Featured image by Morihata (binchotan charcoal). Orig posted on 10/7/21, Readability updates on 2/28/24
I keep getting served the Goshi exfoliating towel ad a million times over, so I had to investigate the company behind the ads (and a bunch of exfoliating towel competitors from Korea, Taiwan, to Turkey).
You may assume if a brand touts ‘Inspired by Japan’s decades-old, deep-exfoliation methods,’ it is Japanese, but many marketers will falsely tout themselves as a ‘black-owned business’ or will imply that they and their products are Japanese.
Morality and integrity are out the door for these types, and it is all about getting rich by any means necessary and adhering to the rules is only for you and me. It is the one reason why I will not list any product in this post, because my rules.
I looked into the person/people behind the Goshi brand, and I compared the brand and product to the other exfoliating towels/mitt competitors from Japan (Salux), Taiwan (Earth Therapeutics), and Korea (Songwol).
The red icons below denote the summaries for a quick read of the article.
Is Goshi a legit product?
Since they explicitly state ‘made in Japan,’ I have to believe them (unlike other brands that deceptively imply they are),
Goshi acts like they have something to hide because they are not transparent with who they are like many of the Chinese brands pretending to be Japanese. Like many of those deceitful brands, I have to dig for the information.
Goshi also ignored all correspondence via email and direct messages, although people/businesses get inundated by SPAM.
The company touts that the product is made in Gunma, Japan, and the dude behind the brand does some really cool chit (design and videography). From what I can find out, it is Garret Gutierrez out of Los Angeles, California. If this is the efforts of primarily one dude, it’s fairly impressive although no wonder the Goshi brand is so nicely executed because his portfolio of work, his Kickstarter campaign (check out the kickstarter to get an appreciation of what went all into the business).
Except, like with all businesses and brands, there are few areas that need work when it comes to their transparency as a company/brand:
- No actual “About Us”: like so many companies online, especially the ones that use a .jp address, and they provide no actual information in the “About Us” section about themselves. This company relies solely on the creative/marketing, but does not capitalize on branding at all (branding is not graphic design).
- No response: If you are wondering why I do not know any additional details, it is because my attempts at contacting them via email was a failure, and they never responded to my DM’s.
Nowadays, if you buy a product through a seller without a physical location or from a well-known business, you may be surprised who you are buying from. It is also all too common to wind up with a counterfeit product or a product you thought was made elsewhere.
Buying Japanese products can be very difficult because they are not necessarily that high-tech of a country. Japan still uses fax machines, clothes dryers are non-existent, Yahoo of all sites is still very popular, and they are the only ones calling social media ‘SNS,’ which is also why they flail when it comes to the internet. Knowing that, now you know why it would be a struggle to name one globally successful Japanese internet company. So, please keep in mind when you think you are buying from a Japanese company, you probably are not:
When most see a Chinese brand they steer clear because of the “made in China” reputation (for poor quality), which means a lot of products by Chinese companies are often marketed under the guise of being Japanese.
From knives, clothing, housewares, to restaurants are often branded with Japanese sounding names.
- Imitations/knockoffs: If you are buying off of Amazon, there have been instances where vendors/customers will come across potentially counterfeit products although it looks as though it is not all too often, although it is hard to know for certain. Except, most Amazon buyers would not care, and they would look the other way to save a buck.
- Buying online/website: there are a number of large Japanese companies that do not sell online or directly to the public, and they all go through dealers. So if you are buying direct or from a website, spend a little more time to see who you are buying from.
- Implied/misleading: many non-Japanese companies often tout or use the word “Japanese, Japan, or use a .jp” web address to imply they are a Japanese company. The ‘Japanese’ card is their gold card for producers who want to hide their true origin of manufacture.
Why Do You Need an Exfoliating Towel: the Claims Made by 5 Brands
These are also 5 brands that you can trust what you are going to get and what is being touted, well from what I have researched.
I will leave out the details of where I first experienced an exfoliating mitt, but let me just say it was sort of a spa-like setting.
I felt like a salmon being de-scaled.
Earth Therapeutics
The one Taiwanese offering which is sold by Target and Ulta, so you know they deliver when big box retailers are your PIC (partner in crime bruh).
