I grinded all the herbs I brought back from Thailand, and made herbal bags for the bath today. The room smells wonderful and brings me back to many nice memories...

Herbal bathing is a great way to relax and relieve tension, soothe aching muscles and joints, stimulate circulation, or help chase away a cold.

How to use the Thai Healing Herbs Bath Infusion?

1. Place the herbal bag in a large bowl and pour boiling water.
2. Cover and let it steep for 30 minutes.
3. Pour the infused water and the herbal bag in your bath.

Advices:

• You can use the herbal bag as a herbal "washcloth" by adding some soap.
• Don’t stay in too long in your bath or you’ll exhaust yourself and dry your skin.
• If it’s bedtime, don’t break the warm spell; simply dry off and snuggle in your bed....

  The herbal bag contains:

LEMONGRASS is a perennial herb grown in Southeast Asia for medicinal and culinary purposes. The lower part of the stalk has a pale white color and contains the most pungent flavor. This part of the plant is used in Thai soups and curries. The entire stalk may be used to make teas, decoctions, poultices, and as a treatment for colds, fevers, coughs, and indigestion. It also is known to treat nausea, stomach pain, and vomiting. Among tribal hill people in Thailand, it is used topically for sprains, bruises, and sore muscles.

CAMPHOR is distilled from the gum or resin of a type of cinnamon tree. The resulting crystals are sold in powder form, or may be compressed into tablets for easy storage. Camphor is a strong decongestant. It is inhaled to treat colds, congestion, sore throat, cough, sinusitis, and bronchitis.

PLAI: Plai oil has a wonderful, uplifting peppery-green eucalyptus aroma, and is highly regarded for its therapeutic properties in massage. Similar to ginger are the anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions, though it has an overall cooling, rather than warming effect.

GALANGAL (aka galanga) is a relative of the ginger plant. The flavor is considerably stronger than that of common ginger, somewhat similar to mustard, and it has a rich aroma. It was used traditionally to cure skin diseases and is now used in spa treatments as an ingredient in body wraps to soothe and nourish the skin.

KAFFIR LIME LEAF imparts an unmistakable refreshing taste that is essential in many Thai soups and curries. A digestive aid, medicinal properties in the leaves cleanse the blood and maintain healthy teeth and gums. In Thailand, kaffir lime leaves are added to shampoo since they clean the scalp and hair and are believed to reduce hair loss. The juice and oil from the peel help prevent dandruff and leave the hair soft and shiny, and kaffir lime extract is used as a natural deodorant. Kaffir lime leaves freeze well in an airtight bag or container.

SEA SALTS  are sometimes added to Thai herbal compresses and is an important ingredient in herbal bath infusions. It cleans and opens skin pores, thereby facilitating the transfer of medicinal properties. It is wonderful for softening and rejuvenating the skin and works as an exfoliant for dry skin cells. Salt eases muscle aches and relieves sunburn, rashes, and skin irritations. Use rocks of sea salt or large flakes of kosher salt in your compresses and bath infusions.