Dead Sea Salt for Eczema & Psoriasis
There’s something special about the Dead Sea.
Documented as the world’s first spa visited by Cleopatra, the Dead Sea has been a destination for skincare for thousands of years. A host to visitors from around the globe, it is now a centre for research and treatment for skin conditions such as Eczema and Psoriasis.
Why Is Dead Sea Salt Used For Eczema And Psoriasis?
The magic seems to be in the unique combination and concentration of minerals, which some think is due to the Dead Sea’s location at the lowest point on earth, some 400m below sea level.
The salt content of the Dead Sea is a huge 34% hence the name, as nothing can live in those strong salty waters. This is also why when you come across photos of the Dead Sea you’ll see people floating buoyantly on the surface of the water.
Dead Sea Salt has a totally unique mineral content, and it’s the high concentrations of these essential skin minerals which seem to provide the powerful formula that soothes and protects dry, itchy skin.
Magnesium - soothing and anti-inflammatory
Potassium - balances moisture Levels
Calcium - regulates cell turnover
Sodium - deep cleansing and purifying
When you look at what this combination does to support the skin, it’s no surprise that Dead Sea Salt also helps to protect the skin’s natural barrier.
Protecting The Skin’s Natural Barrier
Helping to maintain, protect and restore the skin barrier is believed to be a key component in managing Eczema and Psoriasis symptoms, as it’s during flare ups that the skin barrier becomes most damaged.
The body’s inflammatory reaction to skin barrier damage causes redness and itching, and so aiming to minimise damage as much as possible plays an essential role in helping prevent flare-ups and reduce the itch/scratch cycle.
It’s also important to avoid body washes and bath foams that contain SLS/SLES, as this commonly used lathering agent is inexpensive, but dries out the skin and can disrupt the skin barrier. .
How To Use Dead Sea Salts
Find Out What Works For You
There are no firm rules when it comes to using Dead Sea Salt for Eczema or Psoriasis. As you will know, everyone is on their own personal journey when it comes to their skin.
What works for some people may not be right for you, and even when you think you’ve got things under control with your skincare, flare-ups can be triggered from all sorts of external factors such as seasonal changes, stress, diet and allergens.
How frequently you bathe and how much Dead Sea Salt you use is down to your own needs and can change due to how your skin is currently feeling. Some people find a regular Eczema or Psoriasis bath soak with a few cupfuls of Dead Sea Salt works for them, while others may use a full kilogram in their bath less frequently. We’d encourage you to experiment and listen to your skin.
Don’t have the water too hot though – 37-39 is ideal as you don’t want to aggravate or inflame your skin. Use a bath thermometer if you’re unsure.
We advise spending at least 20 minutes in a Dead Sea bath and not to shower your skin afterwards. You want to leave all that mineral goodness on your skin. Applying your moisturiser while your skin is still warm and slightly damp from the bath can be good to help lock in moisture too.
As we all know, salt can sting, so if you’re in the midst of a flare-up and you have any broken skin, we would advise avoiding using Dead Sea Salt as a Psoriasis or Eczema bath soak until your skin has calmed down.
We also recommend consulting a pharmacist or medical professional before use if suffering from skin conditions, and testing on a small area of skin first with a more diluted amount of salt before progressing to a more concentrated amount / larger areas.
Please note: Dead Sea Salt is not a cure or a replacement for the creams or medications which form your current care routine. It is an additional maintenance product which helps support the skin’s natural barrier.
Be Selective About Quality
You’ll notice that Essentially Young Dead Sea salts can vary in colour and texture, and even sometimes contain small fragments of shingle among the salts. This is actually a reflection of the high quality of our salts.
Some Dead Sea salts undergo harsh refining processes which include chemicals and bleaching to create a whiter, more uniform coloured salt. However, this reduces the natural goodness of the salt and strips it of the rich mineral content, which can make it less effective.