Bath Salts and Essential Oils Aromatherapy essential oils in a bath salt, such as epsom or dead sea salt adds the healing benefits of the oils for a super relieving bath.
Benefits The healing properties of the salts and those of the essential oils fortify one another. This is a great way to get relief from aches and pains, to relax and distress or detoxify tissues and heal troubled skin.
Detoxification The salts work to pull toxins such as lactic acid and others from the tissues. In this way your troubles really do “melt away.” Dead Sea salt is the most potent detoxifier. It is very beneficial for chronic skin conditions.
Greater Relief The effectiveness of dead sea salt has been proven in studies. 80% of participants with everything from rheumatism and arthritis to chronic painful skin conditions experienced relief after a dead sea salt bath.
All Salts are Not the Same
Sea Salt Sea salt is salt natural, organic mineral salts, which comprise the salt found in the seas and oceans. Natural sea salt is rich in trace minerals and electrolytes. It is important for nutrition and these minerals work directly on the skin as well to heal and to relives muscle tension and toxins from tissues.
Dendritic Salt Dendritic salt is commonly used in commercial bath salt preparations to prevent caking and extend shelf life. It holds scents well and dissolves easily. In spite of these apparent benefits, it is table salt, which is sodium chloride without the beneficial trace minerals and electrolytes. Also is it chemically altered chemically altered using slightly toxic ferrous cyanide. Although it is considered safe for synthetic fragrances, nothing like this should ever be used with essential oils, which may enable passing membranes. That is why in aromatherapy we never use any harmful, synthetic or chemical ingredients.
Dead Sea Salt This is the queen of all therapeutic salts. Imported from the Dead Sea in Israel. It has a unique mineral profile and unsurpassed density. It is so much more concentrated than sea salt. The dead Sea is 33.7% salt – that is 8.6 times more salty than the ocean. It is so salty that it cannot support life. Don’t drink it – it is deadly salty. Also whereas most salts are mostly sodium chloride – the ocean is 96% – the Dead sea salt is high in health giving electrolytes: calcium, magnesium and potassium. The mineral can rejuvenates tissues, detoxify and relax muscles. They relieve pain. Use dead sea salts in a bath or scrub, to soak away the pain literally. There is a reason the dead Sea was and is a famous natural healing spa. The high mineral content imparts significant healing properties to this salt making it the premier aromatherapy salt.
Epsom Salt Epsom salt is magnesium salt. It comes form regular salt water with the table salt removed magnesium is a natural laxative and muscle relaxer. It also removes toxins from the muscles. It will sooth an aching back or tires limbs. It is widely available and inexpensive. Add some essential oils to relax the mind and relieve stress and you have a great bath.
Pickling Salt Pickling salt is just sodium chloride – table salt – with no additives. It is a very fine grade that dissolves thoroughly and immediately. This is the main advantage of pickling salt over table salt. Also because it has no additives, it can cake, but it stays clear with no discoloration. You can get it at the grocery store. Still this is better for pickling than for bath salts.
European Spa Salt This is a chic name for Mediterranean sea salt. This is the premier choice for your kitchen and dinner table. It is an organic sea salt with healthy minerals and electrolytes without the high sodium chloride, which is bad for the health. As a bath salt is does not have the nigh concentration of minerals of dead sea salt or the magnesium of Epsom salt.
Solar Salt This very coarse grain salt has a pretty look that is favored in spa salts. Don’t let the look fool you. This salt is sold for use in aquariums. It takes a while to dissolve in warm water and because it comes from salt water lakes, it can contain pesticides. It also has enough mineral content for fish, but not enough really for great therapeutic value. It can be mixed with finer salts to make them prettier.
Hawaiian Red Salt Hawaiian Red Salt, called Alaea sea salt, contains volcanic red clay. The red clay has healing properties of its own. The clay draws out toxins and helps heal cuts, wounds, and treats infections such as sore throats and infections. It is also healing to muscle strains.
Icelandic Brine Salt Icelandic Brine Salt is taken from a steaming hot (plus 300 degrees subterranean pool. This pool is a mile below the surface of Iceland. It has 60% less sodium chloride than regular salts, and is rich in silica. Silica is essential for bone, joints, hair and nails. It also has a healthy composition of trace minerals. Icelandic Brine Salt dissolves easily in water and due to the low sodium chloride and to the silica present, it makes the skin super smooth and silky. It is great for dry, itchy or flakey skin.
Black Sea Pink Salt This salt from the Black Sea, which is rich in coral reefs, contains large amounts of beneficial halophilic bacteria. The bacteria and the naturally high mineral content are remarkably healing for skin conditions, such as eczema and psoriasis. It is the bacteria that give the pink color. It relieves the pain of arthritis and rheumatism. It was used as an ancient’s youthful skin secret.
Conclusion Aromatherapy bath salts make a wonderful healing gift for yourself or others.
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