Did you know that salt water provides amazing benefits for the skin? Don’t worry, you don’t need to go to the sea to experience these benefits as I’ve found you a range of excellent mineral salts you can add to your bath water or use as a scrub at home!
Salt water has amazing benefits for eczema, psoriasis, acne and other skin conditions due to its healing properties. Since the plasma in your blood also has a concentration of salt and other ions similar to sea water, bathing in mineral water can help to balance and restore the body to full health.
It’s important to note that ocean water differs from regular salt water due to its high content of minerals including sodium, chloride, sulphate, magnesium and calcium. Using seawater for medical purposes is known as thalassotherapy, and is a treatment that has been used for thousands of years across different cultures.
Today you will find many spa resorts close to the sea where people can bathe in natural mineral rich water (known as balneotherapy). It can be used for both relaxation and healing, since mineral waters have long been used to treat psoriasis and strengthen the immune system.
I have found you all the best mineral salts you can use at home if you don’t have easy access to sea water, as well as a list of all the main benefits and uses of salt water for the skin!
This post is all about the salt water benefits for skin
Salt Water Benefits for Skin
6 Benefits of Salt Water for the Skin
1. Salt Water Exfoliates the Skin
Salt is a natural exfoliant and will slough off dead skin cells and open up the pores for a deeper clean. Bathing in sea water is a great way to clarifying the skin which will be left smoother, softer and better able to absorb skin treatments.
If you are unable to immerse in salt water another great option for exfoliating your skin is by using salt scrubs. Salt is abrasive and does a good job at removing rough skin from the body. Most salt scrubs use sea salts due to their high mineral content, and are able to remove toxins from the pores of the skin.
Body scrubs are good for removing hard dead skin from your feet or elbows and are ideal for detoxifying the skin. They can be especially useful if your skin has become dry and developed callouses.
Regular use of a salt scrub can help improve the skin texture and make it look healthier. There are many options to choose from when looking for a good salt scrub including scrubs with Himalayan pink salt or Dead Sea Salts. Each has different trace minerals but work equally well for exfoliation.
If you decide to use a salt scrub they are not meant to be used more than once a week since they are very abrasive. You should also be careful about using them on irritated skin or wounds since the salt will cause cuts to sting.
The salt scrub I would recommend is the PraNaturals Revitalising Dead Sea Body Scrub. It contains salt from the Dead Sea combined with the sweet almond and wheat oil to gently remove dead skin cells and leave your skin beautiful and soft.
2. Salt Water Helps Dry Skin Conditions
Dermatologists have recommended bathing in sea water to patients with psoriasis, eczema, and other dry skin conditions. This is because salt baths can help removing scaly skin and reduce itching caused by psoriasis.
The mineral content in ocean water helps to restore the skin’s protective barrier and maintain hydration. The high magnesium content of the water also helps to reduce inflammation whilst improving moisture levels.
There has been evidence to prove that patients with dry skin who bathed in salt solutions had better skin barrier function, more hydrated skin and reduced inflammation and roughness.
If you are looking for salt to add to your bath water to help relieve skin dryness I would recommend Epsom Salt. This is because Epsom Salt has a very high magnesium content. The Epsom Salts I am recommending also come in four different scents: lavender, eucalyptus, rosemary and unscented.
3. Salt Water Improves Blood Circulation
Bathing in salt water can also improve your blood circulation. Warm water will help to increase circulation anyway, but sea salt water helps by restoring to the body minerals that may have been depleted through stress or a poor diet.
Minerals such as magnesium, calcium, bromide, sodium chloride and potassium get absorbed into the skin’s pores, cleansing and purifying the skin, and leaving it healthy and glowing.
If you suffer from high blood pressure, bathing in Epsom salts may also help to lower your blood pressure and even in improve your heart health. You should be cautious however if you suffer from lower blood pressure as hot water can temporarily lower blood pressure.
4. Salt Water Helps Acne and Oily Skin
If you have oily or acne-prone skin the salt from ocean water helps to remove excess sebum from the skin and dry out blemishes. As well as this salt water can make pores look smaller by cleaning excess oil and impurities from the skin.
The sodium chloride in salt water pools also has antimicrobial properties, so can kill the bacteria on the skin that causes acne. Minerals such as magnesium sulphate, calcium and potassium then help to speed up the skin’s healing process and combat infections.
Ocean water is found in many skin care products and salt facials designed to combat acne since it is so effective at reducing inflammation and preventing infections.
