Most people have heard about salt baths. There’s nothing quite as relaxing as taking a bath in the comfort of your own home. It’s a great way to unwind, decompress and release tension.
For some, it’s a religious ritual and for others, a luxurious past time.
But not all salt baths are the same.
Bath Salt Gimmicks
The effect of your salt bath is mostly related to the solvent in the bathwater. What you put in your bath will determine it’s therapeutic effectiveness.
A quick search online will reveal all sorts of DIY soaks, essential oils, and bath bombs that can be purchased both online as well as from various health spas or department stores.
They will come in different colours and various sizes. The sheer volume of results can be overwhelming.
Bath salts gimmicks
Today we will look at which type of bath salt you should focus on for therapeutic benefits, and how to avoid the over-priced gimmicks.
Which one should you buy?
The most important questions are:
- Are salt baths good for you?
- How does a salt bath benefit you?
- What kind of salt should you use for a salt bath?
- How much salt should you use for a salt bath?
- What’s the proper procedure to take a salt bath?
Answering these questions will help us determine which bath salt products you should be spending your money on.
Are salt baths good for you?
Although there are tons of scientific studies and medical journals verifying the efficacy of salt therapy, there are no specific studies on salt baths.
Regardless, there is no shortage of empirical evidence supporting the therapeutic effectiveness of a good salt bath. It’s clear to anyone suffering from muscle soreness and joint pain, for example, that a hot salt bath offers immediate pain relief.
A proper salt bath can also help to relieve arthritis, headaches, anxiety and stress, improve circulation, reduce inflammation, reduce skin irritation, improve various skin conditions and even promote cell rejuvenation and healing.
We will explore some of these benefits below.
How does a salt bath benefit you?
The most obvious benefit of salt baths is that they feel good — they help you relax and unwind.
Usually accompanied by scented candles, a glass of wine and a good book, in today’s hectic world, it’s the most common method for most people to find a moment of peace and solitude.
A salt bath provides something known as wet salt therapy, and offers some profound therapeutic benefits to your health.
Wet salt therapy has been shown to improve various skin conditions such as Psoriasis, Eczema, Acne, inflammation, itchiness. It has also been shown to improve vitality within skin cells, promoting cell regeneration and anti-aging benefits.
In the before and after video below, you can see the profound healing effect that salt therapy has on the skin of a Psoriasis patient:
What kind of salt should you use for a salt bath?
Salt, or sodium chloride is both anti-bacterial and also anti-viral.
Salt is also an electrolyte which helps with nerve function and improves circulation. Thus, any type of salt will offer the therapeutic benefits to soothe sore muscles, aching joints, and reduce inflammation or skin irritation.
Common choices are Sea Salt, Pink Himalayan salt, or Epsom Salt. These naturally occurring salt products contain elements such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium which further enhance the healing effects of your salt bath.
Additives such as essential oils may offer additional benefits, but are not necessary.
Other unnecessary items for a salt bath are: soap, bath bombs, bubbles, lotions, body-washes, shampoos and conditioners. Adding unnecessary items can be detrimental to your health and may even countereffect the benefits of the salt bath itself.
How much salt should you use for a salt bath?
Pink Himalayan Bath Salt
The general consensus is to add 1 cup of salt to your bathwater.
However, to truly benefit from a salt bath and the effects of sodium chloride, you can use up to 2 kilograms (or 4 pounds) of salt for an average sized bathtub.
Needless to say, adding this much salt to your bathwater can become very expensive, given the atrocious price tags on most salt bath products on the market today.
An affordable solution is to get your bath salt in bulk.
A great choice is Himalayan bath salt crystals. Pink Himalayan salt contains 84 trace minerals and elements that are found in the human body including sodium chloride, sulphate, calcium, potassium, and magnesium.
What’s the proper procedure to take a salt bath?
The proper way to take a salt bath is to first clean and prep your body by taking a shower. The idea is to clean your skin of dirt and oils, and also to remove perfume, soap residue, or conditioner that could throw off the composition of your bath.
Fill your tub with warm water — the warmer the water, the easier for the salt to dissolve.
You want to add anywhere from 2.5 lbs (1 kg) to 4 lbs (2 kg) of bath salt into the tub.
It’s important not to add soap, shampoo, bath bombs, bath bubbles or anything else that will counteract the rejuvenating effects of the bath salt. The only exception to this rule is essential oils such as eucalyptus oil or lavender oil — you can add upto 3 drops to your bath as it fills with water, and these can enhance your bath experience and soothe your skin as well.
A soak for 20 to 30 minutes, about once per week is ideal to start. Once you get used to them, you can take a salt bath up to 3 times per week.
Where can I buy Himalayan salt bath crystals?
Pink Himalayan Bath Salt
25 kg (55 lb.) bag
We offer authentic Himalayan pink bath salt crystals, containing 84 essential minerals and trace elements vital to your body’s well being.
These are coarse grain crystals, mined from the Khewra Salt Mine at the base of the Himalayan mounains.
Comes in bulk quantities at wholesale pricing. No minimum.
Size: 25 kg (55 lb.) bag, shipped to your door.
Click here if you’d like to place an order.