Chinese herbal bath recipe

Medicinal bath refers to a fitness method in which a decoction or infusion of medicine is added to the bath water and then directly brewed with hot water or the steam of traditional Chinese medicine is used to bathe the whole body or fumigate the affected area. So what are some common Chinese herbal baths?

Mulberry leaf bath

Usage: Go to a Chinese medicine store and buy 1 pound of dried mulberry leaves, grind them into fine powder, pour 1 to 2 bowls of it into the bathtub each time you take a bath, stir well and soak.

Principle: Mulberry leaves are the leaves of the mulberry tree, a plant of the Moraceae family. They are cold in nature, bitter and sweet in taste, and act on the lung and liver meridians. Their effects are to dispel wind-heat, clear the liver and improve eyesight. Taking a bath with mulberry leaves can clear liver fire, and is helpful for problems such as red and swollen eyes, sore eyes or poor vision caused by liver fire. In addition, mulberry leaf bath can moisturize hair and make it black and shiny.

Mugwort bath

Usage: Go to a Chinese medicine store and buy 1 pound of dried mugwort leaves, grind them into fine powder, pour 1 to 2 bowls of it into the bathtub each time you take a bath, stir well and soak.

Principle: Artemisia annua is the leaf of Artemisia annua (cultivated product) of the Asteraceae family. (A few have stems), warm in nature, bitter and pungent in taste, enters the liver, spleen and kidney meridians. It can warm the meridians and stop bleeding, dispel cold and relieve pain. Taking a bath with mugwort leaves can dredge the 12 meridians of the whole body, expel cold, remove dampness, warm the uterus, relieve depression, regulate menstruation and stabilize the fetus.

Chrysanthemum bath

Usage: Go to a Chinese medicine store and buy 1 pound of dried chrysanthemum, grind it into fine powder, pour 1 to 2 bowls of it into the bathtub each time you take a bath, stir well and soak.

Principle: Chrysanthemum is the flower head of chrysanthemum and its varieties of the Asteraceae plant. It is slightly cold in nature, sweet and bitter in taste, and acts on the lung and liver meridians. The effects are to dispel wind-heat, improve eyesight, clear away heat and detoxify, and calm the liver yang. Taking a bath with chrysanthemums can help (1) relieve symptoms caused by heat colds, such as fever, chills, and headaches. (2) It can also be used to treat redness, swelling, heat and pain in the eyes. (3) It is an important medicine for surgery and has a good effect on clearing away heat and detoxifying. It is especially effective for treating sores, swelling and pain caused by skin problems. (4) It can calm and reduce liver yang, and can also help regulate dizziness and vertigo caused by high blood pressure due to hyperactivity of liver yang.

Basil bath

Usage: Go to a Chinese medicine store and buy 1 pound of dried perilla, grind it into fine powder, pour 1 to 2 bowls of it into the bathtub each time you take a bath, stir well and soak.

Principle: Perilla is the stems and leaves of the Lamiaceae plant Perilla, which is warm in nature, spicy in taste, and enters the lung and spleen meridians. The effects are to induce sweating and relieve exterior symptoms, promote qi circulation and relieve fullness, and detoxify fish and crabs. Taking a bath with Perilla frutescens can help (1) dissipate superficial cold and induce sweating, which is helpful for treating wind-cold symptoms such as aversion to cold, fever, and no sweating. (2) It can promote the flow of qi and relieve fullness, and is helpful for treating symptoms such as spleen and stomach qi stagnation, chest tightness, and nausea. (3) It can promote qi circulation and stabilize the fetus, and is helpful for treating nausea and vomiting during pregnancy and fetal movement disorder. (4) It is pungent and warm, and can detoxify fish and crabs, and is helpful for vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain caused by eating fish and crabs.

Duckweed bath

Usage: Go to a Chinese medicine store and buy 1 pound of dried duckweed, grind it into fine powder, pour 1 to 2 bowls of it into the bathtub each time you take a bath, stir well and soak.

Principle: Duckweed is the whole herb of Lemna purpurogena, a plant of the Lemnaceae family. It is cold in nature, pungent in taste, and acts on the lung meridian. The effects are sweating, relieving exterior symptoms and promoting diuresis. It is light, ascending and dispersing in nature, good at opening the pores, entering the lungs through the skin, and has the effects of inducing sweating, relieving exterior symptoms, and clearing rashes. Taking a bath with duckweed can help (1) treat heat colds and fever without sweating. (2) Measles is subtle or the rash does not appear completely. (3) Wind-heat rashes and various skin diseases. (4) It can dissipate heat and promote diuresis, so it can be used for patients with edema and superficial heat.