This $15 Japanese Towel Got Rid of My Keratosis Pilaris and Gave Me Baby-Smooth Skin (2024)

Have you ever looked at a product and thought, “Oh, I NEED that”? Yeah, me too.

Uncoincidentally, that happens to me with most things made in Japan. Like a true Japanophile, my bathroom is like an onsen. One staple you can always find in my shower and onsens-alike is a game-changer in the body care arena: a Japanese exfoliating towel. Like toro or Chanko Nabe, exfoliating with one of these towels is highly addictive but physiologically harmless.

I’ve tried everything in the exfoliation game: sugar, coffee grounds, salts, brushes. I still always revert to my beloved towels. On my constant search for Japanese products, I recently found a new exfoliating towel that’s quickly become my ride-or-die: Goshi.

Like a Korean hand towel with regard to its scrubbing power, Goshi is conversely much more substantial and covers more surface area. The length allows me to clean my back without needing to contort into an udon noodle.

There comes a time in every season when everyone craves a deep exfoliation and to shed some serious skin (whether they know it or not). And officially, the time is right now.

TL;DR: Goshi exfoliating towel is essential for soft skin, and it helps keep keratosis pilaris at bay.

The Science: Authentically Japanese

Goshi makes their exfoliating towels in a Japanese prefecture famous for their silk and textile production: Gunma. Unlike other towels, Goshi uses two uniquely developed interwoven threads to give consumers the best and softest exfoliating experience. The “lathering thread,” as the brand calls it, sets this towel apart from other exfoliators for me. Many times, hand towels don’t foam up like loofa the way I like. They simply absorb the product and transfer it to your skin for a lackluster experience. If the soap doesn’t sud, did I even get clean?

Goshi, however, whipped up into a generous lather while stripping my dead skin away. This soapsud effect is a serious bonus.

About My Skin/Complexion: Dry, mild keratosis pilaris on my arms

If you look up the definition of “Vata dosha” in an Ayurvedic dictionary, you’ll see a picture of me. Not really, but it may as well be. I fit every single descriptive: dry skin and hair, cold hands and feet, thin, and emotionally sensitive.

I thrive in tropical, humid climates because it feels like taking a deep breath for my skin. I need as much moisture as I can get.

Occasionally, I will have a couple of very mild red bumps on the back of my upper arms. If you’re familiar with keratosis pilaris or “chicken skin,” as it’s referred to, you know how annoying it can be. Keratinized hair follicles cause dry, rough, bumpy patches, which can be treated by exfoliating and moisturizing.

Since using my Goshi, I haven’t had a single bump.

How to Use: Just add soap and water

Once you’re in the shower or bathtub, soak your Goshi (not a euphemism) in water and add your favorite body wash or soap. Watch as it works up into a perfect lather as mentioned above, and start scrubbing. I hold both sides of the towel and rub it across my back like a 50’s mechanical band workout machine. I never understood how people without triple-jointed arms could scrub their backs. This removes all of my stress around maintaining exfoliated shoulders.

The Results: The softest skin that’s as clean as a whistle

I love the feeling of a professional scrub. I find it nearly impossible to mimic at home without someone else getting my back and other hard to reach areas. Goshi is long and effective enough to give me a professional scrub at home. Now all I need are fresh-cut ramen noodles from the Japanese spa, and my experience will really be complete.

The Value: Competitively priced with other exfoliating towels

A single-use Korean hand scrubber from the spa will cost you around $2. The hand scrubber is only effective after you already been soaking for at least 5-10 minutes, and you aren’t supposed to add soap. It’s an extremely time-consuming process and leaves your body clean but very raw.

Conversely, a long-lasting Japanese exfoliating towel typically costs between $10 - $20. With Goshi, you are able to start scrubbing with soap immediately for a quick and easy experience for just $15.

I’ve tried everything available in the states, and on Amazon and I can confidently say this: Goshi is the best bang for your buck.

Our Verdict: Add to cart

My exfoliating towel joined me on a recent trip to Mexico, and I was so happy to scrub away salt and sand every day, leaving only perfectly soft skin. I have a Goshi in my bathroom and one in my travel bag at all times.

If Goshi were a song, it would be Paper Planes by M.I.A—a unique classic that will forever lift your mood and dial-up your experience.