Taro or Albi is a type of potato which has coarse hairy fibers and grows in tropical and semitropical regions. However, this traditional, macrobiotic specialty is not to be eaten; it is for external use, as a "plaster." After a ginger compress is applied, albi plaster powder is made into a thick paste and is used in Japan to help discharge dense protein and mucus from the body and eliminate excess fat and toxins. It is also extremely effective for absorbing sinus blockage for pain and stuffiness in the nasal area and head. Albi works well to draw out pus or stagnant blood from tumors, boils, and the like.
Ingredients: whole wheat flour, taro potato flour, and ginger powder.
Blessed with an abundance of hot water from the earth, the heart and soul of the Japanese way to beauty is the bath. Since ancient times bathing has been a ritual for the Japanese, and even in modern-day Japan you will find in almost every neighborhood a "sentou" or public bath. These bath houses are inevitably fed from a hot springs close by. Japan has over 20,000 natural thermal springs or "onsen," which have long been a way for the Japanese to purify and heal themselves. At home, they try and recapture the "onsen" feeling by adding natural sea salts or seaweeds, ginger, (nuka) rice bran, yuzu, pine, rose, etc. Besides using the bath for relaxation, the Japanese continue to utilize the bath for therapeutic purposes. The medicinal products offered below are an assortment of traditional Japanese natural bath and body care items that you too can use to regain beauty and relief.