In Korean drama, the scrub baths are often portrayed as a relaxing activity for Korean women; it is also a good way to bond with their mums, aunts and female friends. However in Korea, the scrub bath’s towel is apparently so harmful that dermatologists in Korea have even started a campaign to ban it. Korea scrub bath is not only popular in Korea, it is also popular in America and Japan. Is the scrub really as bad as it is?

According to the doctors, it is actually good to have scrub baths occasionally as it promotes blood circulation and removal of keratinocytes, leaving your skin velvety and feeling refreshed. People with oily skin can benefit from scrub baths, as it also reduces acne and comedos. Doctor Kim Yong Jiu, star director from the Dermatology department in Yonsei University College of Medicine, said, “Without scrub bath, you might accumulate oil on your skin overtime, dead skin will then accumulate because they can’t be washed off easily, acne and comedos will then start to developed.”

If you use soap, the bubbles will get clog the pores, thereby preventing your skin from breathing. For best results, one should soak in warm water for about 30 minutes before scrubbing the skin. One should never scrub their skin too hard, as there is a tendency for the epidermis to be scrubbed out, thereby damaging the skin. Mudong Wonderful World Skin Hospital Director Lee Hao Nan said, “If you scrub your skin with too much force or have it frequently, it will cause the thinning of the skin and making it vulnerable to dangers of bacteria, carcinogenic and allergic substances, which trigger skin problems.” The white stuff during your rub bath is the epidermis and if it is scrubbed out, your skin will be damaged.

During winter when the skin is dry, a scrub bath is not recommended. During summer, you can have scrub baths once a month, and for other seasons, it is advisable to do it once every three to four months. Mudong Wonderful World Skin Hospital Director Lee Hao Nan said, “If you scrub your skin with too much force or have it frequently, it will cause the thinning of the skin and making it vulnerable to the dangers of bacteria, carcinogenic and allergic substances, which trigger skin problems.”

If you have skin inflammation, dry or sensitive skin, it is not advisable to have scrub baths. Elderly people and those who are suffering from diabetes, hypertension, lymphoma and nephritis are also not advisable to have scrub baths, as their skin will develop eczema easily.

Whether one should go for a scrub bath or not is not really important. Samsung Hospital of Jiangbei Dermatology Professor Lee Jia Rong said, “Keratinocytes will naturally fall off to create new skin; even if a person do not have scrub bath, he or she will not look much different from those who did.”