Konbu isn’t just a great soup stock but it’s also good for your skin. The minerals and vitamins it contains can help draw out toxins and rejuvenate your skin leaving it soft and supple. It’s even thought to stimulate and increase circulation so it’s well worth a try over a long, cold winter. Just add a 15cm length piece of konbu to your bath, along with a good handful of sea salt*, jump in and soak for a good 10 minutes. To increase the benefits of the konbu try making a konbu stock first. Add the piece of konbu to a cup or two of cold water and leave for about an hour. Next tip this in to a pan and boil for about ten minutes. Finally pour this stock into your bath and add the salt. If you make extra of the stock you can use half for your bath and half for a hot bowl of miso soup too! And while we’re talking about konbu being good for the skin this is also true for your hair and scalp. Add a teaspoon or so of konbu powder to olive oil and leave for an hour or two. Gently warm the oil in a hot water bath (like you do to melt chocolate) then massage into your scalp. Wrap your head in a towel and leave for at least half an hour before shampooing well.

*To read more about the benefits of sea salt for your skin see this post.