Ingredient Library
Himalayan & Dead Sea Salt
Maris Sal
Himalayan and Dead Sea salts are mineral-rich salts that soften water, replenish minerals, and ease tired muscles. Restorative, they suit soaking and body care.
A natural history
These salts are drawn from two of the earth's great mineral troves. The Dead Sea, cradled at the lowest point on the planet's surface, holds water so dense with minerals, roughly ten times saltier than the ocean, that people have journeyed to its shores for thousands of years to soak away skin complaints. Its beaches rank among the world's first health retreats, and its magnesium rich mud and water were prized cosmetics of the ancient world. Cleopatra valued the region so highly that she secured control of its riches.
Himalayan pink salt comes from the other side of that story, mined from an ancient sea that dried and was buried beneath the mountains of Pakistan hundreds of millions of years ago. Its blush of pink comes from traces of iron. Together the two salts carry a broad spread of skin loving minerals, magnesium chief among them, the same minerals that have drawn people to salt baths and mineral springs since antiquity.
What it does for your skin
Mineral salts have a long, studied history on the skin. In a controlled study, bathing in a magnesium rich Dead Sea salt solution improved the skin's barrier and hydration and reduced the look of roughness and redness, compared with plain water.[1] The key mineral, magnesium, has been shown in human skin to help water binding ingredients settle on the surface without disrupting the barrier.[2] In a formula these salts gently mineralize and purify, helping skin look clarified and refreshed. Salt is best kept away from broken skin.
References
[1] Proksch E, et al. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. Int J Dermatol. 2005;44(2):151-157. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2005.02079.x
[2] Fujii MY, et al. Biocompatible topical delivery system of high-molecular-weight hyaluronan into human stratum corneum using magnesium chloride. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):10782. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-37718-5
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
They gently mineralize and purify, and studies of magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt show it can support the skin barrier and the look of smoother, calmer skin.
Mineral salts are used at balanced levels and formulated thoughtfully. Pure salt can sting broken skin, so it is kept away from cuts and used with care.