proceeded to massage my body with wonderfully scented oils. After about 15-20 minutes, she ended my facial and massage by washing my hair to make sure I was clean from head to toe. See below for a picture of my post-facial glow—no makeup, no editing done to the picture, no nothing!
Step 7: Go home or stay!
You have the option to go home at this point. Although you may be tempted to wash the oils off your body, do not shower! The point is to let the oils seep into your skin now that you’ve been exfoliated from head to toe. If you decide to stay at the spa, then go ahead and spend some time in the saunas, outdoor areas, or hot tubs. As I made my way back to Cheong Yeon Jae, I was beyond happy with my treatment. I felt like a new person! See below for a video of me outside of Spa Lei, post my Korean bathhouse experience.
Going to a Korean bathhouse is an important part of Korean culture and something that MUST be experienced. As a foreigner, this type of experience may make you feel uncomfortable, but isn’t that what traveling is all about? Opening your mind to new experiences and pushing you out of your comfort zone? Spa Lei is one of the best places to go for a foreigner for their first-time experience at a jimjilbang. And if you’re hungry post-spa, head right around the corner and stop at one the many cool Korean barbecue joints nearby.
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