Crude oil, ramen, beer: Strange baths around the world

Loofah not included (from left): Crude oil bath in Azerbaijan, ramen noodle bath in Japan, and beer bath in the Czech Republic. 

From hot springs to the Dead Sea, fresh milk and the blood of virgins, humans have been tireless in our search for the ultimate bath. But it’s an endeavour that’s doomed to failure: our finicky tastes will make sure we’ll never be satisfied with whatever infusion/broth/goop that we manage to concoct just so we can soak ourselves in something a little bit more exotic. And yet, judging from this list of five unusual baths found around the world that harness the mysterious therapeutic qualities of crude oil, ramen, beer, et al, bath time may just be the most transforming – if not the weirdest – experience of our lives.