You typically can’t go wrong with most Taiwanese, Korean, or Japanese products.
- Gently exfoliates dead skin cells and cleanses
- Opens clogged pores
- Massages and stimulates circulation
- 1005 Nylon
- Extra long 3 foot length is perfect for hard to reach places and full body use
- Cruelty free
Goshi
A Japanese product by an American brand/business.
The founder Garrett Gutierrez
- GOSHI is the solution to replace your loofah, scrub brush and even other like-products. GOSHI has a unique and balanced contrast of texture, ensuring a complete clean unlike anything you’ve experienced before.
- GOSHI makes it easy to get complete coverage of your body. Other products give you only what’s available with-in reach or are too cumbersome to use with ease. GOSHI keeps it simple, allowing you to clean areas you may have never gotten to before.
- GOSHI’s signature rip-resistant weave is made up of two uniquely developed threads. This blend has been specifically formulated to balance exfoliant effectiveness with efficient cleanliness. The Lathering Thread – Thin, tightly woven threads create a perfect lather for a complete clean. The Exfoliating Thread – Textured threads scrub away dead skin cells to reveal smooth, polished skin.
- GOSHI is made in the 1,400 year old textile capital Gunma, Japan. GOSHI is very carefully and considerately manufactured by what we believe to be some of the best textile producers in the world and they have put a lot of time, resource and energy refining and creating the most up-to-date textile production methods and techniques. With multi-generational experience and background, GOSHI was produced as a balanced exfoliation solution for all skin types and we think we might have got it! 🙂
Morihata
A Japanese American brand sold through American dealers/vendors.
Founded in 2005 by a husband and wife, Yuka and Kaz Morihata, in Philly.
- MORIHATA (a Japanese American brand sold through American dealers/vendors):
- Binchotan Charcoal
- Ultra fine Binchotan charcoal powder is blended into towel fibres.
- Enhances blood circulation.
- Helps remove toxins from skin.
- Absorbs moisture and odour.
- Artisanally crafted in Japan’s Kishu region from traditional techniques.
- Binchotan charcoal is seen as the best possible charcoal to purify water.
Salux
A Japanese company and product sold through numerous dealers/vendors.
Created in 1966.
- A Japanese National Invention Award winner, it was created in 1966 and now holds patents Worldwide.
- It’s from Japan where bathing is an art, a science, and a daily part of the lifestyle culture.
- 11″x35″, drape it down your back and easily wash your neck and back, creates a rich invigorating lather exfoliates your entire body as it polishes your skin.
- Special patented texture stimulates your skin and promotes blood circulation.
- 60% nylon 40% polyester
- Hygienic and durable rinses clean and dries quickly after each use.
- Excellent for camping, the gym, massage and traveling.
- Longer lasting and more sanitary than a washcloth or a loofah product.
- No mildew odors.
Songwol
A Korean product sold through numerous dealers/vendors.
Founded in 1949
- Natural Skin Exfoliation – These exfoliating scrub bath mittens can help clean away dirt, oils, and impurities all over your body to leave it looking soft and radiant.
- Gently Lift Away Impurities – Our body washcloths are ideal for removing dry, dead skin cells and other pore-clogging impurities to reduce blackheads and breakouts.
- Full-Body Cleaning – We recommend using these wash cloths in the bath or shower on your shoulders, legs, thighs, back, feet and arms to get a deeper, efficient clean.
- Washable and Reusable – Crafted with premium viscose rayon our washcloths for women and men can be machine washed and tumble dried for long-lasting value.
- Trusted Quality Assurance – Here at [Songwol towel] we take the quality of our products seriously, which is why every order comes backed by unbeatable customer service.
“Founded in 1949, Songwol has 240 employees and takes 35% of Korean towel market. By ceaseless investment on R&D, Songwol itself became a Korea’s leading towel brand”
– Songwol, Korea
With Korean exfoliating mitts/towels, the color denotes the abrasiveness. Pink and blue are the softest and green denotes a moderate coarseness (I wish my personality was green).
Like varying sandpaper grits.