If you are looking for a face wash containing sea salts to help reduce acne, I would recommend the AHAVA Purifying Dead Sea Mud Soap Bar. This soap is enriched with dead sea minerals to remove impurities from the skin and reduce acne. It is perfect for oily, acne-prone skin types as it noticeably improves the appearance of your skin, leaving it clearer.
5. Salt Water Helps to Heal Wounds and Prevent Infection
Although salt water will sting if applied to open wounds, it also helps the skin to heal. Salt is excellent at cleaning the skin and preventing infection. Saline (salty water) is regularly used in hospitals to clean a patient’s wound. Many dentists also recommend salt-water rinses to help mouth ulcers to heal faster.
There are a number of beauty products containing salt that you can use on acne-prone skin to help wounds to heal faster. This cucumber and pink salt mask is extremely soothing and detoxifying. It rejuvenatives the skin, clears the pores and helps to strengthen the skin barrier.
6. Salt Water Can be Used on the Scalp as an Anti-Dandruff Treatment
Salt water absorbs excess oil and moisture which prevents fungal growth and inhibits dandruff. It also helps to loosen and remove existing flakes from the scalp as well as stimulate healthy circulation.
The main reason salt salt is so good for treating dandruff is its strong antibacterial and anti-fungal properties. This makes it good not just for treating dandruff, but also athlete’s foot and other fungal infections.
If you want to use salt to combat dandruff, I recommend the ALIVER Sea Salt Anti-Dandruff Shampoo. It’s formulated with sea salt to relieve the symptoms of scalp psoriasis, dandruff and dermatitis.
How to Create Your Salt Water Bath
It is important not to use too much salt in the water, and also remember you need to use sea salt rather than table salt since it’s sea salt which has the high concentration of minerals. When running your bath I recommend using two cups of Epsom Salt, Dead Sea Salt or Himalayan Pink Salt per gallon of warm water.
In order to get all the sea salt benefits you should aim to bathe in the water for at least twenty minutes. The health benefits of salt water on your skin will be evident almost straight away. If you take regular salt baths as part of your skincare routine you will notice the benefits of harmful toxins being removed from your skin.
Your facial skin will be deeply hydrated from the magnesium sulfate found in natural salt. As well as having amazing beauty benefits for the skin, bathing in Epsom salts is also known to reduce water retention and bloating.
After an Epsom salt bath you may wish to apply moisturiser to the skin to help seal in the added hydration. If you want to use a natural moisturiser I recommend using coconut oil.
Recommended Salt Beauty Products to Beautiful Skin
Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow
The Elemis Frangipani Monoi Salt Glow is one of my favourite salt beauty products. It’s a luxurious salt scrub which uses mineral rich salts to cleanse and exfoliate the skin. The formula contains hibiscus, an infusion of exotic tahitian monoi oil and frangipani flowers which seal moisture into the skin.
This scrub melts into the skin and leaves it smooth, soft and lightly scented with frangipani. Frangipani flower provides intense moisturise for dry skin and is very gentle on sensitive skin. Hibiscus is a source of vitamin c with antioxidant properties, and the mineral rich salts help to purify the skin.
Sabon Body Scrub with Dead Sea Salts
The Sabon Body Scrub contains Dead Sea Salt enriched with natural oils including vitamin E, almond oil, jojoba oil, and borage oil. The granules of salt in this scrub exfoliate dead skin cells and leave the skin renewed and silky smooth. The minerals in the salt remove impurities from the skin, and the anti-inflammatory properties of Dead Sea Salt reduce any inflammation on the skin.
This product is formulated without parabens or SLS, can help to alleviate a variety of skin problems. It is the perfect salt beauty product to add to your beauty routine.
AHAVA Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream
The AHAVA Dead Sea Water Mineral Hand Cream is one of my favourite AHAVA products and is also one of their best sellers. This cream is enriched with dead sea minerals and excellent for anyone suffering from psoriasis, eczema or dry hands. It’s also great for protecting your hands from the harsh winter weather!
If you are not able to take a road trip and bathe in some natural salt lakes, using AHAVA products allows you to get the therapeutic effects of natural sea salts. AHAVA also use high-quality sea salt from the Dead Sea in Israel.
The Dead Sea is one of the best places to get all the salt water benefits for the skin since the Dead Sea has such a concentration of minerals! In fact the photograph at the beginning of this post was taken in Israel not far from the Dead Sea.
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