How Salt Can be Useful for Skincare
Lise
There is a member of my family who suffers from atopic dermatitis. The gentleman in question gets a bright red rash on his entire neck area at the slightest irritation (even his own perspiration regularly triggers a reaction). He even has to be mindful of which fabrics he wears and has lived with this condition for much of his life.
Several times, I have mentioned to him that his skin might react well to using a Himalayan Crystal Salt bar and offered to set him up with my own favorite salt treatment. At every occasion, the reply has been a polite but firm 'no thanks' with a tone that clearly indicated he sounded as if it I was suggesting he try some kind of voodoo involving ancient rituals and dead chickens.
Now, I realize most men aren't big on talking about skin care, but this fellow has been particularly resistant. To be fair, he is very mindful of which products he uses, so I can't in all honesty place him in the 100% stereotype 'guys can't be bothered with skincare' slot – but he has been brick-wall resistant to my suggestion of using salt.
Then He Got Spa
Not too terribly long ago, he and his wife treated themselves to a spa-weekend where he experienced a salt pool treatment for the first time. Although his immediate reaction to the super-salty water was redness and a slight stinging on his neck, the redness soon dissipated. Subsequently, his neck was unusually calm and rash-free for several days (I was duly informed by a secret undercover agent who was on the scene).
Not That I Care, But by the Way
When I saw him next, he approached me in a very roundabout, guy-that-doesn't-want-to-seem-too-interested kind of a way. Looking the other way and halfway mumbling, he said:
‘Uhmmm, that salt stuff you do. How does that work exactly?'
So I showed him.
In my hand, a Himalayan Crystal Salt Bar. The pinkiness (yes, that’s a real word that I made up for things with pink hues) is due to a content of iron oxides, but let's just enjoy that color for a moment, shall we?.
To use:
Wet the bar. Rub it between your hands. The salt will dissolve a bit and create a salty solution.
Apply the salty solution to your skin.
The next part is very important: allow the skin to AIR DRY.
That's it.
Super helpful tip: do not be tempted to apply the bar directly to your wet skin unless you like brushing salt crystals off of your legs and arms as well as the inside of your clothes. You’re welcome.
Why Does it Work?
Among other things, the content of magnesium improves hydration and helps reduce inflammation.
You may have heard that Himalayan Crystal Salts have the richest mineral content and are among the planets finest and purest.
However.
I've been digging around for evidence of some of the claims attached to Himalayan Crystal Salt regularly (on and off) and have to date been unable to find any scientific documentation on any of the claims. Note: I started digging at least 10 years ago.
One of the standard claims is that Himalayan Salt contains no less than 87 minerals, but various tests don’t seem to have found that many minerals. I believe the top scorer is 60 to date.
If you want to read a critical view about Himalayan pink salt, check this article by Harriet Hall at ‘Science Based Medicine’ where she goes into more detail. Mind you, she looks at the claims of this salt with internal use.
As my main interest (and experience with) this salt is external use, I can say it has worked beautifully for my skin for many years. It also seems to be doing an excellent job on the family member 'who finally came around' and now uses his salt bar daily.
A Bit of Evidence
There is some study on the benefits of mineral-rich salts for skin ailments, and this article shows that it does help and even improves skin barrier function.
Do Tell
Have you ever tried using a salt bar? Did it benefit you?
Tip: The book below makes use of salts for skincare in easy-to-make formulas. Click the picture of you want to read more.
