How a simple mineral has exploded as the next best healing therapy.
When it comes to salt, what’s old is definitely new again. The healing power of salt has been documented for thousands of years, but it’s only been in recent years that salt therapies have expanded in spas across the country.
It was the earliest Egyptian physicians who first tapped into sodium chloride—the chemical name of salt—to cleanse wounds, recognizing early on that this mineral had powerful healing properties. And it
was the ancient Greeks and Romans who popularized salt baths for treating muscle and joint aches. It was, however, the Greek physician Hippocrates who came to understand the breadth of this simple but powerful mineral.
Salt, believed Hippocrates, had the power to heal beyond disinfecting wounds or soothing muscles. When inhaled—through salt-based vapors or steam from saltwater baths—sodium chloride, he found, could also treat respiratory ailments like a simple cough, asthma, and bronchitis, or even a sore throat.
THE ESSENCE OF SALT
Basic chemistry tells us that salt is simply a mineral comprised of sodium chloride or NaCl. But there are different varieties of this mineral being used in spas today.
“Salt contains various minerals depending on its source,” explains Leo Tonkin, founder and CEO
of Salt Chamber, who revolutionized the idea of salt therapy rooms for healing in the U.S. “These minerals, including magnesium, potassium, and calcium, contribute to its healing properties. Salt’s antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and mucolytic [anti-mucus] properties make it effective for respiratory and skin conditions.”
“Each type of salt has its unique mineral composition, which may offer slightly different benefits,” explains Tonkin.
Sea salt, one variety, comes from the evaporation of ocean water or saltwater lakes like the Dead Sea. It’s used in soaking baths because its minerals, when combined with warm water, become readily available for muscle relaxation. It’s also used in some exfoliation scrubs.
Himalayan salt, on the other hand, is collected from Salt Mountains near the Himalayas in Pakistan, hence its name. These salt mines, formed millions of years ago from mineral-rich rocks, give off this iron- oxide salt with its characteristically pink hue.
Himalayan salt, however, is slightly different in composition than sea salt: It’s comprised of sodium chloride with trace amounts of the minerals calcium, zinc, chromium, magnesium, and sulfates, plus iron. It has slightly more potassium than sea salt, which has more calcium and magnesium.
It’s Himalayan salt that’s being widely used in spas in skin treatments and salt therapy rooms— and even in skincare tools.
“Himalayan salt has been used for centuries for its therapeutic and healing properties,” explains Pietro Simone, founder and creator of Pietro Simone Skincare, a therapeutic skincare line used at luxury spas around the country including Meadowood Napa Valley, Four Seasons Nashville, and Mohonk Mountain House. It’s why Simone created unique facial and body tools carved out of Himalayan salt.
The Pietro Simone Himalayan Salt Mushroom Face Massager and Himalayan Salt Body Paddle are designed to gently exfoliate, leaving skin smoother, brighter, and more receptive to serums and creams, explains Simone. “When used on damp skin, the Himalayan salt can help the skin absorb its minerals, which can improve hydration and help strengthen the skin’s barrier,” says Simone. Additional benefits of using these salt- based tools on the skin, according to Simone: soothing irritation, reducing redness, and helping to promote lymphatic drainage.
“When used on damp skin, the Himalayan salt can help the skin absorb its minerals, which can improve hydration and help strengthen the skin's barrier"
—Pietro Simone, founder and creator of Pietro Simone Skincare
“Inhaling microscopic salt particles can help clear airways, reduce inflation, and improve overall lung function."
—Leo Tonkin, founder and CEO of Salt Chamber
HEALING SALT THERAPIES
The uses of salt in spas is varied but beneficial in different ways.
Salt therapy rooms, or salt chambers, allow spa goers to breathe in salt for healing, a treatment called halotherapy.
“The discovery of salt’s benefits in Eastern European salt mines in the 1800s led to the development of modern halotherapy for skin and respiratory conditions,” explains Tonkin. But the current salt rooms have a more modern twist: They use machines called halogenerators to disperse salt particles into the air.
