So, why bath yourself in bath salt? Though regular baths by themselves hold many advantages including reducing stress, relaxing the muscles, and improving your overall mood, adding bath salt to your routine can add many more wonderful benefits.
Extra benefits include:
Cleansing and degreasing the skin. Shower gels, soaps, and other products are full of chemicals and additives that are added simply for their shelf life. While some of these additives are necessary to protect the product from harmful exposure, others have no beneficial effect on your skin at all. Additives such as petrolatum can actually strip away the skin's moisture, clogging follicles and causing acne or other skin problems. Other additives such as preservatives or sodium Laureth sulfate (SLS) work against the skin's protective barrier by introducing bacteria or altering the skin's chemical makeup. SLS is commonly found in detergents, soaps, shampoos, and bathing products.
Bathing salts treat skin with a unique blend of herbs and essential oils that not only soothe irritation but can also help reduce inflammation. Inflammation can be caused by many things from overexposure to the sun, smoking, and environmental irritants. The drying effects of exposure to the sun can contribute to increased inflammation around the eyes and nose, while smoke and household chemicals can contribute to dry and irritated skin. In addition, environmental irritants such as smoke and odors can trigger irritation, which in turn can lead to inflammation. Essential oils that are designed to treat skin through a soothing, moisturizing, and refreshing emollient effect can relieve some of the effects of both lifestyle and environmental irritants.
When using therapeutic bath salt to treat symptoms of dry skin and inflammation, it is best to avoid those with added fragrances. In addition, most essential oils have a limited shelf life and should be stored in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. The oils will usually lose their effectiveness after a few months of continuous use, so it is important to purchase organic blends that will keep providing effective relief for a long time.
Most therapeutic bath salts contain sodium chloride. This sodium chloride can come from natural sources or be added during the process of production. Synthetic compounds such as sodium chloride are often added to enhance the product's cleansing qualities. Sodium chloride is one of the most common ingredients in conventional table salt because it works well as a deodorizer. For this reason, many consumers prefer bath salt over table salt because they don't believe the synthetic compounds in commercial products cause allergic reactions or other health issues.
Some of the best bath salts contain an active ingredient called arnica. Arnica is a clay mineral that has been used for centuries to treat a wide range of conditions including colds, flu, coughs, and fatigue. Some people may not consider this type of salt to be therapeutic, but it certainly provides some of the most unique benefits of all the bath salts on the market.
Many of the organic compounds found in organic Dead Sea salt products are antibacterial agents. The salt contains certain minerals that work to kill mold and other microorganisms that may build up inside your body. If you have any concerns about taking in any chemicals, it is important to read the labels on any bath salts you buy and make sure they do not contain any artificial colors or fragrances. Also, if you have any medical conditions, make sure you discuss them with your doctor before ingesting any bath salt. Many sea salts contain potassium nitrate, which is dangerous for children and may cause diarrhea.
Although there are plenty of other ways to soak in bathwater, you may find that Dead Sea salt is the best option. There are two types of Dead Sea salt products available: natural and synthetic. Natural Dead Sea salt is harvested from the Dead Sea and then crystallized to create a fine powder. Synthetic Dead Sea salt is derived from natural deposits and can be dissolved in any bathwater with water. You should never combine bath water with regular salt as the mixture will turn into a slimy mass if left in the water for too long.
