Living near the ocean, I love how my skin looks and feels after one of my beach days (wearing my hat and sunscreen of course!). And while the sun exposure and UV rays aren’t good for our skin, the ocean water certainly is.
Salt water benefits the skin because minerals in the water help balance and restore your skin’s natural pH levels, while the ocean’s nutrients replenish essential vitamins like A and D and minerals such as magnesium and calcium. These vitamins and minerals can reduce inflammation, heal acne, and exfoliate the skin.
Saltwater: Benefits for Skin
Saltwater has been used in skincare since ancient times. Our ancestors recognized the benefits of salt and sea water for their skin. Today, even if you aren’t near the ocean or a sea salt water pool, you can find many sea salt skincare products to incorporate into your beauty routine.
Along with the beauty and health benefits, saltwater also has the benefit of being a natural skin care ingredient, free from artificial fragrances and dyes that can often be irritating. That makes this an excellent treatment for dry or sensitive skin types as well as those with acne-prone skin.
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Saltwater also has other benefits such as relieving stress, reducing inflammation, and making you feel more relaxed after a long day.
Many people travel thousands of miles just to bathe in the dead sea, the world’s saltiest lake, between Israel and Jordan. It has ten times the salt content of ocean water and bathing in it helps people with various skin conditions, such as psoriasis or eczema, as well as inflammatory diseases such as arthritis.
Products with dead sea salts are now readily available worldwide, for those of us who don’t want to make the trip.
It’s worth noting that sea salt is very different from the table salt we usually have in our kitchens. The extra mineral content in sea salt is what makes it so effective. Dissolving table salt in a cup of warm tap water won’t get you the anti-inflammatory properties and other benefits of saltwater from the ocean or from high-quality sea salt products.
Gentle Exfoliant
Salt is a natural exfoliant that will gently scrub off the dead skin cells from the top layer of your skin. Even if you have sensitive skin you can use a salt scrub to give yourself a natural glow. Exfoliation will help even skin tone, diminish the look of fine lines and allow skincare products to better absorb into your skin.
Replenish Natural Minerals and Amino Acids
Saltwater contains essential minerals such as magnesium, calcium, and selenium. These can help heal small open wounds and support your skin cells’ health and turnover. Over time, this will help strengthen your skin barrier and lead to brighter glowing skin. Reduced inflammation should reduce redness and result in a more even skin tone too!
Amino Acids are one of the key building blocks of the peptides and proteins in our skin. They are essential to both our skin’s health and beauty and are abundant in seawater. Amino acids
help strengthen the skin, restore skin damage and have antioxidant properties. While many skin care products now contain amino acids, sea salt water is a great natural source.
Helps Fight Acne
Saltwater fights acne because it has anti-bacterial properties and helps balance your skin’s PH level. Besides limiting acne-causing bacteria, ocean water helps cleanse the skin of excess oil and reduces inflammation (and the redness that comes with it). Saltwater is also a great way to soothe the redness and inflammation caused by acne.
Removes Toxins From Skin
Saltwater opens your pores and stimulates circulation. In fact, just warm water alone will increase blood circulation. But relaxing in a warm bath of sea salts will allow your pores to open, your skin to be hydrated and toxins to be cleansed. It’s also a natural cleanser, removing dirt and oil from skin and hair.
Hydrating
The minerals found in seawater, such as potassium, magnesium, and calcium are great for moisturizing your skin. This study showed that people who bathed in sea salt had skin with reduced inflammation, improved skin barrier, and more hydration. Epsom salts have a very high concentration of magnesium and are super hydrating. I recommend an Epsom salt bath for hydration as well as relaxation. The magnesium will also help soothe sore muscles.
Reduces Dandruff
Saltwaters’ exfoliation, cleansing, and anti-bacterial properties all help fight dandruff. If you’re in the ocean make sure to duck your head under to benefit! You can also find sea salt shampoos and hair products that will help at home.
You can also dissolve sea salt in warm water and massage it onto your scalp. Leave on for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing. As a bonus salt water will also help remove oil from your hair, especially helpful if you tend to have greasy hair. You can always leave a little in for some beachy waves.
Top Sea Salt Products
We can’t all live near the beach, so here are some great options for sea salt products that anyone can benefit from.
MagnumSolace Dead Sea Salt Magnesium Bath Flakes
These bath salts come in a resealable bag and are sourced from the Dead Sea. Add these 100% natural mineral salt flakes to your bath water to help calm skin irritation, heal your skins’ protective barrier and soothe tired muscles.
pureSCRUBS Dead Sea Salt Body Scrub
Body scrubs are one of the best ways to cleanse and exfoliate your skin, and this one is a great choice. It also smells amazing due to natural lavender essential oil. Argan Oil, Jojoba Oil and Shea Butter provide extra hydration. As a bonus, this set includes a bamboo spoon so you can hygienically scoop out the scrub, as well as a loofah and bar of natural soap.
Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes Ultra
These natural sea salt flakes have a high magnesium content as well as a little bit of glycerin for extra moisture. Add these to a warm bath and enjoy the benefits of the sea salt bath.
Final Thoughts On The Benefits of Salt Water For Skin
Saltwater has been used for centuries for beautiful skin, and we can see why! It’s inexpensive, readily available, and easy to use. Whether you’re looking to exfoliate, fight acne, or improve your overall appearance by reducing redness and other signs of aging – salt water is an excellent choice for a natural skincare routine.
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