9 Balinese Traditional Remedies

When you’re traveling, sometimes your body needs to recover from physical fatigue. Since you are currently in Bali, you probably want to try healing yourself using one of these traditional Balinese remedies and ingredients:

Chocolate

After several days wandering aimlessly under the infernal sun of Bali, your skin might encounter some problems. It probably becomes so tanned that a little stroke on your skin feels like a touch of a dragon. Well, if that’s the case, don’t sweat yourself by going to a dermatologist.

Just find cocoa butter or dark chocolate. Try not to eat the chocolate because—remember—it’s for reviving your skin, not your stomach. Now melt it and, if possible, mix it with anti-inflammatory caffeine and apply it to your skin. In no time, your skin’s gonna get rehydrated and get its glow.

Coconut Oil

“Chocolate is too much for me. I need a more simple solution for my skin,” you say. Actually, there is another traditional ingredient which will help your skin problem, namely the coconut tree. “Well, are you suggesting me to eat a coconut tree?”

No, of course not. We are suggesting that you use coconut oil. As a massage ointment, the vitamin E contained in the coconut oil will nourish your skin. Applying it constantly will make your skin looks younger. So unless you want to be “partially-aged,” rub it on all of the parts of your skin—kidding.

Green Tea

“Is there anything more practical than coconut oil?” Yes. Green tea. It is powerful for resolving sunburn, in addition to reducing fatigue in your legs and getting rid of rancid odors lingering around your toes.

“Wow!” That’s not it. Green tea can also help you care your hair, skin, and nails. So instead of going to a beauty parlor and waste money for cream bath, pedicure, or manicure, you can look after your body yourself.

Sea Salt

Another ingredient which will help your skin problem is sea salt. As one of the most accessible ingredients in the world, probably every household in the world, including in Bali, must have sea salt in their kitchen.

Rubbing salt on your body will remove the dead skin cells which make people look older than their actual age. Besides the immediate-benefit, sea salt can also help detoxify your body and build the immune system to prevent infection and illness.

Cinnamon

If the problem comes from your belly, try cinnamon. Though more renowned as a cooking ingredient than one of the traditional remedies, cinnamon turns to have many benefits. Drinking the mix of a half tablespoon of cinnamon powder, a tablespoon of honey, and a cup of lukewarm water will help resolve stomach ache, diarrhea, respiratory ailment, and menstrual problems.

However, besides those “serious” problems, cinnamon also has potential to help skin problems. It is said that the spice can serve as antiseptic, anti-aging, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial substance for your skin.

Honey

Yesterday you were fine. Yet this morning your nose is stuffed, you cough often, and your body is warmer than usual. Well, try drinking honey before embarking to a doctor. You don’t have to go to the jungle to fight the bees and extract honey. It can easily be found in shops or mini markets.

The sticky, sweet substance seems to be able to cure everything. Besides a cough, it can also help to cure hair damage, allergy, and even to maintain skin health. No wonder why there are many spas using honey as mask or ointment.

Kencur

As a family of ginger, kencur also has unique flavor and aroma. Since a long time ago, it has been used as the main ingredients for the most renowned traditional healthy drinks in Indonesia, namely jamu (loloh in Bali).

Kencur can be found practically everywhere in Bali and is widely-used by people around the island. “So why is kencur so popular?” Because it can improve your stamina, get rid of your bad breath, cure nausea, vomiting, and cold.

Ginger

Basically, ginger possesses the same benefit as that of kencur; it can cure a cold, nausea, vomiting etc. However, besides those benefits, ginger can also help maintain your skin health. Ginger will make your skin glow, reduce scars, treat fungal infection, and reduce cellulite. This legendary herb also has other benefits: it can prevent hair loss as it will strengthen your hair.

Turmeric

Some civilizations use turmeric for making an omelet and other civilizations use the yellow thing as a natural remedy. As it contains anti-inflammatory and antioxidant substances, turmeric can resolve skin problem, such as curing wounds and relieving sunburn. But I will think twice before applying turmeric right before going somewhere because the color and the aroma are rather hard to disguise.

However, if somehow the remedies couldn’t help your problem, you should go find a medical doctor!