Sweets recently got an order from the Netherlands to carry the entire product line (ow, ow!) So, the past two weeks have been spent packaging products and preparing the order. One of the products is a lavender rose bath salt and I have been filling up black organza bags with this recipe all morning. While stuffing these bags, I thought to myself “I should write a blog on bath salt.” And boom! here I am…
History of Bath Salt and Why You Should Use It:
The first recorded use of salt dates back to 2700 BC when Hippocrates, the father of Western Medicine, encouraged his fellow healers to immerse their patients in salt water to heal minor illnesses. Bath salts have various beneficial qualities such as improving your circulation and reducing soreness. For these reasons, they are recommended for people with sports injuries and/or arthritis among other things, too. Bath salts are also very good for your skin. In fact, Cleopatra was known for using them. The salt cleanses and detoxifies your skin by opening up your pores and allowing the water to wash away dirt and toxins. Bath salts also aid in healing dry skin and can improve irritations such as bug bites and rashes.
Types of Salts:
There are many differents types of salts but because we all have things to do today, let’s focus on the most common/popular ones:
- Dead Sea Salt: Dead sea salt is, in my opinion, the best salt out there because it has a high percentage of magnesium, sulfates and potassium. Only 8% of it’s makeup is sodium chloride.
- Dendritic Salt: This salt is manufactured by machines to have a greater surface area which allows it to hold scents and colors better. It’s criticized for not being natural, like the other salts. Dendritic salt is commonly blended with other salts because it doesn’t have the benefits that they do and it works as a preservative.
- European Sea Salt: This salt comes from the Mediterranean sea and contains Iodine, Fluorine, Magnesium and Potassium.
- Epsom Salt: Epsom salt is actually not salt; it is a pure mineral compound of magnesium sulfate that looks like salt. Interesting, eh? And, it is one of the few “salts” that is not from the sea. A lot of people are magnesium-deficient which can cause a number of things including heart disease, stroke, osteoporosis, arthritis and joint pain, digestive problems, and chronic fatigue. So, epsom salt is good for boosting magnesium rates but be warned, it shouldn’t be ingested, which is why epsom salt baths are perfect!
How to Use Bath Salts
I mean how hard can it be, right? That’s what I thought at first, too. But there are a few things to note before using your bath salt. First of all, how much should you use? Two handfuls is perfect. Any more than this could result in a fairly saturated salt-content that can irritate your eyes. Any less won’t be enough to accomplish the benefits of the salt. Also, if your bath salt recipe uses coarse salts, make sure to add them as soon as you run the bath water. If you don’t they won’t be dissolved by the time you are getting in the tub, and you will have a very unhappy bottom.
So, now that you’ve become an informed bath salter, you have every excuse to take a bath. Splish splash, baby!
Until next time,
KTB
