Bath Salt Benefits: Dead Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan Salt & Epsom Salt. Which one should you choose?

In this article we will look at three most popular types of bath salts, explore their differences, composition of minerals, talk about bath salt benefits, risks, and help you choose best option for your relaxing detox and aromatherapy bath at home.

General Bath Salt Benefits

Taking a bath with salt water is not meant for just relaxation and aromatherapy experience before bedtime. There are numerous general benefits to taking baths with salt. Of course, the benefits you receive depend on the type of salt you choose. We will look in detail into three types of baths salts and their benefits for our body later in the article, but first let's explore general bath salt benefits below.

KEY Bath Salt Benefits Include:

• Prevention of colds
• Normalization of blood pressure
• Minimizes muscle cramps
• Relieves the symptoms of psoriasis and eczema
• Prevention of various heart diseases
• Moisturizes dry skin
• Restores skin firmness and elasticity
• Prevention of allergic reactions
• and of course salt bath relaxes the body, and relieves physical and emotional stress

It is important to note that the use of salt baths is NOT recommended in the following cases:

• Open wounds and abscesses
• Pregnancy
• Fungal diseases
• Arrhythmia
• Hypertension
• Tuberculosis

Bath Salt Uses

Bath salt uses are very basic, so you can’t go wrong with properly using them. Try various ways of using bath salts until you've got the one you like, or maybe you will use bath salts in more than one way.

In the bathtub - most people prefer to receive bath salt benefits by using them directly in the bathtub, and it is actually the best way to get full benefits from bath soaks. Salt baths help encourage healthy sleep, and you get all the advantages of aromatherapy, as well as minor exfoliating and skin softening benefits. In addition, bath soaks can help to relieve tired or painful muscles.

In the tub - sprinkle those bath salts around the bottom of your tub and experience aromatherapy advantages of bath salts. They will melt with hot water and release steam from bath salts and additives, making a personal aromatherapy steam shower just for you.

To exfoliate - combine 1/2 cup of bath salts with a drizzle of body oil, such as sweet almond oil or coconut oil, mix well, gently exfoliate and smooth the skin, and clean problem spots such as elbows and knees, or bottoms of the feet. Do not use bath salts on the face, as they are too abrasive for the gentle face skin.

Soak Your Feet before Pedicure - sprinkle 1/4 cup of bath salts in warm water in a foot bath or a large basin. Soak your feet and relax, allowing your skin to be softly softened by bath salts before the do-it-yourself pedicure.

How to Use Bath Salt

For a standard-size bathtub, use 1 cup of bath salt. To help the salt dissolve faster, add the salt into the warm flowing water as your tub fills, and use your hand to slowly stir the water. Soak for at least 20 minutes to get the full bath salt benefits, then rinse with in a shower before you put your clothes on. Kids over the age of three can also enjoy bath salt benefits. However, the amount of added salt must be reduced to only half a cup of bath salt.

NOW LET’S LOOK IN DETAIL INTO THE THREE MOST POPULAR TYPES OF BATH SALTS ON THE MARKET.

Bathing in Dead Sea Salt

The Dead Sea Salt is known for its healing properties for decades, all the way from the ancient Cleopatra times. It is believed that Cleopatra had her own personal beauty spa right in the Deas Sea Salt Lake! She was regularly bathing in the lake’s nutrient rich mud and hyper saline waters, which kept her majestical beauty lasting long into her later years.

Every year tourists travel to a famous Dead Sea Salt Lake to reap up the benefits of bathing in dead sea salt. Located between Israel and Palestine, the Dead Sea is a salt lake that is more than 15 million years old. Among the planet’s saltiest bodies of water, the Dead Sea Salt Lake has a salinity of 34.2% – which is ten times more saltier than the ocean. The prevalence of medicinal properties in the Dead Sea Salt Lake has led millions to fly to its shores and immerse themselves in the majestic waters. Various studies into the general advantages of minerals present in Dead Sea Salt Lake has demonstrated a enormous anti-aging effect, with decrease in skin wrinkling of up to 40 percent. The minerals also hydrate, detoxify and smooth the skin and increase the body's relaxation, make us not only look younger, but also feel younger. In addition, the body is believed to benefit from bathing in dead sea salt, by healing various skin conditions, detoxifying the body, and enhancing internal body processes.

While you probably can’t regularly travel to Dead Sea Salt Lake to reap up the benefits of it’s majestic waters, you can definitely make a detox bath with dead sea salt in the comfort of your own home!

