Mud Baths for Beauty

The first curative and restorative facilities were established in the Crimea during the period of economic growth at the end of the 19th century. The trend became even more popular in the 20th century, as sanatoria offered a multitude of treatments to promote good health. As this postcard shows, there was the option of taking a mud or moor bath. The thick, mineral-rich clay applied to the body was supposed to stimulate blood circulation and have a positive effect on the immune system and the metabolism.

Nurses giving women mud baths at Saki sanatorium in Evpatoria, Russia, black-and-white postcard, ca. 1920, photographer unknown; source: National Library of Medicine, Images from the History of Medicine, http://ihm.nlm.nih.gov/luna/servlet/s/l327m3, public domain.