This is a technique taken up again by my father Maurice, an expert in herbs and their properties, who has cured numerous people using this simple and natural method.
Due to their composition, plants can be absorbed by the skin; a phenomenon called “osmosis”. In fact, skin is permeable to fats, alcohols, ethers and esters, mineral salts and ions - in other words the main components of plants.
The decision to practice hand and foot baths is motivated by the fact that there are numerous sweat glands and sebaceous glands on the soles of the feet and the palms of the hands that, once dilated (water temperature must be above 37°C), make penetration of the substances easier and improve the elimination of toxins.
Furthermore, hands and feet are packed with capillaries that as well as being more permeable than veins and arteries, are the departure point for reflux circulation.
Another reason lies in the great importance feet and hands have in acupuncture. This therapeutic method, which originated in China, is based on the correspondence of certain organs with points on the skin connected to each other via 14 imaginary lines, called meridians, along which energy circulates.
The meridians of the liver, spleen, kidneys and pancreas start from the feet and are centripetal whilst the meridians of the stomach, gall bladder and bladder are centrifugal and end at the feet.
The same happens with the hands for the meridians of the intestines, lungs, etc. Feet and hands are therefore the terminal point for the upper and lower nerves (this is why they are so sensitive when tickled) on which direct action is exercised.
Baths help improve circulation, increase dieresis and detoxify and depending on each specific preparation can be either calming, stimulating, anti-inflammatory, depurative or relaxing.