What is Jamu? Indonesia's Ancient Wellness Tradition Explained

Long before turmeric lattes appeared on cafe menus and ginger shots flooded wellness feeds, Indonesian women were already brewing their own healing elixirs — straight from their kitchens, passed down through generations, guided by a philosophy that has never needed to reinvent itself.

That philosophy is Jamu.

And if you have ever wondered why JUARA exists, what it stands for, and why every product we make draws from this particular well of knowledge — this is where the story begins.

What does Jamu mean?

The word Jamu derives from two ancient Javanese words: Djampi, meaning healing, and Oesodo, meaning health. Together they form a concept that is far more than a collection of herbal remedies. Jamu is a worldview. A belief system. A daily practice of caring for the body, mind and spirit using the natural intelligence of the botanical world.

It is Indonesia's traditional system of herbal medicine and wellness — comparable in cultural significance to Ayurveda in India or traditional Chinese medicine in China. And in December 2023, UNESCO officially recognised Jamu wellness culture as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, acknowledging what Indonesians have always known: this tradition belongs to the world.

How old is Jamu?

Jamu has been practised in Indonesia since at least the eighth century. Archaeological evidence found at the Liyangan site on the slopes of Mount Sindoro in Central Java includes traditional mortar and pestle artifacts used for grinding botanical medicines. A panci jamu — a Jamu pot — is depicted in a stone mural carved into the walls of the Borobudur temple in Central Java, built in the late 8th century.

Historically, Jamu was the preserve of the royal families of Java and Bali — a closely guarded body of botanical knowledge used to maintain the health, beauty and vitality of the court. Over centuries, that knowledge spread through families, villages and islands until it became the daily practice of millions of Indonesians.

Today you can still find the Mbok Jamu — traditional Javanese women dressed in batik kebaya — carrying bamboo baskets filled with bottles of freshly prepared Jamu through villages and market alleys, offering herbal remedies as their grandmothers did before them.

What is Jamu made from?

Jamu is crafted from the natural ingredients of the Indonesian archipelago — an extraordinary botanical landscape shaped by volcanic soil, equatorial sun and 17,000 islands of biodiversity. The most common Jamu ingredients include:

Turmeric — the golden anti-inflammatory cornerstone of Jamu. Used for centuries to reduce inflammation, brighten skin, support liver health and boost immunity. The active compound curcumin is now one of the most studied botanical actives in the world.

Ginger — warming, stimulating and deeply anti-inflammatory. Ginger improves circulation, eases digestion, supports immunity and brings visible clarity to the skin.

Tamarind — naturally rich in alpha-hydroxy acids, tamarind gently exfoliates and brightens skin while delivering exceptional hydration. A Jamu staple for smooth, even-toned skin.

Candlenut (Kemiri) — the sacred oil of the Indonesian islands. Rich in essential fatty acids, candlenut deeply moisturises, strengthens the skin barrier and nourishes hair. One of the most revered beauty ingredients in Javanese tradition.

Rice Bran — used in Javanese beauty rituals for centuries to soften, brighten and soothe skin. Rich in natural Vitamin B and antioxidants, rice bran is one of the gentlest and most effective skin-smoothing ingredients nature provides.

Clove Flower — naturally antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, clove flower has been a Jamu remedy for blemish-prone skin since the spice trade made the Maluku Islands famous the world over.

These are not wellness trends. They are not newly discovered superfoods. They are the result of two thousand years of botanical refinement — ingredients that have proven themselves across generations of real people, real skin and real lives.

What makes Jamu different from other wellness traditions?

In many wellness philosophies, the goal is to fix something. To treat a symptom, address a deficiency, correct an imbalance.

Jamu begins from a different premise entirely.

In the Jamu tradition, beauty, community engagement and sensory pleasure are considered essential to wellness — not luxuries to be earned, but practices to be woven into daily life. The morning ritual is not a medical intervention. It is an act of self-acknowledgement. A moment of attention, intention and care.

The Jamu approach to skin is equally distinct. Rather than stripping, resurfacing and rebuilding skin aggressively, Jamu works with the skin's own intelligence — supporting its natural barrier, feeding it with botanical nutrition and allowing it to function as it was designed to.

This is why post-treatment skin — skin that has been stimulated or sensitised by clinical treatments — responds so beautifully to Jamu botanicals. They do not compete with the skin's healing process. They support it.

Jamu and JUARA

JUARA was founded in New York in 2006 by Metta Murdaya, Yoshiko Roth-Hidalgo and Jill Sung — three friends who believed that the Jamu wisdom Metta had grown up with in Indonesia deserved a place in the modern world.

Not as a novelty. Not as an exotic marketing story. But as a genuinely effective, genuinely meaningful approach to skin and wellbeing.

Every JUARA formula draws from the Jamu botanical canon — turmeric, candlenut, ginger, rice bran, clove flower, tamarind — each selected for both its centuries of traditional use and its proven efficacy in modern formulation.

The result is skincare that does not just work on your skin. It connects you to something older, wiser and more enduring than any single ingredient or clinical claim.

That is what Jamu means. And that is why JUARA exists.

Explore the JUARA ritual range — each product built around the botanical intelligence of Jamu. Shop the Rituals →

Want to go deeper into the Jamu tradition? Founder Metta Murdaya's award-winning book Jamu Lifestyle — winner of 7 Gourmand World Awards — is available now. Shop the book →