Seshin is a Korean skin-cleansing ritual that involves scrubbing and exfoliating the body of dead skin to uncover a fresh layer of dermis.
Benefits of seshin
- Circulation and glowing skin: Seshin reveals soft, supple skin that is better able to absorb nutrients. It also stimulates cell turnover and activates circulation to promote the production of fresh, new skin.
- Detoxification and drainage: Seshin clears and opens up pores on the skin’s surface, and aids them in releasing waste from the body. It also massages the lymph nodes, stimulating lymphatic drainage, a natural process which transports waste away from the tissues to the lymph nodes to be filtered out.
- Waste removal: Sweating is one of the three key modes of detoxification, meaning the skin is constantly accumulating waste that builds up among dead skin. Seshin aids in thoroughly removing this waste.
An at-home seshin routine
1. Acquire an exfoliating glove or mitt, which you can most likely find in the beauty aisle of most department stores. If you want a genuine Korean exfoliating mitt, a simple internet search will most likely give you options for where to purchase them online. Alternatively, a Korean grocer should also carry them.
2. Sit in a hot bath for at least 30 minutes. Short on time? Practicing seshin at the tail end of a hot shower will do the trick. This will help loosen up dead skin cells.
3. Take your exfoliating mitt or glove and scrub your whole body. Don’t forget your belly button, your ankles, and around your ears!
4. Enjoy how refreshingly invigorated your skin feels!
Note: Seshin is best practiced no more than once a week. Over-exfoliating the skin can be damaging and painful, and disturb the skin’s delicate microbiome and protective barrier.
Find more inside The Book of Korean Self-Care by Isa Kujawski. To get more great blog posts like this one – direct to your inbox – be sure to sign up to our mailing list here.