How To Use Himalayan Pink Salt

The Mineral Makeover. Healthy Hair, Healthy Skin, Healthy Nails start with these!

Once you hit a certain age, certain foods will intensify the aging effects you are feeling and seeing. However, if you choose your foods wisely, you can slow down the aging process and enjoy several more years of pain-free mobility, strong digestion, healthy cognitive function, and ultimately, lustrous and strong hair, skin, and nails.  

Healthy aging by slowing the appearance of aging starts from the inside. The strength of your immune and metabolic system depends on several things, including your mineral status. 

Why are minerals so important?

They are essential workers in the body. Minerals are important to help enzymes carry out their functions in the body. For example, for a protein to make a hormone, it needs the assistance of minerals. They are crucial for carrying out vital activities on a cellular level to result in less pain, less brain fog, less hair loss, less skin sagging. 
There are more than 70 minerals (macro-minerals and trace minerals) that are considered essential nutrients for our body. The macro-minerals include calcium, magnesium, and zinc. Examples of trace minerals include boron, iodine, and vanadium and these are needed in lower amounts. 
 
Our soil today is not the rich soil our grandparents and great-grandparents had growing up. It has a lower mineral content and further contaminated by glyphosates. Organic soil is regulated for harmful chemicals, but it is not regulated to make sure it has a balance of minerals¹. We also lose minerals and electrolytes from exercise and sweating, both healthy activities of course. So, replenishing on a regular basis is important. 

 I have several foods stocked at all times in my kitchen to stay healthy. But, in this blog, I’m sharing two of my favorite mineral sources. Both also provide health benefits beyond skin, hair, and nails. 

 

Sea Salt and Himalayan Pink Salt

Beauty Benefit: More hair volume, Less wrinkles. 

The Deeper Benefit: Cellular hydration, Mineral balance, Respiratory health

Salt in general has many uses for external and internal health and is a strong source of trace minerals. My favorite is Himalayan Pink Salt because of its lower impurity content and higher mineral content. 

Sea salt is created through the evaporation of ocean or saltwater and is minimally processed. Himalayan pink salt comes from the mines in the Khewra region of Pakistan, just two hours from the capital of Islamabad^2, and is hand-mined and grounded. The mineral content in this region gives their salt the pink hue and has all 84 essential trace minerals your body benefits from.  

However, if sea salt is darker in hue, it may contain more impurities. Considering the pollution of the world’s water sources, traces of heavy metals may be a concern, but overall, Himalayan pink salt has fewer of these harmful elements than regular sea salt and, a lower level of sodium.   Set aside a little time in your week to try at least one of these self-care strategies to reduce the signs of aging and maintain a healthy internal environment:

Hydration. Add a teaspoon of Himalayan pink salt or sea salt to your water bottle along with some lemon juice and you have a nice, refreshing drink to replenish electrolytes lost from stress, pollution, and physical activity. 

Muscle Pain and Skin Softener. For your internal and external health, soaking in sea salt baths helps replace the natural electrolytes essential for skin health. When possible, seek out salt springs in your area or when planning a trip to take a much-needed stress-relieving soak. My health-based travel website features holistic health sources in various parts of the U.S. and abroad. 

Facial Rejuvenation. Sea salt has a natural ability to hold water so, it is effectively used in facial toners and moisturizers, as well as scrubs. Oily skin and acne-prone skin are especially responsive to a salt-based toner because salt is naturally antiseptic.  

Cleanse and Detox Your Largest Organ. Make your own body scrub by using ¼ cup coarse Himalayan Pink Salt with half cup olive or coconut oil and a few drops of an essential oil lavender, rose or chamomile for dry skin, lemon, tea tree, lemongrass, or cinnamon for acne-prone skin. Gently scrub in circular motions in the bath or shower very gently and rinse. 

Invigorate the Scalp. Maintain a healthy scalp and reduce or prevent dandruff, try this before you wash your hair.  sprinkle some semi coarse salt crystals in various places of your scalp and use wet fingers to massage your head for 10 minutes or longer since the relaxing benefit is huge!  You can always pamper yourself with Pacifica’s Rosemary Detox Scalp Scrub which combines the sea salts with charcoal, and a heavenly combo of jojoba, lavender flower, and rosemary leaf.

Add Beachy Waves and Volume to Your Hair.  You can make a natural sea salt spritz for your hair after washing.  Dissolve one tablespoon of fine ground sea salt into ¾ cup warm water. In a separate bowl combine one tablespoon of melted unrefined coconut oil with one tablespoon of leave-in hair conditioner. Add the two mixtures together in a spray bottle and spritz the solution onto towel-dried hair. 

Strengthen Your Nails.  This is a hot topic because it’s one of the biggest problems I see, especially in my female patients. I wrote a few blog articles on healthy nails and repairing the damage done by spa manicures and treatments. (See my related articles below.) Salt is powerful in strengthening them, softening the cuticles, and reducing discolorations from polish and harsh chemical treatments such as gel manicures. Give them a soak in this easy, inexpensive homemade solution:  One tsp fine ground salt, one tsp baking soda, one teaspoon of lemon juice, and half a cup of warm water. 

If you tried any of these tips, or you have any other anti-aging uses of salt, I would love to hear about them. Please share your experiences or questions in the comments below or you can send me a message!

Dr. Melanie

 

 

Related Articles:

Dry Skin Solutions: https://www.nakedtruthbydrmelanie.com/beat-dry-skin-and-slow-the-aging-effect/?v=7516fd43adaa 
My DIY Protocol to repair nails 
https://www.nakedtruthbydrmelanie.com/read-the-nails-with-ayurveda-my-natural-diy-protocol-after-that-toxic-manicure/?v=7516fd43adaa 

Sources:

1. Video: What you need to know about minerals by Dr. Michael Pierce. https://youtu.be/y2z9YXo-gnE

2. Article: The TRUE SOURCE OF Pink Himalayan Sea Salt: https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2019/10/03/763960436/pakistan-wants-you-to-know-most-pink-himalayan-salt-doesnt-come-from-india