Is the Medieval Self-Care Practice of Vinotherapy—AKA Wine Baths—Healthy?

Photo: Stocksy/Cameron Whitman
Imbibers have eagerly guzzled every drop of evidence suggesting there are health benefits to drinking wine in moderation, like a decreased chance of developing Alzheimer's disease and a lowered risk of heart disease, to name a couple. And while those are worthy reasons to sip, there's another way to get a vino boost, according to Apartment Therapy: vinotherapy, the practice of bathing in red wine that dates back to medieval times.

But before you excitable oenophiles stain your bathtub with gallons of red wine, I must inform you that, sadly, the practice of bathing in wine doesn't technically involve bathing in literal wine. Instead, it's the act of soaking in the grapey remnants of wine production (AKA upcycling!). Basically it's another non-boozy way to enjoy the benefits of red wine.

The skins, pulp, and seeds of grapes are loaded with resveratrol, an antioxidant commonly used in skin care that research has found increases stamina and longevity.

The skins, pulp, and seeds of grapes are loaded with resveratrol, an antioxidant commonly used in skin care that research has found increases stamina and longevity (it can improve the lifespan of cells by as much as 160 percent, according to Apartment Therapy). And because of the health benefits vinotherapy offers (but also probably because of how highly Instagrammable it sounds) spas have increasingly been bringing it—as well as products made from red wine grapes—to their menus, Apartment Therapy reports.

And if any curious brands are reading—a vinotherapy bath bomb for a DIY spa session sounds like an amazing idea.

Wine could also be surprisingly helpful for teeth whitening and improving your gut health.

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