“Halotherapy as we know it today, using halogenerators, was developed in the 1980s in Russia,” explains Tonkin, who adds that not just any salt will do. It has to be pure grade sodium chloride, says Tonkin, who created industry standards with the Salt Therapy Association that he founded.
In these halotherapy rooms, often encased by Himalayan salt blocks and designed a la dimly lit meditation retreats, the air becomes saturated with salt particles so just the physical act of breathing in the air can promote healing. “Inhaling microscopic salt particles can help clear airways, reduce inflammation, and improve overall lung function,” explains Tonkin.
Researchers agree: Halotherapy treatment has been shown in studies to be associated with relief of respiratory conditions such as asthma, cystic fibrosis (a genetic disorder that causes thick mucus buildup), and COPD. Salt therapy also been shown to help relieve skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis.
These are all reasons why spas like the Biltmore Waldorf Astoria in Phoenix and âme Spa at the
JW Marriott Miami Turnberry Resort & Spa in Aventura, Florida, are offering Halotherapy treatments, with their own twist. The Biltmore incorporates vibrations from a sound bowl for relaxation while âme offers a Himalayan salt room as part of its wellness circuit for guests to use before or after treatments.
Salt scrubs are one of the more traditional ways of utilizing salt to promote relaxation. During these exfoliation treatments, the skin is gently massaged with fine salts often mixed with other ingredients like herbs and CBD.
CauseMedic, a line of CBD products used and sold in luxury spas like Canyon Ranch, The Ritz-Carlton, and St. Regis, offers a CBD Coffee & Himalayan Salt Scrub that smells deliciously decadent for glowing exfoliated skin and sore muscle relief.
“Salt’s high mineral content makes it incredibly beneficial for the skin,” explains Joy Gosser, spa director of L’Auberge de Sedona in Arizona, which offers a High Desert Glow exfoliating treatment using salt mixed with sage, juniper berry, and rosemary. “But it’s also a natural antibacterial, which can help with clearing skin conditions like acne.”
“Even though salt is drying, it does help with dry skin,” explains Gosser. “Using it as an exfoliant helps get rid of dry skin, allowing for better absorption of moisturizers.” That’s why L’Auberge’s High Desert Glow is followed up with the application of a rich white tea body butter—similar to The Spa at Four Seasons in Philadelphia, which massages in a nutrient-rich hydrator after its Revive Himalayan Salt Scrub.
Salt soaks are another more traditional add- on to spa treatments that help with relaxation and muscle tension. The warm salt water helps to dilate the blood vessels in the skin, increasing blood flow and sending more oxygen and nutrients to the skin and muscles.
Anything added to these soaks can then be better absorbed into the skin. Magnesium, for example, can help further relax the muscles and help with inflammation. CBD—as found in CauseMedic’s CBD Dead Sea Salt & Lavender Bath Soak—can help soothe sore muscles and contribute to deep relaxation.
“I see salt soaks as becoming more of a ritual at spas,” says Gosser. “More and more spas are incorporating soaking tubs into treatment rooms to offer guests this add-on.” This idea of using salt soaks as a ritual is not new. In Japan, bathing in saltwater tubs—often referred to as the Japanese saltwater cure—dates back to ancient times and is believed to help promote spiritual and physical renewal.
Himalayan salt lamps are the easiest way to add a touch of salt to any spa room or home, but don’t expect to get the full benefits of a salt therapy room from them. There’s simply not enough salt given off. And no matter what you read, these lamps do not give off negative ions to physically clear the air. This has been disproven, says Tonkin.
What salt lamps can do, however, says Gosser, is promote relaxation and sleep, which is why they’re found lit in every treatment room at L’Auberge de Sedona.
The relaxation benefit of salt lamps is credited to its purple/red wavelengths that seem to help induce sleep, according to some researchers. Scientists from Pakistan also found that daily exposure to
a salt lamp for 14 weeks boosted mood, having an antidepressant effect.
There’s no question, the healing properties of salt have undeniably come full circle. From the tranquil glow of salt lamps for mental health to therapeutic salt therapy rooms for respiratory and skin health, this humble mineral has become recognized as a powerhouse of wellness.