Benefits of Dead Sea Salt

There are numerous benefits of dead sea salt baths:

• Superior skin hydration
• Reduced skin redness and roughness
• Treatment of oily skin on the body
• Reduction of skin roughness, clogged pores, acne and blemishes
• Reduction of fine lines and deep wrinkles (by up to 40%)

The Dead Sea Salt Content Analysis

There are 10 times more minerals in Dead Sea Salt than in regular Epsom salt. Those minerals effectively nourish the skin and muscles, cleanse, detoxify, and restore a healthier body balance:

Magnesium – effectively detoxifies and cleanses epidermis of the skin. It stimulates the metabolism of the cells, helping to repair weakened or inflamed skin.

Calcium - encourages skin growth and development, preserves moisture, and increases antioxidant production.

Sodium - helps to cleanse and exfoliate the skin, neutralize free radicals and relax sore muscles.

Bromide - calms the skin, relaxes the muscles of the body and calms the nerves.

Iodine - essential for thyroid gland to function properly and helps in the metabolic exchanges of the body.

Zinc - helps to repair and rejuvenate the skin, removes acne and protects the collagen-producing lipids and fibroblast cells of the skin.

Potassium - ideal for keeping the skin wet and supple, as well as for reducing swelling.

Sulphur - allows pores to decongest. It also has strong healing properties that are antifungal, antimicrobial, and antibacterial.

Pink Himalayan Salt Benefits

You have probably seen those beautiful pink Himalayan salt crystals and lamps everywhere. They do look very appealing, but the big questions remains - is Himalayan Salt good for you? Pink Himalayan Salt is nestled in the Punjab region of Pakistan in the world's richest and oldest salt fields, where it is mined from salt reservoirs that are 5,000 feet deep below the Himalayan Mountain Range. Those mines are very old, dated back to the Precambrian Period of more than four billion years ago when planet Earth was first created! Pink Himalayan Salt is minimally refined and gets it’s distinctive rosy hue from a large variety of trace minerals, including magnesium and potassium.

Pink Himalayan Salt bath benefits derive from the ionic salt solution that penetrates the skin and helps it to remove toxins from the skin tissues, leaving you feeling refreshed and nourished. Soaking in a crystal salt bath in the Himalayas is like recharging your body’s batteries. Your body gets an effective Himalayan Salt cleanse as you get recharged and energized from the minerals in the salt water, improving your metabolism and triggering the powers of body’s self-healing.

Studies have found numerous Pink Himalayan salt benefits for skin and body. Taking regular baths with Pink Himalayan Salt will help your body in the following ways:

• Pink Himalayan Salt encourages proper hydration of the skin and makes it softer and cleaner. After taking a bath with Pink Himalayan salt your body’s skin is plumped up and protected from dryness by forming a natural protective coating.
• Bath soaks with Pink Himalayan Salt help to relieve colds, congestion, and breathing issues as the salt is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory.
• Removes toxins and improves metabolism
• Helps to decrease common signs of aging
• Pink Himalayan Salt normalizes blood pressure with regular use
  
• The minerals in Pink Himalayan Salt help to minimize muscle cramps and tension
• Relieves the symptoms of psoriasis and eczema
• Restores skin firmness and elasticity
• Prevention of allergic reactions on the skin
• Pink Himalayan Salt also regulates body’s PH levels, which help to promote the immunity and healthy digestion. It has a strong effect on the pH of the blood because Himalayan sea salt contains sodium as well as other electrolytes.

Does Himalayan Salt have Iodine?

When it comes to including Pink Himalayan Salt in a diet, many people wonder is Himalayan salt healthy to consume? While many people have used it the same way as table salt, some researchers have discovered that one of the most significant elements needed in any salt, iodine, is lacking from the Pink Himalayan salt. Iodine is necessary for Thyroid hormone development, and the shortage of iodine in the body can contribute to Goitre, enlarged thyroid glands. Therefore, consuming Pink Himalayan Salt is not recommended for people with low levels of iodine, especially pregnant women, and it is a wiser choice to switch to a regular iodised salt. On the other hand, Himalayan salt is a marginally healthier choice than standard salt. Therefore, people who have enough iodine from other sources in their diet and don’t have iodine deficiency, can safely switch to Pink Himalayan salt for their dietary needs.

