Scrub-a-dub-dub

Bikes washed- check

Laundry done- check

Korean scrub- check

Spa day for me!! If you ever have a chance to have an authentic Korean Scrub- go for it and don't be shy!! A full description is in order so you can fully appreciate the process....

Arrive at spa one hour prior to your scrub. Pay $160.00, get locker key and take your towel/robe. Take off shoes (no shoes allowed inside) and put into assigned cubby (which corresponds to locker key). Find locker and take off ALL clothes, jewelry and makeup. Lock all items in assigned locker. Wrap towel or robe around yourself. Take shower and wash hair. All of this is done around other similarly naked women.

Next enter the "tub room" to soak for 50 minutes prior to your scrub. In this room are four large soaking tubs with a variety of temperatures ranging from 60 degrees with a water fall to 90 degrees, 97 degrees and 104 degrees. A mugwort trough is available for bowls of mugwort to be poured over your body between the different tubs. Each tub will hold about 10-15 people at one time. A wet and dry sauna are also available to encourage the body to sweat.

My soak is enlightening.....I appreciate my somewhat "lean" body compared to those around me. I also appreciate the tattoos (peacock feathers around a torso and flowers around a breast) that I would never see otherwise as well as a breast cancer survivor's scars (what a brave woman). Regardless of body type (michellin woman, sumo lady and skinny girl) they are all there for the same purpose- to get a scrub.

The Korean gal calls your number and invites you to her table. She tells you to lay face down onto that vinyl covered table. A quick spritz of water and soap, she starts scrubbing with a "Scotchbright" type of scrubber. Starting at my feet she works her way up my one leg, backside, back up to my head, arms and then back down the other side. That is step one- scrub and rinse with a bowl of warm water. Step two- scrub all those places again and rinse. Step three- scrub and rinse. By now the floor is covered with dead remnants of skin.

Then turn to your side and three scrubs/rinse on your left side then the same for your right....then face up- another three passes of scrubs and rinses. You cannot be shy as you are not the only one laying stark naked on a vinyl covered table. Ten tables all in a row with a variey of sizes/body types getting scrubbed....what an experience and the best is yet to come...

So after all of that- a moisturizing process is in order. First olive oil is rubbed into your skin from head to toe and feels like a massage, then warm milk to poured and rubbed onto your body and finally honey is rubbed in. Cucumber paste is applied to your face then warm towels are laid on your body and you fall into a deep sleep. Your Korean scrub girl wakes you and you go about your day with new skin. After a scrub your skin feels like a new baby's skin- smooth, soft and nice. I only wish we had one of these facilities in Alaska....it would be a quarterly visit to get rid of all of this old skin!!