Naftalan, Azerbaijan
"Petroleum spas" have made a comeback in Azerbaijan. Bathing in crude oil was a popular local resort pastime in the 1970s and '80s. But the spas closed when war broke out in Nagorno-Karabakh, an Armenian enclave in Azerbaijan, and refugees replaced tourists. Now that the country is stable and enjoying Western investment in its oil industry, the spas are reopening. Local doctors say that soaking in a barrel of crude for 10 minutes a day relieves joint pain, cures psoriasis, and beautifies the skin. The local oil in the spa town Naftalan contains about 50 percent naphthalene, a hydrocarbon used in mothballs and coal tar soaps. Western doctors say soaking in it could cause cancer.
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