Creambath is Indonesian version of Hair Spa

July 7, 2017

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Remember the good old Indian hair massage with oil or champi? This has been transformed into a creambath in Indonesia!

In Indonesia, creambath is one of the most favorite hair treatments, especially for ladies. Creambath is not bathing with cream; the term actually refers to hair treatment that includes hair cream application, hair steaming, and light massages on scalp, neck, and shoulders. Almost every beauty salon in Indonesia offers creambath in their menu. Creambath softens hair texture, making it more manageable and protecting hair from the bad effects of chemicals used for hair styling. On top of that, the massages also give relaxation effect.

However, there’s a chance that you can’t find this treatment in other countries outside Indonesia, since this treatment was actually created by Rudy Hadisuwarno, one of the salon maestros in Indonesia.

It was all started when Rudy found that many of his clients had damaged hair caused by harsh chemicals and hair styling like curling, blowing, or hair coloring. That time, Indonesian ladies were only familiar with hair oil made of coconut oil or urang aring (false daisy or bhringraj) to keep their hair beautiful and healthy. However, these oils made hair look greasy and flat. Rudy then formulated his first creambath potion that can substitute hair oil’s function.

The formula was derived from hair cream that was actually for males. Rudy improved the formula with natural ingredients and processed it with technology. The result was a cream that could be used as hair moisturizers, yet won’t make hair look greasy. The cream could also be easily washed with water .

After the first creambath cream was formulated, Rudy then offered creambath treatment to his clients. In addition to the cream, Rudy also added massage treatment for blood circulation and enhancing cream absorption to the hair follicles and scalps. After that, hair would be covered with hot towel. Today, hot towel is substituted with hair steamer to fasten nutrition absorption to each hair strand.

At a glance, creambath is similar to hair mask or hair spa treatments. However there are actually some differences among the three. Here’s the explanation:

	Creambath	Hair Mask	Hair Spa
Function	To soften hair texture while enhancing blood circulation around the head, neck and shoulders. To strengthen hair strands and gives relaxation effect.	Hair mask is a hair treatment for more damaged hair that can’t be treated with creambath or hair spa. If your hair is colored, straightened, or curled, it is best to have this treatment twice a month.	Hair spa is similar to creambath, but hair spa is formulated with more vitamins and other nutrients. Hair spa can treat dry, dull, and frizzy hair caused by curling iron or hair dryer and harsh chemicals in hairstyling products.
Process	After shampooing, creambath cream is applied to hair and scalp. Scalp is then massaged to enhance creambath cream absorption. Additional massage to the neck and shoulders is also usually offered. The hair is then steamed or covered with hot towel for around 10-15 minutes. The treatment is finished with hair washing and drying.	After shampooing, hair mask is applied only to hair strands without massage. The treatment is finished with hair washing and drying.	The process is similar with creambath, but with less massage. Steaming is usually skipped in hair spa.