Pink Himalayan Salt Health Benefits

When it comes to using salt in your diet, Pink Himalayan salt is a much more balanced and safer salt alternative in contrast to traditional table salt. It is one of the purest salts you can find on the market today, high in calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron. It is also hand-mined and unprocessed, meaning you get the best quality of salt in your diet. On the other hand, table salt gets highly refined, which removes many minerals during the process. In addition, most industrial table salts often undergo a bleaching process and contain compounds of aluminum and other horrible additives considered to be extremely toxic to human health.

Pink Himalayan Salt Minerals

One of the marketed health advantages of Pink Himalayan salt is that it is packed with trace minerals that are not present in normal table salt that most people use. Pink Himalayan salt is often said to be the most beneficial as well as the cleanest salt available on the planet today. To be exact, there are 84 minerals and trace elements in Pink Himalayan Salt, including calcium, magnesium, potassium, copper and iron. This is an impressive number, don’t you think?

Himalayan Salt vs. Sea Salt

So what is the difference between Pink Himalayan Salt and Dead Sea Salt? Both seem to be good, right? Let’s take a closer look into this.

The Dead Sea Salt is formed through the process of evaporation of ocean water or saltwater lakes. It mostly contains sodium chloride, and usually includes different trace minerals such as potassium, iron and zinc, depending on the origins and how it has been treated. Sea salt is manufactured naturally, however it may harbor small quantities of heavy metals like lead due to ocean contamination. Microplastics can also be found in dead sea salt due to problems with ocean pollution.

Pink Himalayan Salt contains more minerals and trace elements (84 as we saw above) than Dead Sea Salt (72, and in smaller percentages). The hand mining process of Pink Himalayan Salt ensures it’s superb purity without the use of metal tools or pollution to contaminate its composition. In addition, the minerals found in Pink Himalayan Salt mimic our natural body’s composition more closely that those found in Dead Sea Salt.

For the reasons above, most health experts rank Pink Himalayan Salt higher than Dead Sea or other salts.

Himalayan Salt Detox Baths for Colds

Bath soaks with Pink Himalayan Salt help to relieve colds, congestion, and breathing issues as the salt is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. We have a special “Cold Relief” Pink Himalayan Salt Bath Soak in our store with eucalyptus, spearmint and peppermint.

Detox baths for colds will also calm the body and ease muscle aches and soreness. Always drink plenty of water before, during, and after a detox bath. Do not take a detox bath for cold if you are experiencing fever above 101.3°F (38°C), shortness of breath, you’re wheezing, have a blood pressure or severe headache.

Himalayan Salt Cleanse at Home

Prepare a reasonably heated bath where the water makes you sweat but without your body getting too hot, in other words similar to a hot tub. Hydration is necessary, so make sure that you have a glass of water within your tub's reach before getting into the bath.

When the tub is filling up, add a cup of Himalayan Salt in water and stir well for a while to ensure that the salt is blended and dissolved uniformly. You can increase the dosage up to 2 cups if you want a higher concentration. Soak for about 20 minutes in a tub. You can add essential oils, carrier oils, dry flowers, and anything else that suits your preferences for a more luxurious detox bath at home. When you're done, get out of the bath slowly. No need to clean off, just dry pat with a towel. Drink a lot of water to help flush all the contaminants from your body more effectively, and we advise you to be kind to yourself and relax after taking the soak. This is a powerful detox for your body, and you need to relax a bit before you get back into your regular life routine.

Himalayan Salt for Weight Loss

Yes, Himalayan Salt can be used to help you loose weight too. Let’s look at four main ways of using Himalayan Salt for weight loss.

1. Improve your metabolism & digestion

Himalayan Salt will help your body digest beneficial nutrients, which in turn will help to increase your metabolism through a healthy diet. It is a well known fact that improved metabolism is a major factor in weight loss, combined with diet and exercise.

2. Control Your Cravings

The first thing in the morning is a perfect time to control your cravings. You will need to blend a teaspoon of Himalayan salt with your morning water (or your drink of your choice) and drink the whole glass before having your breakfast. This will release your cravings for sweet or salty food throughout the day.

3. Detoxify you Body Before Bedtime

Toxins from the food that we consume everyday, specifically from junk food, get trapped in our body, which creates a hormonal imbalance and make it hard for us to lose weight. Taking a Himalayan salt bath at night is a perfect way to help your body detox and get rid of all the toxins, in addition to receiving all other Himalayan Salt benefits mentioned above.

4. Regulate Your Appetite

Have you ever felt hungry just a few hours after a big meal? Why is that happening, you consumed so much food and felt like not eating for the next few days!? This is because your body has not consumed the proper kinds of minerals from the food you ate. Himalayan salt is a perfect way to regulate your appetite. Adding Himalayan salt to your diet will help your body get the proper minerals and nutrients so you no longer feel hungry.

