The Internet Thinks You Need an Italy Towel — And They’re Only $2

Are you a card-carrying member of Exfoliation Nation? Then you need to know about the Italy Towel, a sandpaper-esque mitt worshipped by skincare fanatics.

If you’re one for falling down the rabbit hole that is internet skincare sites — Reddit’s Skincare Addiction is a personal fave — then you may have seen the abrasive and (often) electric green-colored towel before. Also known as a Korean Exfoliating Mitt, you’ll find a variety of articles and proclamations of love for the product (“I CAN’T STOP TOUCHING MYSELF!” and “I feel like a baby” were Amazon reviews that caught our interest) alongside claims that it’s capable of changing skin’s texture dramatically.

Despite its name, the mitts don’t have much to do with Italy, except they’re constructed out of a type of rayon called Viscose, which used to be imported from the Mediterranean country. Rooted in Korean spa culture, the mitt is hailed for its magical exfoliating powers. In fact, if you believe the various posts on the internet about it, it’s basically a cure-all for any skincare ailment. Annoying little red bumps on the skin known as Keratosis Pilaris? Italy towel! Dry, flaky skin accumulated during the harsh New England winter? Italy towel! Attacked by a hive of angry bees on your way to work? Italy towel! (Just kidding on that last one.) But with the overwhelming praise for the towel, it’s hard to imagine what it can’t do.

The tub is the chosen place to break in your Italy towel, particularly after soaking in a long, hot bath. (Because the internet is a deep, dark hole where you can hunt down current photos of your 6th grade boyfriend or look for photos of abandoned roller coasters, you’ll also eventually find a variety of “after” photos, where people photograph their post-exfoliation dead skin, gathered at the bottom of the bathtub like the remnants of a garter snake.)

You can use it on its own, or add a creamy soap for a less abrasive scrub. This is best done once a week, focusing on rougher areas that tend to build up with dead, flaky skin during harsh winters. And while you may be tempted to see what it can do, avoid exfoliating your face (and other “sensitive” areas) with the Italy Towel.

Good news! The Italy Towel is mega budget-friendly, selling in packs of 5 or 6 for just a few bucks a piece. That’s a serious price drop from the heftier price tags on name brand versions like the Baiden mitten, which retails for $48.97 on Amazon.