Mediterranean Sea Salt in Spa Skincare
Sea salt in skincare is a simple, but effective ingredient helping to detox, exfoliate and invigorate the epidemis. This abundant source of skin health – once a currency of wealth in ancient times – is a key ingredient in contemporary spa products. And there is a surprising amount to unpack about this common bounty of the sea.
Olentium looks to ancient ritual to provide answers to formulating contemporary cosmetics, and as our home is in the Mediterranean sea, marine salts were always going to feature in our spa bodycare products.
Long gone is the connotation of salt and bathing with therapeutic Epsom Salts of times past. Brought bang up to date, sea salt in skincare has a beneficial role to play in new forms and extracts as an ingredient in various skincare and home spa products.
Let’s look at why you need these mineral salts in your skincare.
How is Sea Salt Sourced?
Mediterranean sea salt in Malta and Sicily is traditionally harvested directly from sea water that is pumped into rock-cut salt pans and left to evaporate. Mediterranean salt is white in color and resembles coarse granular table salt while Himalayan Salt is pink in color and often referred to as pink salt and we use that too in Olentium products. Both offer their own unique mineral composition and various wonderful benefits for both your skin and your health.
Benefits of Mineral Salts in Skincare
You may think of sea salt only as an exfoliant due to its rough texture, and while you would certainly be correct, its benefits extend further to offer wellness for both body and mind.
It may be hard to believe, but sea salt actually has humectant properties, meaning it traps moisture in the skin and prevents moisture loss through the pores. In this way, sea salt offers beautiful all natural hydrating properties, whether you take a dip in the ocean or choose to soak for longer in your own oasis at home.
Mediterranean sea salt is also rich in minerals including potassium, iodine and magnesium that will help alleviate and soothe any skin conditions.
Magnesium, in particular, is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and will help to soothe conditions such as eczema. Magnesium will also be absorbed into the body when you soak for at least 20 minutes or longer, and will help to relax the muscles andcalm the mind.
Sea salt also has intense detoxifying properties, and will help to draw toxins out of the skin when you allow it time to works its powerful magic. Just as a dip in the sea helps to exfoliate, boost blood flow and soften and hydrate your skin, so too does a sea salt body scrub before showering, or a good soak in a bath with the salt scrub dispersed.
There is certainly a place for sea salt in skincare today, just as in ancient times. If you ever find yourself in beautiful Sicily, be sure to visit the salt flats of Trapani and there are still active salt pans in Olentium’s home islands of Malta and Gozo.