Goshi did not invent the exfoliating towel, so here are the other competing brands
All of the brands listed below are not all Japanese, and I have added what appears to be the most reliable sources on the market for exfoliating cloth/towels. Just keep in mind that all of the cited information below is what is cited by the producer/seller.
| BRAND/SIZE | MATERIAL | MADE IN | SELLER/PRICE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ayate 10″ W 12″ L | 100% natural agave. | Mexico | Amazon – $8.13 (1pc) Crate & Barrel – $8 (1pc) Public Goods – $6 (1pc) |
| Earth Therapeutics Hydro Towel 1′ W 3′ L | 100% Nylon | Taiwan | Target – $4.99 (1pc) Ulta – $7 (1pc) |
| Goshi roughly 11″ x 47.25″ | 100% Nylon | Gunma, Japan | Amazon – $14.99 (1pc) Direct – $15 (1pc) |
| Songwol Korean Italy Towel 5″ W 6.3″ L | 100% Viscose Rayon | Korea | Amazon – $3.39 (4pc) Walmart – $5.98 (5pc) |
| MicrodermaMitt body mitt N/A | 100% Floss Silk | Turkey | Direct – $33 (1pc) |
| Morihata Binchotan Charcoal 9” W 40” L | 58% Cotton 33% Polyester 9% Binchotan Charcoal-Infused Rayon | Kishu, Japan | Fendrihan – $18 (1pc) Rikumo – $20 (1pc) |
| Morihata Deep Exfoliating Body Scrub Mitt 5 ½” W 7 ¾” L | Sasawashi Surface: Washi Paper Lining: Polyester, Polypropylene Piping: Linen, Cotton | Japan | Fendrihan – $26 (1pc) Rikumo – $28 (1pc) |
| Morihata Open Weave Exfoliating Towel 10.63″ W 36.61″ L | Sasawashi fabric washi paper thread plant fibers | Osaka, Japan | BurkeDecor – $15 (1pc) Rikumo – $14 (1pc) |
| Mujun Awawa Body Scrub Towel 6″ x 11” (600 × 280mm) | 74% Nylon 26% Polyester | Japan | Fendrihan – $10 (1pc) |
| Salux 11″ X 39″ (28cm X 100cm) | 13% Nylon 87% Polyester | Japan | Amzn (Kikura) – $5.49 (1pc) Amzn (Ichiban) – $7.60 (1pc) Amazon – $8.90 (1pc) SaluxShop – $17.60 (2pc) |
| Salux 11″ X 35″ (28cm X 90cm) | 60% Nylon 40% Polyester | Japan | Amazon – $14.99 (3pc) Amazon – $13.65 (3pc) SaluxShop – $13 (2pc) Walmart – $19.48 (3pc) |
| Sutera (120 x 28 cm) | Nylon | N/A (China) | Amazon – $19.99 (1pc) Direct – $19.97 (1pc) |
Are you wondering why I have hyperlinked some vendors, yet others I have not? It is because you are in my world (*cue sinister laugh*), my rules, and only the vendors with links are the ones that I have reached out to or purchased products from. In the past, I linked everybody, but I realized I could be leading readers down a blind path. Since I have never interacted with these businesses, links to them are an unintentional endorsement.
Lets go down the Salux Amazon rabbit hole
If you click on a product on Amazon, it takes you to a number of sellers which may or not care what they are selling you. So I decided to take a dive into who these vendors are because typically we are just all about clicking ‘place your order.’ NOTE: it may not be obvious, but I’m not doxing. All of this information is readily and prominently available on their Amazon profile, and I am only partially censoring their information because there is no need to put all their information on blast):
6 Amazon Salux vendors (most of the same drop seller, Yihua Yu): business name, their ratings, and location.
It’s vey common for Chinese individuals to market themselves as Japanese.
Ichiban-Japan
Top Ranked Trading
Yihua Yu, CEO
XXXX Thornton Ave.
