Lye pool in Bulgaria, image source: photo by me
Hello, guys!
Recently, in the Survey Chat of bitLanders, I noticed many questions related to health and healthy lifestyle. So, I decided I can provide some information about healing and recreation procedures and maybe give a different point of view on a particular topic. In this blog, I'd like to write about the health aspects of lye and mud and share my experience with them.
In Bulgaria, we have special places where mud and lye are available for people for free, and they can go there for healing. Usually, those locations are close to the Black Sea. Some of them are situated near the cities: Burgas, Pomorie, and Balchik. I have visited only the lakes next to Burgas city, but I am planning to go to the other locations as well.
Mud pools area in Burgas, video source: video by me
Medicinal mud
Mud in a pool in Burgas, image source: photo by me
One of the most common applications of mud in my country is performing mud baths in specific locations. What is a mud bath?
mud bath
Medical Definition of mud bath:
immersion of all or part of the body in mud for relaxation or therapeutic purposes
Healing mud is known since ancient times for prevention and treatment of various medical conditions. It is available in many countries around the world. A simple search showed me that those baths are popular in Israel (the Dead Sea), Colombia, Spain, Turkey, and many others. In fact, we do import mud products from the Dead Sea in my country, as well. The mud is a natural product that one can find in small dams (or pools), which are specifically signed. Its color is grayish to black, and in summer, it is warm and soft when in contact with the skin. Mud has a low density so it is easy to spread the substance over your body.
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The mud can be used as a mask for the hair or the face, but most people prefer healing their bodies. The most obvious result when applied to the face, is that it clears comedones and pores, especially after washing out the dried mud, due to its exfoliating effect. And it is appropriate for all types of hair, even light hair. There is no risk of darkening the color because the mud can be completely removed. The outcome is nourished and strengthened hair. The health impact of the mud applied to the body includes:
- It strengthens the immune system of the entire organism. Once applied to the skin, the useful material is absorbed by the epidermal cells and tones the body.
- Mud is used for healing several skin diseases – swellings, acne, etc.
- Since it is a natural product, helps various illnesses' treatments with minimal to none side effects.
Even so, don't get me wrong, you don't need to suffer from a disease to visit and enjoy a relaxing bath in nature. Prevention is as important as the treatment of an already obtained sickness.
Mud pool in Burgas, image source: photo by me
These procedures are best performed in summer because the winter is very cold in Bulgaria and is not appropriate to wear a swimming suit in the snow. So, the beginning of the season is in June and continues until the end of September. The pools with the healing mud are outside of the cities in the wild nature, but we have bicycle lanes to reach them. Otherwise, most places are accessible by car.
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Once applied on the skin it can be left to dry under the sun, but one should be careful not to get sunburn. The black color of the mud attracts the sunlight. Even if the mud cannot get too hot due to its consistency, people with whiter skin should be careful. When it starts drying the feel is as if your whole body is getting tighter, and you cannot move much, because the skin loses elasticity. After the treatment, the mud can be completely washed out in the sea. That is a fairly easy removal. Then your skin becomes shiny and clean. The effect is felt with the very first therapy, but specialists recommend making at least ten.
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The smell of the mud is like sulfur but not irritating. I know it might sound scary to cover yourself with mud from the ground, but those treatments are really proven in their health benefits. And I know it sounds dirty to use mud, but it is different than the regular mud. The medicinal mud contains lots of vitamins and even portions of antibiotics.
Black Sea mud, image source: photo by me
Mud is used in manufacturing cosmetic products, and it is collected by clinics, hotels and spa centers for application in their recreation procedures. However, these services are very expensive in my country, since they contain the pure product extracted from the pools, and many people prefer going to the source themselves to use it for free. The difference is that the original mud from the lakes is not so clear, has parts of plants, tiny branches, and insects inside, but it is just as healthy as the mud products.
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Lye baths
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Next to the mud lake in Burgas, two lye pools are available for tourists. The lye is actually at the bottom of the pools. The water above it is with reddish color and extremely salty. Once you enter in the water, it is almost impossible to sink, because the salt water pushes you up. And the pools are not deep at all; the water can hardly cover you up to your knees. The feeling is strange at the beginning since walking along the pool is like sinking your feet deeply into the lye (as if you are in a swamp). Lye is stronger than mud in its healing effect and is not recommended for some conditions as open skin and body injuries, some heart diseases, etc. The water creates the sense of pinching the body and the average time to stay inside should not be more than 15 minutes. What are the health benefits of lye?
- It improves the overall health condition of individuals, curing neuralgic illnesses with its relaxing effect.
- Lye helps for treatment and improving the function of the locomotor system.
- It cures the skin, due to the substances contained in the lye: salt, minerals, magnesium, etc.
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Lye has a brighter color than mud, and it can hardly hold on your body because the water makes it dilute. And the salt, contained in the pools positively affects the tone of your organism. There is no need of medical prescription to visit those pools, because lye is a product of nature, and it can hardly harm if applied for no more than 15 minutes.
Lye and mud pools are a popular destination among foreign tourists, as well. I have seen many of them during my visits – mainly Russians. This summer I will definitely make another treatment, or maybe more than one because I find them really helpful and stress-relieving.
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Thanks for reading!
- NinaB
