Abandon the sea baths and other wild hot baths, way too classic, and make way for the sand baths. Still (too) uncommon in France, sand therapy is considered a real source of well-being in some countries. This is the case in Egypt, as well as in Japan, where the inhabitants benefit from its many virtues, both for health and for the skin.
Famous for it’s onsen – understand hot springs – the Japanese city of Beppu also allows tourists to enjoy many more unusual baths… based on sand. In the Beppu Kaihin Sunayu, for about ten dollars, men and women have been asking for years to be buried in the sand to reap the benefits of each grain deposited on the entire body. This practice is called sand therapy and is gaining interest in Western countries.
But what is it?
Parent friends, you inevitably found yourself one day or another in this embarrassing situation where your children begged you to completely cover yourself in sand. You probably thought twice and then capitulated, despite a certain claustrophobia that comes with the fear of being abandoned under a blazing sun. Well, know that your kids have given you the benefit of a free session of sand therapy. Isn’t life beautiful?
Much more framed in reality, sand therapy – also called psamatotherapy or arenotherapy – consists of taking a real sand bath. It involves sliding into a hole previously dug to your size, then being completely covered with sand, expertly shaped around the body. Only the head, which itself rests on a sand cushion, remains visible. Some will say that this attitude is unpleasant, but it is a source of many benefits for those who are used to indulging in it, starting with a total sense of relaxation and well-being.
Exfoliation and elimination of toxins
Heated by the sun without burning the skin, the sand offers the same virtues as a sauna session, for the simple and good reason that the person covering it will start to sweat. Something that would remove toxins and thus impurities from the skin, activate the blood microcirculation and in return the skin tissues would benefit from all the minerals present in the sand. As a result, the skin looks more radiant and healthier. A point that should not be overlooked.
Sand baths are also said to be beneficial for relieving certain rheumatism. However, it’s better to talk to your doctor before throwing yourself… in the sand. Finally, grains of sand are known to be effective exfoliants. So sandotherapy makes it possible to get rid of dead skin cells – too. Multiple virtues that everyone can benefit from in baths of just 5 to 15 minutes. Something to watch out for, as burying yourself in the sand for too long can of course be dangerous.
(ETX Daily Up)