In Israel, there is a sea so salty that no fish or plants can survive in its waters. Since the concentration of salt is so high, it’s easier for swimmers to float on top of the water with little effort. A popular tourist experience is to wade into the Dead Sea and float. One treasure of the Dead Sea is its highly mineralized salt harvested for therapeutic salt baths and personal care products
What Makes Salt from the Dead Sea Special?
Dead Sea salt actually has less sodium chloride than other sea salts. However, it has higher levels of magnesium, potassium, calcium, sulphur, and other minerals. It’s this diverse mineral content that gives backing to some of its health claims.
Magnesium, also found in Epsom salts, is a well-known muscle relaxant. That’s why a warm Epsom salt bath is advised for those with tense or sore muscles after exercise. It’s also why a warm Epsom salt bath can make people feel relaxed and help them fall asleep easier. Dead Sea salts offer a similar form of relief.
There is research showing that bathing in water with Dead Sea salts improves symptoms of arthritis, including rheumatoid, psoriatic and osteoarthritis. Bathing in warm water is often pain-relieving for those suffering from arthritis, and the addition of muscle-relaxing minerals like magnesium, can help reduce muscle and joint stiffness.
Benefits for Skin Health
For people with eczema, and for those with psoriasis, Dead Sea salts may soothe dryness, itching and inflammation.
Magnesium and other minerals in Dead Sea salts can also help hydrate the skin during and after a soak. The minerals hold water within the skin’s barrier cells, which improves skin barrier function in maintaining skin hydration.
You can buy Dead Sea Salts in bulk that you can just scoop right into your bathwater. Or, you can find preprepared products that may contain fragrances, oils, or other ingredients. As always, read the label of prepared products to see if it’s right for you. If you have a skin condition or sensitive skin, be sure to test a high dilution of Dead Sea salts or the Dead Sea salt product on a small patch of skin first.
For those with a skin condition like eczema, psoriasis, TSW, or acne, it’s important not to soak too long, or the salts and minerals may have a drying effect and start pulling moisture from the skin instead of delivering moisture to the skin barrier. 10 minutes or so is fine, and be sure to rinse and moisturize your skin after your soak. This will prevent stickiness or irritation, and any skin-drying effect from the salt residue.
Caution! Remember, this is salt we’re talking about. Do not use Dead Sea, Epsom salts, or table salt in your bath if you have open lesions, cuts, or scrapes that are bleeding or expose the inner layer of the skin. It will sting! Also, a salt bath is not the time to shave, as the salt will sting and possibly irritate your freshly shaved skin.
Other Ways to Use Dead Sea Salts at Home
Dead Sea salts can also make a soothing and relaxing foot soak. Put a handful or two in a bucket or deep pan of hot water and let your feet enjoy.
Another use for Dead Sea salts is as a skin exfoliant. If your skin tolerates exfoliation well, mix 1 cup of Dead Sea Salts with ¼ cup of carrier oil, like jojoba or coconut oil to make a homemade scrub. Massage the mixture gently on areas of skin to slough off dead skin cells.
If you can’t find or can’t afford Dead Sea salts, make your own soothing, mineral-rich soak: Mix together a cup or two of Epsom salts, a cup of regular sea or table salt, and a cup of baking soda and add it to your bath water. Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil, and you have a relaxing soak that will provide some of the same muscle-relaxing and skin-soothing benefits as real Dead Sea salts.
Also, do not use Dead Sea salts to season your food, or take them internally. Their high mineral content makes them taste bitter, plus they can disrupt your electrolyte balance and be toxic if taken internally in large amounts. This is especially true for children. Stick to using Dead Sea salts for external care only.
Conclusion
Seeking health through bathing in mineral springs and salt waters is a practice as old as time. For centuries, people traveled the globe to bathe in healing waters. Dead Sea salts bring the experience of bathing in a faraway land right into your home. They can be a soothing natural therapy to relax your muscles and joints, and soothe itchy and dry skin.
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About the Author
Olivia Hsu Friedman, LAc, Dipl.OM, DACM, Cert. TCMDerm, is the owner of Amethyst Holistic Skin Solutions and treats Acne, Eczema, Psoriasis, and TSW. Dr. Olivia treats patients via video conferencing using only herbal medicine. Dr. Olivia is the past chair of the board of directors of the American Society of Acupuncturists, serves on the Advisory Board of LearnSkin, and is a faculty member of the Chicago Integrative Eczema Group sponsored by the National Eczema Association.