i have been trying to look up traditional Japanese herbal soak recipes but I can’t find anything. I figured given japans long history with herbology they would have some really interesting herbal soaks and scrubs at bathhouses and spas but whenever I search I either find just the current fad bath in the world or just a generic American guide to herbal bathes with nothing about Japanese stuff in it. so any one know about Japanese style herbal bath’s
https://www.reddit.com/r/japan/comments/vm554v/what_kinds_of_herbal_baths_do_japanese_have/
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Japan doesn’t do herbal baths,
The big thing are the minerals in hotsprings.
You can even bring them home for your own bath.
They don’t bath with herbs but with fruit. Yuzu to be exact.
They sell bath salts at drug stores. I haven’t met a Japanese person who admitted to using them though.
Sometimes at an onsen I’ve been to, they have one bath with colored water that was supposedly something natural. The ones I remember were dark green water which was yomogi, and bright pink which I believe was sakura? There was a sign by each explaining the benefits of the “flavor” but I’m not sure what they were.
There are bath salts and herbal soaks with kampo medicine (Japanese herbal remedies). You can find them on Amazon JP and in some other places that sell alternative medicines.
https://soranews24.com/2022/05/14/spirited-away-bath-herbs-now-available-at-ghibli-exhibition-in-japan/
these just came out recently and definitely seem to be on the traditional side! yuzu, like mentioned, green tea obviously but also bamboo grass and goldenrod.
For herbals I’d look to european hot spring/bathing culture. Germany has a shitton of herbal baths.
The people claiming that Japanese people never have herb baths are incorrect, but I don’t believe herbal baths are traditionaly Japanese.. They’re not as common, but I’ve been to several super sento that had baths that used Chinese herbs. Many super sento and some of the bigger regular sento also have a bath with fruit or herb added to it that changes every week/month or every few days. Mugwort is the most common herb I’ve seen, but I’ve also seen baths that used rosemary. I checked my nearest super sento, and they have lavender baths this month.
They don’t really have so much benefit, but I loooove using the brand Babu. The scent is very calming. You can buy it pretty easily in the states as well!
There are also all kinds of onsen salts and stuff that you can buy, but I doubt their actual benefits. They just make your experience a little more special and relaxing. On Amazon you can find the brand Tabi no Yado for onsen salts! Just remember to clean your bath well after use.