Aromatherapy

This idea would enable to enjoy the relaxing properties and atmosphere of a japanese bath even people who do not own a wooden bathtub.
(After trying it, If you like the experience you can get the real thing …!)

The use is very simple!
Just pour few drops of the “Special reserve hinoki aroma oil” included in the kit on the orbs and place them in the hot water.
You can use the orbs over and over again.
Since they are only 3, you can easily store them on a shelf in your bathoom.
This project was developed in indiegogo, you can google for “pocket onsen” to find out about the process.
Choose the pouch color according to the sample below:

The pocket onsen comes in a high quality paulownia wooden box with the Bartok iron brand. Ideal for a gift!

Bartok design Japan Co. is member of:

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Please check our shop pages for purchasing hinoki oil.
CONCEPT:
Onsen is the japanese hot spring. Bathing in a Japanese wooden tub is a life changing experience.
It is relaxing and stimulating at the same time, stress relieving, it even alleviates skin and respiratory problems. Are you dreaming of owning a Japanese bathtub but do not have the space or the money?
We recommend you to try few drops of hinoki wood essential oil in your acrylic or porcelain enamel coated bathtub.
It is not the same thing but it is close enough to the feeling of soaking in a real onsen, additionally you can enjoy the same curative effects!
MODE OF USE:
1) healthy bath:. add 3-5 drops to hot water before bathing.
1″) alternatively, pour few drops on hinoki balls (sold separately) and place them in the hot water.
2) aromatherapy: use with your preferred diffuser.
3) disinfectant: dissolve 10 drops in a liter of water to wash hands or a scar.
4) skin treatment: It may be applied directly on skin. We recommend to try first in a small area and verify any allergic reaction. Stop direct application and consult with your doctor in case of allergic reaction.
CAUTION:
◆DO NOT DRINK
◆AVOID CONTACT WITH EYES
◆KEEP OUT OF THE REACH OF CHILDREN

HINOKI WOOD BALLS
We also offer hinoki wood balls which have aromatic properties.
If you place them in hot water, you will enjoy even more the delicate aroma.
They are also very light-weighted and warm and it is very pleasant to grasp them and hold in the hand for relaxation/rehabilitation. The size is 44mm (baby safe as they cannot be swallowed) and the package consists of 3 balls in a kimono fabric pouch. We have 4 colors available. The pouches are fully reversible so you can actually choose between 8 colors.

If you want to experience an aromatic bath, you would need at least 10 to 20 balls…
For this reason we recommend to combine the use of aroma balls and aroma oil.
We created a kit called “pocket onsen” which consists of a pouch with the aroma orbs and one bottle of aroma oil, nicely packaged in a wooden box.
Please find more information in the section about aroma oils.
USAGE: just place few drops of hinoki oil on the wooden balls and put in the water. You will feel like you are in some ancient japanese bathhouse enjoying your bath ritual!

It is called Hiba cypress or “arborvitae”, and refuses to co-exist with other trees.
Hiba is a tree native of Japan, additionally we can say that about 80% of the hiba trees are located in Japan, in the Aomori prefecture. Forests have an average age of 200-250 years, it is a tree that grows over the years slowly tempered by the harsh wind and snow of the northern japanese region. Together with hinoki and sugi pine, hiba is one of the three large trees of Japan and as a building material it is considered “first class” for its resistance to rot.

(above is a photo of 1000 year old hiba wood from the Sarugamori forest on the northern tip of aomori prefecture.)

Hiba is used in construction and together with hinoki it has the honor of being preferred for the construction of shinto shrines.
Hiba hard to rot quality is surprising compared to other trees: we can often find in the mountains leftovers of wood logged 100 years ago and the heatwood is in perfect conditions, it even maintains its fresh fragrance! Hiba is used in history many buildings Including Hirosaki Castle, this is also proves its resistance to rot in the humid japanese weather.

The reason of its resilience is its high content of hinokitiol (also known as Thujopsene).
This natural chemical compound in the family of terpenes and was first isolated in Taiwan hinoki: this is the reason for the name.
Actually, it is contained in very small amount in Taiwan hinoki, and even less in Japanese hinoki.
The plants that contain high value of hinokitiol (about 2% of the weight of the heartwood) are the Japanese Hiba cedar (Thujopsis dolabrata) and the Canary Islands Juniper (Juniperus cedrus)

We are now adding to our line-up of product the hinoki wood aroma oil.
This blog entry is to provide the same level of information for the stonger “hiba oil”

There is a saying: “in a house made of hiba, mosquitos do not come for 3 years”.
Here are some detailed information about the tree also known as Arborvitae (tree of life):

Botanical Name: Thujopsis dolabrata

Synonyms: Thuja dolobrata, Thuja, Hiba, Aomori Hiba, Asnaro, Arborvitae.

Family: Cupressaceae (Cypress Family)

Plant Part: wood (no bark or leaves).
Actually we extract the oil from wood chips and construction material scraps of Aomori Hiba tree. This means that the wood is all from the core of the plant (it does not contain sapwood). Another statement we can make is that this is a 100% ecological material. No single tree has been cut to produce the oil.

Extraction Method: Steam Distillation.

Neutral oils: Thujopsene, Cedrol, U-idrol

Acid oils: Cuparene, Terpinen, β-Doraburin, Carvacrol, i- rosin acid

Thujopsene (β-thujaplicin or hinokitiol)	Cedrol	Cuparene	Terpinen

Origin: Japan (Aomori prefecture)

Oil Color: yellow liquid.

Consistency: Thin

Strength of Aroma: Strong

Scent: Hiba Wood Essential Oil has a strong woody scent reminiscent of Cedarwood. It is different from Port Orford cedar and american conifers as its content of pinene is low.

Blends well with: Bergamont, Boronia, Clary Sage, Cypress, Calamus, Cassie, Frankincense, Jasmine, Juniper, Labdanum, Mimosa, Neroli, Rosewood, Rosemary, Vetiver, etc.

Emotional description: spicy, musky, woody, oriental and mysterious.
People who liked Hiba wood aroma also liked Hinoki, Shalimar, Obsession, Opium or Ciara.

Cautions: Generally hypoallergenic, non-irritating and non-sensitizing.
* Toxic when ingested.
* When using directly on skin or scalp, try first on a small portion of your skin to see if any reaction develops. If you experience skin irritation, burning, itching or any other symptom, you might be experiencing an allergic reaction. Discontinue use until a doctor can perform a screen.
* Pets: Avoid using hiba-oil (or any cedar extract product) as a flea treatment for cats, which are particularly susceptible to plant-oil poisoning. About dogs: verify the usability and dosage with your veterinary.
* Avoid use during pregnancy.