Soak in seaweed to relax and heal

DUBBED BY some as Ireland's only indigenous spa therapy, seaweed baths have been attracting customers to the west coast of Ireland since the early 20th century.

Kilcullen's Bath House in Enniscrone, Co Sligo, which opened in 1912, continues to offer seaweed baths in large free-standing porcelain baths and visitors to the bath house are advised to begin the experience with five minutes in a wooden steam chamber and end it with a cold seawater shower.

"Traditionally, older people came to help ease their arthritis. Now, we're also getting sportspeople - golfers weary after five hours on a golf course or rugby and football teams who train on the beach and then come for a seaweed bath afterwards," explains Christine Kilcullen. "We also get a lot of people who simply come to de-stress and relax."

Edward Kilcullen says the family-run bath house has been so popular that it has inspired others to set up seaweed bath houses in nearby Strandhill, Co Sligo and also in Newcastle, Co Down. Some spa resort centres and hotels also now offer seaweed baths in their package of therapies.

According to Edward Kilcullen, the key to a good seaweed bath is to use locally harvested steamed seaweed and both hot and cold seawater in the bath. "Some places only use cold seawater and hot freshwater which lessens the experience.

"The hot seawater itself adds to the therapeutic effect," says Kilcullen.

At Kilcullen's Bath House, the seaweed used is serrated wrack (Fucus serratus), harvested from Killala Bay. "Many of the spas use packaged dried seaweed which is further from the real thing.

"Our aim is to keep it as it always has been. We don't have the pretensions of a spa where you have to pay hundreds of euros for treatments and we offer season tickets at reduced prices to people who want to come once or twice a week during the year," he adds.

Medical herbalist Rosari Kingston says seaweed baths are specifically good for detoxification, reduction of fluid retention (through increased lymphatic drainage) and wound healing.

"There is traditional knowledge in Ireland of the value of seaweedy coves and you'll still see people going to these places to bathe to help heal wounds and leg ulcers," she explains.

Kingston herself goes swimming regularly in such a cove in west Cork. "Personally, what I notice most is that it helps get rid of excess fluid and within two hours of swimming, I've lost weight.

"This loss of fluid is probably why seaweed baths are also associated with weight loss," she says.

Kingston also says that the reason why seaweed baths help conditions such as arthritis is because the seaweed has an alkalising effect on the body and arthritis is linked to higher levels of acid in the body.

Seaweed baths have also been found to help certain skin conditions.

Steaming the body before the bath helps open up the pores in the skin to aid absorption of vitamins and minerals and a cold shower afterwards closes off the pores again.

The first thing to get over before you can enjoy a seaweed bath is the smell. The second is the slimy feel of the seaweed as you slip down into the enormous bath of hot seaweedy seawater.

I gently asked the staff member at Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths whether I should take the seaweed out before hopping in - thinking the brown bathwater might be concentrated enough without it! But I quickly realised that once I adjusted my senses, I was on my way to a wonderfully relaxing experience. In fact, it took only a few minutes before I found myself swirling the seaweed round the bath, lifting it up and using it like a giant unshapely loofah sponge on my arms and legs.

After 40 minutes or so of this body soak in mineral- rich water, I emerged relaxed in mind and body with skin smoother and softer than I'd felt in years.

Seaweed bath houses around the country

Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths, Enniscrone, Co Sligo. Tel: 096 36238: These seaweed baths are the original of the species. First built in 1912, they still contain enormous free-standing porcelain baths, wooden steam cabinets for a steam before bathing and giant shower heads which spill cold seawater down on top of you following the seaweed bath.

Voya Seaweed Baths, Strandhill, Co Sligo. Tel: 071 9168686:

Built in 2000 and modelled on the nearby Kilcullen's Seaweed Baths, these seaweed baths are situated in the Strandhill Maritime Centre. They also include steaming facilities and a cold shower after the seaweed bath.

Bundoran Seaweed Baths, Seafront, Bundoran, Co Donegal. Tel: 071 9841173:

Situated in a new building on the seafront in Bundoran, these seaweed baths have modern steam boxes for pre-bath steam and overhead showers.

Soak Seaweed Baths, Newcastle, Co Down. Tel: 048 43726002:

Situated on the South Promenade of this seaside town, these seaweed baths offer hot saltwater seaweed baths, individual steam cabinets and jet spa showering.

Some hotels including Kelly's Hotel, Rosslare and the Delphi Mountain Resort in Leenane, Co Galway offer seaweed baths as one of their spa treatments.