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Hippocrates encouraged his fellow healers to make use of salt water to heal various ailments by immersing their patients in sea water. The ancient Greeks continued this, and in 1753 English author and physician Dr. Charles Russel published "The Uses of Sea Water".
Wherever mineral salt has been readily obtainable, it has long been mined. However, salt has not been readily obtainable everywhere and the alternative coastal source has been exploited for thousands of years. Sea salt is obtained through the evaporation of water from the brine of the sea. In warm and dry climates this may be accomplished entirely by using solar energy, but in other climates, alternative and often expensive fuel sources must be employed.
Bath salts provide a variety of benefits to a bather. Salts change the osmotic balance of the water so that less water is absorbed by the skin via osmosis. This reduces the "pruning" or "wrinkling" effect of prolonged exposure of skin to fresh water.
Some bath salts such as phosphates have a detergent action which softens calloused skin and aids in exfoliation. This "detergent action" explains why, up to very recently, phosphates were added to dish detergents.
High concentrations of salts increase the density of the water and increase buoyancy which makes the body feel lighter in the bath. Very high concentrations of salts in water are used in flotation therapy and isolation chambers.
Seawater is primarily composed of the following salt ions, listed in order of descending abundance by weight:
Chloride (Cl-) 55.03%
Sodium (Na+) 30.59%
Sulfate (SO42-) 7.68%
Magnesium (Mg2+) 3.68%
Calcium (Ca2+) 1.18%
Potassium (K+) 1.11%
Bicarbonate (HCO3-) 0.41%
Bromide (Br-) 0.19%
Borate (BO33-) 0.08%
Strontium (Sr2+) 0.04%
Everything else 0.01%
Although the salinity of sea water varies worldwide, the relative proportions of its constituent ions remain constant. This does not, however, mean that the same is true for salt of marine origin.
Wherever mineral salt has been readily obtainable, it has long been mined. However, salt has not been readily obtainable everywhere and the alternative coastal source has been exploited for thousands of years. Sea salt is obtained through the evaporation of water from the brine of the sea. In warm and dry climates this may be accomplished entirely by using solar energy, but in other climates, alternative and often expensive fuel sources must be employed.
Bath salts provide a variety of benefits to a bather. Salts change the osmotic balance of the water so that less water is absorbed by the skin via osmosis. This reduces the "pruning" or "wrinkling" effect of prolonged exposure of skin to fresh water.
Some bath salts such as phosphates have a detergent action which softens calloused skin and aids in exfoliation. This "detergent action" explains why, up to very recently, phosphates were added to dish detergents.
High concentrations of salts increase the density of the water and increase buoyancy which makes the body feel lighter in the bath. Very high concentrations of salts in water are used in flotation therapy and isolation chambers.
Seawater is primarily composed of the following salt ions, listed in order of descending abundance by weight:
Chloride (Cl-) 55.03%
Sodium (Na+) 30.59%
Sulfate (SO42-) 7.68%
Magnesium (Mg2+) 3.68%
Calcium (Ca2+) 1.18%
Potassium (K+) 1.11%
Bicarbonate (HCO3-) 0.41%
Bromide (Br-) 0.19%
Borate (BO33-) 0.08%
Strontium (Sr2+) 0.04%
Everything else 0.01%
Although the salinity of sea water varies worldwide, the relative proportions of its constituent ions remain constant. This does not, however, mean that the same is true for salt of marine origin.
What are your favorite salts for skin care use? Have you incorporated any exotic types of sea salt into your diet or skincare regimen?
Allison B. Kontur
www.BathBodySupply.com
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