Ancient Medicinal Bath Recipes
Modern bathing is often portrayed as one of life’s little pleasures (and don’t get us wrong, it definitely is that) — but it’s also a powerful healing tool. There is an entire catalog of medicinal bath recipes and treatments that date back centuries and span cultures. First cited in the Indian Vedas, medicinal baths have also shown up in Ancient Egyptian, Babylonian, and Hebrew cultures. They were heralded for their ability to treat all ailments, from neurological to reproductive and skin conditions. A common and potent healer, medicinal baths were stamped out after the collapse of the Roman Empire in the 5th century, and the Church decided that public bath houses and saunas were improper. Fortunately, in other parts of the globe, such as Eastern Europe, the practice continued.
So, What Makes A Medicinal Bath Medicinal?
Although many traditions were using medicinal baths, Hippocrates, also referred to as the Father of Medicine took medicinal baths to a more prescriptive level. He coined the term Hydropathy (or Thalassotherapy in Greek) which loosely translates to water cure.
The main difference between your standard self-care bubble bath and a medicinal bath comes down to two things — intention and ingredients. Meaning a medicinal bath is formulated with a specific goal in mind, and appropriate botanicals are selected to heal a particular condition.
Let’s get into a few recipes that were used by our ancestors from across the world.
Bath for Low Blood Pressure (Eastern Europe)
If you have low blood pressure or poor blood circulation, the people of Azerbaijan have been using this recipe since medieval times.Recipe: Four glasses of boiling water are added to a pot containing five tablespoons of rosemary leaves, and the mixture is infused for half an hour. The infusion is then filtered and added to the warm water in the bath. The optimal duration of the procedure is half an hour.
Dosha Balancing Bath (India)
Ayurvedic medicine relies heavily on doshas. You can learn more about your personal dosha here. If you’re already familiar with your dosha, you may know that food can help you balance your system. However, there are several custom baths that can also help create calm or increase your fire depending on your type.Base Recipe: 2 cups of baking soda, 4 cups of sea salt.Vata Add On: Tulsi, Bay, or Birch herbs or essential oilsPitta Add On: Camphor, Rose, Saffron herbs or essential oilsKapha Add On: Cloves, Ginger or Tea Tree herbs or essential oils
Detoxification Bath (Japan)
Onsen is an ancient Japanese tradition that uses minerals to promote the body’s detoxification and lymph system.Recipe: To recreate an onsen bath, wash before you enter the water and ensure the temperature is high but safe enough not to burn your skin, then add a cup of high-quality onsen bath salts.
Modern Day Medicinal Baths
Inspired by ancient wisdom and empowered by modern science and herbalism, we have created two bath soak recipes with medicinal properties and tick the box of relaxation and restoration.Digestion BathThere’s nothing worse than feeling sluggish, and although a bath sounds like a relaxing event, it can actually speed up your digestion with the right ingredients.Recipe: Pour a bath that matches your body temperature and add a scoop of our Exheal™ soothing saffron salt bath, which has organic saffron and mineral-rich sea salt that heals digestion and is anti-inflammatory.Probiotic Bath Cleopatra was famed for bathing in saffron and milk to aid both her complexion and as a way to connect with her inner beauty and power. Our probiotic saffron milk bath has both saffron and goat’s milk powder to balance your skin’s pH and your vaginal flora — it’s a bath that truly heals any sacral or reproductive issues and gives you a queen-like glow.Recipe: Bathe in a cosmic concoction of natural probiotics and essential oils to replenish your body, lift your spirit, and balance your hormones by adding a scoop of Inheal™ probiotic saffron milk bath to your next soaking session.For Valentine’s Day, we are offering a FREE Strands of Sunshine™ saffron threads with every Saffron Soaks Bundle purchased. Discount will automatically apply at checkout.
