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The Relaxing Enzyme Bath

© Gretchen Malik

Now that Christmas has come and gone, you may only have a moment to regroup before you prepare for millennium parties and the unknown of Y2K. Seeing that you have taken care of everyone else, it 's time to take care of YOU. By this I mean working from the inside out...caring for your inner self to improve on the outer self. For my ME time, I usually lights calming candles like Jasmine in my bedroom, dim the lights, and listen to mood music (the sounds of waterfalls, misty rain). And if I have enough time, which is almost nonexistent for me with five children, I take a long, relaxing bath.

When you think of having a bath, the first thing that comes to mind is submerging yourself in a tub filled with hot, bubbly water...not immersion in a dry, hot mix of finely shaved cedar chips, rice bran, and vegetable enzyme bath. Yet the enzyme bath is done in exactly this manner and has been used in Japan for 40 years to relieve aches and pains, tension, fatigue, and stress. The enzyme bath has proved to be a therapeutically valuable addition to the repertoire of healthy bodycare. The experience has been proven to be "profoundly relaxing." The experience of having an enzyme bath may be more akin to being buried up to your neck under sand at the beach than to a wet bath. The Hinoki cedar, traditionally used in Japanese enzyme baths, is preferred for its subtle scent which is believed to be more relaxing than the more pungent cedars. The rice bran contributes B vitamins, proteins, and minerals, and bath experts contend that these nourish the skin on direct contact.

The enzymes, extracted from hundreds of fruits and vegetables in Japan, are added to the bath to generate the considerable heat, and may be the key players in how the bath produces its physical benefits.

Enzymes are usually associated with digestion. For example, The British Journal of Aromatherapy states that there are "a number of clinical references" to particular enzymes being better than aspirin at relieving inflammation pain. How enzymes produce their benefits outside the body is not completely clear, even to the experts.

Enzyme experts shed some light on how the bath might work. It is known that enzymes help to take nutrients in and toxins out of the cells. Decreased enzyme activity give rise to the definite signs of an aging skin (blemishes, discoloration, premature aging, sagging, wrinkles, and lifelessness). Enzymes seem to enhance the skin no matter what your skin type, cosmetics experts suggest. Enzymes appear to be beneficial for the skin whether they are used internally or externally. A 20-minute enzyme bath may eliminate all symptoms of stress and fatigue.

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