Sea Salt Ablution Perks Includes Both Therapeutic And Cosmetic Benefits

Salt is one of the greatest discoveries of mankind. Imagining life without salt is like life without colors, meaning insipid. Salt is not only limited to cooking and the culinary world for humans. In fact, it has many medicinal and cosmetic benefits too. There are different types of salt around us, which are used in processes like salt bathing and today we will learn about the benefits of bathing with sea salt. As sea salts are rich in minerals which help us in many ways.

What Is Sea Salt?

What is sea salt? Is it the same salt which we use in day to day life? We have heard there are various types of salt present around us like white salt, sea salt, rock salt, pink salt, black salt, etc. Well, sea salt is a type of salt that comes from the evaporation of seawater. It is also known as Bay salt, Marine salt, Brine salt, or Solar Salt. It is not processed and directly comes from sea thus contains various minerals in varied amounts like Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, Potassium, Iron, and others.

There are different types of sea salt present in the market, they are differentiated on their granule size as fine, coarse, or extra coarse granules. For example dead sea salt, Epsom sea salt, etc. Sometimes sea salt is permeated with different fragrances like rosemary, lavender, etc.

Another important aspect of sea salt is its origin. Like dead sea salt is best if we are using sea salt for therapeutic purposes whereas regular sea salt is either used in cosmetics or culinary world.

Types of sea salt used in sea salt bathing are

➔ Coarse sea salt — It is a large grain salt with 2-3 mm in size and is perfect for sprinkling in bathtubs for a bath. It is widely used in therapeutic sea salt baths as it has a tendency to absorb the oils and scents too.

➔ Dead sea salt bath — Well Dead Sea salt has a great story and the world’s first day spa was set up by Cleopatra on the shores of the Dead Sea. Dead Sea salt composition is different from other sea salts. It has a high percentage of magnesium, sulfates, and potassium.

➔ Grey bath salt — It is obtained from France. The grey color of the salt indicates the salt’s tendency to absorb minerals from its sea origin. It is rich in minerals like calcium, potassium, copper, zinc, iron, and others. It is low in sodium.

➔ Solar salt — Also known as sea salt, is generally obtained from the North Sea, Atlantic Ocean, and the Pacific Ocean. It is white in color and has big granules.

Benefits Of Bathing With Sea Salt

Sea salt bathing is a hot topic of discussion among health researchers and in the wellness industry too. Benefits of bathing with sea salt includes both therapeutic and beautification value. Its popularity is on the rise, more and more people are trying it out. Before joining the bandwagon you must learn some basic facts and benefits of bathing with sea salt.

The main benefits of sea salt bath are as follows :

● Detoxify and Cleanse the Skin — the minerals present in the sea salt are very useful for our skin. Sea salt promotes a youthful, glowing, soft and supple skin. It detoxes the skin by killing microbes and pathogens present on the skin surface. It is also a great exfoliator thus helps in removal of scars, blemishes, and softening of the skin. Not only that, the benefits of sea salt baths also include prevention or improvement of skin diseases like acne, eczema, psoriasis, etc.
● Stimulate Circulation — one of the benefits of sea salt baths include improved circulation of blood in our body. This is mainly due to the presence of potassium and potassium present in sea salt. Better circulation keeps our organs healthy, especially heart and kidneys.
● Soothes Muscles — Well one of the most famous reasons for sea salt bathing is the amount of muscle relaxation it provides to us. Magnesium present in sea salt helps in decreasing muscle fatigue. This helps in soothing the muscles thus eases cramps, swelling, inflammation, etc present in muscles.
● Useful in Arthritis — as discussed above, how beneficial sea salt bath can prove for muscles . Similarly, joint conditions which have pain, stiffness, redness, swelling, etc. like in arthritis, sea salt baths have proven very effective in many cases.
● Relieves Stress — it is surely one of the biggest benefits of sea salt baths as a warm sea salt bath can help in reaching a state of tranquility. Sea salt contains many minerals and these minerals like sodium, potassium, magnesium, etc play a vital role in our nervous system. They help in managing stress response which helps in relaxing and also induces better sleep.

Also Read: The Types of Salt – Which one is the best?

How To Use Sea Salt For Bathing?

Well if you are planning for a sea salt bath or any other salt bath then please make sure that you have at least 20-25 mins spare with you. As this much time is required to imbibe the effects of salt bath.

Some important points to remember while talking sea salt bath are —

● Temperature of the water – the water should be warm enough for an individual that he /she feels comfortable sitting in it for 15-20 mins at least. Too hot temperature can cause skin rash , redness, itching, and dryness too. Ideally the temperature of water should be two degrees above the body temperature.
● Amount of salt – if you are using salt for relaxing purposes then you can use around 70-80 grams (quarter of cup). But if you are using salt bath for therapeutic use then you need to add around 2 pounds or 840 grams.
● Aromas can be added to salt – nowadays there are plenty of modifications in the aromas as well as in the color of the salt. These help in increasing the effects of relaxation with aromatherapy and color therapy during salt bath.

so , just choose your choice of sea salt or epsom salt or himalayan salt or regular salt and soak yourself in a warm hot tub for 15-20 mins to enjoy the benefits of salt bath. Once done with a salt bath one should always remove excess salt with regular wash.

What Are The Benefits Of A Salt Bath?

Salt baths have been in use for many centuries and it is not mandatory to use only sea salt for taking salt baths. In fact salt bath with salt like Epsom salt, Himalayan salt, table salt, etc is given in case of injuries, swelling, inflammations, various skin conditions, and cramps too. Some people use regular salt also for hot fomentation. For removing dead skin from face and other body parts small fine granules of salt are needed rather than coarse sea salt. Salt bath also helps in decongestion of the respiratory tract which helps in treating cold and cough too.

Disadvantages of Salt Bath In General

As we all know that every process has its own shortcomings, the side effects of sea salt or any salt bath are –
● Itchy skin
● Dryness of the skin
● Increased blood pressure as sodium is a prominent mineral in all salts.
● Dizziness, diarrhea, headache, etc if you mistakenly drink sea salt bath water.
Who Should Avoid Salt Bath –
● People with chronic disease like kidney, heart, etc should avoid salt baths.
● Pregnant women should avoid salt baths or should take under physician guidelines only
● Young Children

Benefits of sea salt baths are easy to gain as it is an inexpensive way to treat your body for benefits like relaxation, and beautification as well as for therapeutic causes. You can enjoy salt baths in premises of your own house or in a fancy spa or resort. But people with high blood pressure, diabetes, skin injuries, and deep wounds, and other chronic ailments should consult a physician before taking salt baths regularly.

Also Read: Why is Sea Water Salty?