Sluff Is Bringing the K-Spa to Your Shower

Earlier this year, I stepped out of L.A.'s Olympic Spa feeling like a whole new woman. All it took, when inside, was a lot of soaking in various tubs, a gallon of barley tea, and an intensive full-body scrub that I've been been trying—to no avail—to replicate back home in Minnesota.

I've never felt cleaner, which was a tragedy from an "I can't do this every month" perspective—until Sluff entered my world.

Launching Tuesday, May 12, the brand is introducing the concept of "Sluffing:" an at-home take on Korean bathhouse exfoliation that uses heat and friction to physically get rid of buildup and dead skin.

"You'll feel lighter," says co-founder Christina Han. Which is gross, but also satisfying beyond belief. Ahead, she fills us in on the launch.

About the Brand

Sluff was founded by Han, who grew up in Baltimore, and Esther Nordlinger, who grew up in Seoul. Once their frontal lobes developed, both women realized that the once thought of as oh-so-tedious process they'd been undergoing since they were little—Sheshin, the ritual of Korean bathhouse scrubbing—was actually completely brilliant body care. It wasn't gentle, but it sure got the job done.

As a former Vogue, W, and The Cut beauty editor, Han is particularly knowledgable about how exfoliation can benefit your body care routine.

"A beauty person is a person who wants a lot of things. And luckily, there are so many great (and terrible), but mostly great options to choose from for every single beauty need they may have," she tells Byrdie. "Sluff helps to remove that barrier of product buildup so that your collection of creams, oils, etc., can actually work better."

The Mission

The brand is launching with the Sluff It Kit, which includes everything you need for a full-on sluffing setup. As Han says, "You're not clean until you're Sluff clean."

"I grew up on shower culture. We, my immediate family—and speaking on behalf of most Koreans—only take long baths when we need to get the grime off and do the traditional scrubbing treatment (seshin). Otherwise, it's showers only. So sluff is bringing that life-changing bathhouse scrub to your shower," she explains. "It's not a ritual, it's a routine—it's not a drawn-out event. No baths, no public nudity at a Korean bathhouse. Just instant results from one shower. Sluff is bringing K-body home."

Related Stories

May's 42 Best Beauty and Style Launches Are for the True Springheads

I Didn’t Know You Could Botox That

The Products

The star of the Sluff It Kit is of course the Mitt, a textured viscose mitt with two thumbholes so you can comfortably use it on both hands. There's also the Pre-Sluff Bar (that will remove residual product buildup so the mitt can grip effectively!), and a lightweight, eucalyptus-scented Body Lotion to restore moisture to your skin when the deed is done. It's a decidedly streamlined routine: just prep, Sluff, and hydrate.

"Often, [other exfoliating] formulations include oils and emollients that leave a slight film on the skin. Sluffing takes that off, plus any SPF, lingering self-tanner, and most importantly all the dead, flaky skin that gives you an 'ashy' appearance," she explains. "The real key to all of this is the Sluff Mitt (modeled after the traditional Korean scrubbing towel); it's more abrasive and coarse to really grip and lift up the dead skin. You will see it roll up and away like eraser shavings. It's so gross, but so satisfying at the same time."

Han says Sluffing feels different from exfoliation products that are already on the market because of the act itself. It removes everything from the top layer of your skin.

A lighter you awaits.

You can shop the Sluff It Kit ($48) beginning Tuesday, May 12 at sluff.com.