13 Himalayan Salt Bath Benefits

Taking a Himalayan salt bath has 13 amazing health benefits. Find out which ones in this article.
What is Himalayan pink salt?
Himalayan pink salt comes from an ancient sea that evaporated in the Himalayan region before the mountain range formed.
It is rich in essential minerals, including iron, which gives it its pink color.

Himalayan salt has been protected by rock for millions of years and is, as a result, free of pollen and pollutants.
The pink salt we consume is mainly extracted from one of the six mines scattered across the Himalayas, of which the best known is in Khewra (Pakistan).
13 Himalayan salt bath benefits
When you soak in a tub that contains pink salt, it is almost the whole surface of your body that is in contact with the salt.
Your skin will absorb it, taking full advantage of the salt’s health properties.
Here are thirteen incredible benefits of soaking in a Himalayan salt bath:
1. Promotes relaxation
Just like table salt, pink salt is high in sodium in the form of sodium chloride (NaCl)1.
However, unlike table salt, Himalayan salt is rich in essential minerals such as calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron1,2.

Magnesium reduces stress and relaxes sore muscles3,4.
Therefore, soaking in a Himalayan salt bath relieves stress, calms the mind, and achieves deep relaxation.
2. Treats skin conditions
Studies have shown that soaking in a salt bath relieves chronic skin conditions like5,6,7,8:
- Psoriasis
- Atopic dermatitis
- Epidermolysis bullosa

Salt particles penetrate deep into the skin, absorbing bacteria and other impurities responsible for many skin diseases.
Moreover, magnesium and trace elements present in sea salt are also beneficial for the skin6,7.
3. Detoxifies your body
Detoxification is one of the amazing health benefits of taking a Himalayan sea salt bath.
Sea salt absorbs radioactive cesium and thermal neutrons9,10.

Moreover, pink salt is rich in silicon and sulfur1, two chemical elements that remove heavy metals and radiation from your body11,12,13,14,15,16.
When you take a Himalayan salt bath, your skin will absorb the salt and release the toxins through your pores with sweat.
Related: 13 Health Benefits Of Diatomaceous Earth
4. Relieves constipation
One of the surprising health benefits of soaking in a Himalayan salt bath is its ability to relieve constipation.
As mentioned above, pink salt is rich in magnesium2.

Magnesium is an osmotic laxative. It attracts water through your tissues into your intestine by a process known as osmosis.
The water, in turn, helps soften your stool and makes it easier to pass.
Related: 5 Immediate Constipation Relief Remedies
5. Reduces inflammation
Another benefit of taking a Himalayan sea salt bath is its anti-inflammatory effects.
Studies suggest that the high amounts of magnesium in sea salt give it anti-inflammatory properties17,18.
6. Replenishes essential minerals
Himalayan salt is high in essential minerals such as1,2
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Potassium
- Iron
- Manganese
When you take a pink salt bath, your skin will absorb these nutrients, and your blood circulation will deliver them to your various body tissues.

Therefore, a Himalayan salt bath provides your body with essential minerals and replenishes electrolytes.
Related: 13 Benefits Of A Bentonite Clay Detox Drink
7. Reduces joint pain
Another benefit of a Himalayan salt bath is its capacity to reduce arthritis, a disorder characterized by joint pain and stiffness.

A study reported that sea and NaCl salt baths reduced the severity of knee osteoarthritis in patients suffering from this disease19.
Another study revealed that patients with rheumatoid arthritis experienced an improvement in their condition following sea salt baths20.
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8. Improves sleep
Taking a Himalayan salt bath helps you fall asleep.
As mentioned, Himalayan pink salt is high in magnesium1,2, a mineral that plays a role in sleep.
Magnesium stimulates the production of melatonin and serotonin, two hormones that regulate sleep21.

Besides, it lowers cortisol levels, a stress hormone22,23.
Also, magnesium increases GABA’s availability in the brain24. GABA is a neurotransmitter that induces a relaxing effect.
Related: 6 Best Home Remedies For Deep Sleep
9. Kills bacteria
Soaking in a Himalayan salt bath is beneficial against bacterial infections.
Salt kills some types of bacteria by drying them out by osmosis25,26.
In this process, the water instantly leaves the bacterium to balance the salt concentrations on each side of its cell membrane.
Related: 7 Strongest Natural Antibiotics
10. Absorbs mold
Exposure to indoor mold from excess moisture in buildings can cause non-respiratory and respiratory diseases, including asthma and pneumonitis27.
Another benefit of taking a Himalayan salt bath is its antifungal effect.
Saltwater reduces, namely, the growth of different types of fungi28.
Related: 10 Strongest Candida Killer Supplements
11. Treats respiratory tract diseases
One of the amazing benefits of soaking in a Himalayan salt bath is its ability to treat respiratory tract diseases.
Breathing saltwater vapors facilitates the expectoration of allergens by dissolving excess mucus and improving mucociliary transport.

Studies have shown that salt baths slow the progression of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease while they prolong its remission29.
Related: 10 Himalayan Salt Cave Benefits
12. Diminishes fatigue
While taking a Himalayan salt bath promotes sleep at night, it also diminishes fatigue during the day.
Research reported that a warm salt water footbath enhances fatigue in cancer patients30. A whole-body salt bath is all the more effective.

The mechanism is as follows: a warm saltwater bath reduces fatigue by opening piezo channels in the skin30,31.
It then stimulates skin nerve receptors that generate neurological responses in the brain30.
Related: 20 Health Benefits Of Flaxseed Oil
13. Decreases nerve damage
Neuropathy is a disease that affects the nerves located outside the brain and spinal cord.
It may cause weakness, numbness, and pain in the body.
One of the benefits of soaking in a Himalayan salt bath is its capacity to diminish peripheral neuropathy symptoms.
Researchers have shown that soaking in a saltwater bath decreased peripheral neuropathy severity in cancer patients32.
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Himalayan salt bath recipe
Take a warm bath to which you have added a handful of Himalayan salt.
Soak in the tub for at least 20 minutes.
Himalayan salt bath side effects
Himalayan salt is renowned for its purity and richness in essential minerals and, therefore, has no adverse health effects.
Like a sea salt bath, a Himalayan salt bath can cause skin itching and redness, resulting from a detoxification reaction, at the beginning.
This type of reaction disappears when you regularly take salt baths.
What is the best Himalayan salt to buy?
When you buy pink salt, check on the packaging that it comes from the Himalayas.
There are pink salts of other origins (Australian, Peruvian, African, etc.) that do not have the same health benefits as Himalayan salt.
Pink salt from Peru, for example, can be contaminated with lead. It also does not contain the same amount of nutrients as Himalayan salt1.
Summary: 13 Himalayan salt bath benefits
Himalayan pink salt is beneficial for health due to its high purity and rich content of essential minerals.
This salt has been protected by rock for millions of years and is, as a result, free of pollutants.
When you soak in a tub that contains pink salt, it is almost the whole surface of your body that absorbs it, taking full advantage of its health properties.
The 13 amazing health benefits of taking a Himalayan salt bath are the following:
- Promotes relaxation
- Treats skin conditions
- Detoxifies your body
- Relieves constipation
- Reduces inflammation
- Replenishes essential minerals
- Reduces joint pain
- Improves sleep
- Kills bacteria
- Absorbs mold
- Treats respiratory tract diseases
- Diminishes fatigue
- Decreases nerve damage