Spa Week Hurts So Good: $50 Korean Body Scrub at Tribeca Spa of Tranquility

I’m a spa lady. So I jumped at the chance to preview one of Spa Week’s $50 treatments – a 60-minute Authentic Korean Body Scrub with Cucumber Facial Treatment at Tribeca Spa of Tranquility (462 Greenwich Street, 212-226-4141) that normally costs $119.

Photo credit: Tribeca Spa of Tranquility

The New York City spa is tucked away on a side street close to the Holland Tunnel. Once inside the quaint space with a blue sky and clouds mural on the waiting area wall, I met my aesthetician, a tiny Korean woman named Helen.

She ushered me into a cozy dressing room, where I changed into a gown and a pair of disposable panties.  Instead of flip-flops, this spa opts for Crocs. “Shower cap?” asked Helen, who didn’t speak much English.

First I melted in a small but mighty steam room for about 20 minutes.  Then it was time for the scrub. Clad in a black t-shirt and black shorts, Helen led me to a wet room with a vinyl table in the middle of the floor surrounded by shower nozzles and big buckets of water.  "This is about to get interesting," I thought to myself.  I lay on the table face up with my shower cap on and a cold compress over my eyes.  Then the scrubbing started.  And boy did Helen know how to scrub. 


During my intense hour-long treatment, this heavy-handed little lady loofahed nearly every part of my body.  Imagine a full-body microdermabrasion session.  I wondered if it was supposed to hurt a little or if Helen was having a bad day and taking it out on me.  Either way, I kind of liked it. 

The authentic Korean technique removes layers of dead skin and increases blood circulation. After several rounds of scrubbing and rinsing with warm water, Helen applied a soothing and detoxifying seaweed treatment to my tingling skin and a cooling facial masque made with layers of fresh cucumber.  This was the most tranquil part of my Tribeca Spa of Tranquility visit.  And when it was over, I didn’t know whether to hug Helen or call the cops.

For Spa Week enthusiasts seeking a painless spa experience, Tribeca Spa of Tranquility’s Authentic Korean Body Scrub with Cucumber Facial Treatment may not be your cup of tea.  But if you like your therapeutic spa treatments a little rough and you’re in New York City April 11 - 17, then you have to try it. My skin immediately felt smoother and tighter and looked brighter.  The scrub even diminished the cellulite dimples in my thighs.  Call me a glutton for punishment, but I’ll be back.

You can book this and other $50 Spa Week treatments across North America starting today.