Fremont, CA 94536
(residential address)
AMZN rating: 99% positive
Nippon Life
Yihua Yu, CEO
XXXX Hayward Blvd
Hayward, CA 94542
(residential address)
AMZN rating: 99% positive
Japan Supermall, Inc
XXXX Central Ave Ste 1611
Newark, California 94560
(shared work space)
AMZN rating: 97% positive
Japan Bargain
Yihua Yu, CEO
XXXX Union City Blvd
Union City , CA, 94587
Kikura
Lychee Tree
4252 Thornton Ave
Fremont, CA 94536
(residential address)
AMZN rating: 99% positive
(more like a 100% rating)
My-Sweetie
www.ets.co.il
Eytan Import & Distribution, LTD
XXXX Wilshire Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90021
(a virtual Beverly Hills address)
AMZN rating: 95% positive
(the actual address)
31 Hareches Ave
MODIIN-MACCABIM-REUT
7178390 Israel
WoW Smarti
Ace Solutions Holding, Inc
XXXX 43rd Ave Fl 2nd
Corona, NY 11368
(residential address)
AMZN rating: 97% positive
The vast majority of Amazon vendors seem to have good to great ratings (Amazon see’s to that), especially all of Yihua Yu’s businesses under a multitude of names.
Avoid Sutera and Sima exfoliating shower towels
SUTERA is a marketing brand that is not what they imply themselves to be (they are not a Japanese product, and they culturally appropriate to make a buck), and I would avoid the product and the company behind it.
They supposedly had their offices down the street from where I lived in Newport Heights.
Just like cutlery, there seems to be new brands popping up left and right, which is how I came across Sutera. A brand that seems sketchy because they use the typical deceitful site layout of 5-star testimonials, along with this troubling yet typical excerpt below:
“Inspired by Japan’s decades-old, deep-exfoliation methods, the Sutera Shower Scrubs is extra-long, allowing you to exfoliate hard-to-reach places with ease.”
– Sutera (Ejam)
Notice the “inspired by,” that is the key phrase, yet they have no issue saying “Japanese Dual-Weave Nylon Fibers/With This Japanese DuoWeave Exfoliator,” and using the words ‘Japanese’ everywhere, but they never disclose or tout where the product is made in (it’s been asked on Amazon and never answered, and they do not show the back of the packaging which probably has the “made in” information. If this product was made in Japan, they would proudly state it. On top of all that, when I reached out to them, this is what they replied with: “our products are designed and crafted in Newport Beach, CA, and we have manufacturing partners throughout the USA & Asia” (they avoid the, rhymes with “Ghina” word).
“Our products are designed and crafted in Newport Beach, CA, and we have manufacturing partners throughout the USA & Asia” (they avoid the, rhymes with ‘Ghina’ word).
– Sutera (Ejam)
Based on how much they refuse to answer, I am not surprised by their BBB rating although I am no fan of the private, non-profit organization. The BBB currently has Sutera rated at a measly 1.6/5.0 rating, except the complaints seem to be on par with Yelp/Yelpers, whiny.
“We are a proud American family-owned business, based in Newport Beach, California. While our products are currently assembled throughout manufacturing partners in the USA and Asia, we conceptualize, design, develop, and test all our products right here in the United States.”
– Sutera (Ejam)
I lived in Newport Beach, and they (Ejam, Inc. DBA Sutera) are off the 55, in the Avalon with Balfour Beatty as a fellow tenant. The company specializes in performance-based online advertising and marketing.
So should you buy Goshi, Salux, or some other brand?
After all the research, I have to say “yes,” because Goshi has done everything Salux has not. So the way I see it for Salux, you snooze, you lose bro. Although, if you want a lower price point, you will want to consider the Songwol product from Korea, which is more on par with Salux in terms of pricing.
After all the research: I have to say “yes” to the Goshi brand because Goshi has done everything Salux has not, like doing a website in English. So the way I see it for Salux, you snooze, you lose bro.
I also recommend the Korean brand Songwol, the Taiwanese Earth Therapeutics, and the bougie Japanese stuff by Morihata.
Also, I highly suggest you check out all the other products in the price/quality range of Goshi, such as the Morihata products and the many products sold through Rikumo. As for Fendrihan.com (aka North America’s leading shaving and grooming online retailer since 2007), I tried reaching out to them about their products, but I they did not respond to my inquiry.
Resources/articles that do not suck
- This $8 Japanese Exfoliating Towel Has My Skin Feeling as Soft as a Baby’s Bottom by Molly Simms (I like her writing).