Epsom Salt Formula

We have seen that Himalayan Salt and Dead Sea Salt are both full of beneficial minerals and trace elements. But what about Epsom Salt? We see it more often on store shelves than other salts, and they advertise it has great advantages for our health. Let’s take a closer look. Epsom Salt Formula is very basic – it mainly consists of magnesium and sulfate. That’s it! The mixture of both ingredients is thought to activate mechanisms of detoxification. Magnesium is a natural substance that eliminates toxins from our body, while sulfate can reinforce the digestive tract's walls and make it easier to release toxins.

Epsom Salt Bath Benefits

Due to its basic formula, there are not many Epson Salt Bath Benefits we can   mention here. Bathwater with Epsom salt may soften hard, dried skin, and   exfoliate dead skin cells. Body damaged by skin disorders, including eczema and   psoriasis, can also be soothed. For people living with certain forms of   inflammatory disorders, such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, gout, and psoriatic   arthritis, Epsom salt bath can provide pain relief and minimize swelling. 

 Epsom salt can help cure foot infections such as athlete feet or incarnated     toenail. Therefore, if you have access to Himalayan Salt or Dead Sea Salt,   always give your preference to those types over Epsom Salt for your   aromatherapy and detox baths at home.

Epsom Salt Bath Side Effects

Epsom bath salts should be used with care. It can dry out the skin after baths, which may be extremely troublesome in cold weather and for individuals with normally dry skin. If you do choose Epsom Salt over Himalayan Salt or Dead Sea Salt, always start your bath with only a little salt (1/4 cup) and raise gradually if tolerated. Carefully check the skin for dryness, and after soaking, make sure to rinse in the shower and moisturize the skin.

Substitute for Epsom Salt Bath

As mentioned above, Epsom Salt is the most basic salt available on the market today. Having a bath with Epsom Salt will not provide you with many health and detox benefits, and may even dry out your skin. Moreover, it's become a very popular practice to color Epsom salts with artificial colorants to give it beautiful colors. It may look pretty but this is definitely not beneficial for your body, and can even lead to Yeast infections. If you see those colorful salts on the market, stay away from purchasing them. Go for Himalayan Salt or Dead Sea Salt instead as they are a superior Epsom salt alternatives for your detox bath at home.

Epsom Salt Bath Pregnancy

While Epsom salt itself does not pose any risk during pregnancy, the hot bath is the only risk you may be exposed to. It is typically recommended to take hotter than usual baths when adding salt into the water, to allow it to better absorb into your body and fully dilute in water. Owing to the possibility of overheating and the elevated risk of dizziness and fainting, hot baths during pregnancy and breastfeeding are best avoided. A substantial increase in your core body temperature could interfere with the growth of your infant, particularly within the first 12 weeks. Therefore, it is best to avoid bath salts during pregnancy altogether.

Epsom Salt Yeast Infection

For Candida infections, Epsom bath salts are not recommended. Epsom salts include iodine and baking soda, both of which will modify the vagina's normal bacterial PH balance, which will worsen your yeast infection even further. Treat your yeast infection first, and then take a bath with salt.

Where Can I Purchase Quality Natural Bath Salt Online?

Here at My Skincare Oasis, we take your Bath Salt Soak experience to a more luxurious level. We think bathing in plain salt is just boring, why not take it to the next level, and get even more bath salt benefits from our natural additives. Our bath salts smell amazing, have dried flowers and herbs in them, and will truly spice up your bath experience. Most importantly, we source all of our natural ingredients from trusted suppliers who regularly inspect their raw materials and carry "Certificate of Analysis" for each product they offer. 

Our Natural Salt Bath Soak Varieties Include:

"Uplifting" Bath Soak - Dead Sea Salt with Calendula, Orange & Cedarwood

"Clear Your Mind" Bath Soak - Dead Sea Salt with Corn flowers, Rosemary & Lemon

 "Relax with Me" Bath Soak - Dead Sea Salt with Lavender & Bergamot

"Mood Enhancer" Bath Soak - Dead Sea Salt with Rose & Jasmine

"Cold & Sinus Relief" Bath Soak - Pink Himalayan Salt with Eucalyptus, Spearmint & Peppermint

Get you natural bath salt soak on our website today. You sure will enjoy your luxurious detox and aromatherapy bath at home with our exclusive selection of natural Pink Himalayan and Dead Sea Salt bath soaks.