Bath Salts: History, Benefits, and Recommendations

Increasingly, bath salts are being used as an additive to a bath, and many people are enjoying the therapeutic and psychological benefits of such an addition.

As with many things that we enjoy in modern society, the roots of their foundations lie in the history of the great empires of China and Greece.

As early as the 2,700 BC the Chinese were already using salt for medicinal purposes, and in fact a publication concerning the benefits of salt is one of the earliest known medical publications in recorded history. By that stage the Chinese had learned to extract salt, and used over forty different types for different purpose. About a thousand years later, the Egyptians also recognized the antiseptic qualities of salt. The Greeks also had discovered the benefits of salt by the fourth century BC, in particular the uses and benefits of sea salt in order to cure many different illnesses and diseases. Hippocrates was a leader in Greek medicine of the time, and identified the value of salt along with first recognizing and naming many different types of medical condition.

Throughout the Roman and Arab worlds, and through the Middle Ages, our understanding of salt and its healing properties continued, and it is recommended today for its antibacterial and antiseptic properties, proved over thousands of years of study and use.

As with many things in the human body, salt is a question of balance, and too much salt is as dangerous as too little. However, the antibacterial and antiseptic qualities of salt make it excellent as a base for bath salts, often with added fragrances and ingredients to compound and improve the therapeutic and medicinal effects of its use.

The use of bath salts provides a very pleasing effect in the body, with the effects described above helping the body to remove itself of toxins. As well as being very good at helping the body deal with injury, bath salts can be very relaxing, especially if mixed with ingredients which promote relaxation, such as Lavender. Patients have been advised to have salt baths after operations in order to reduce the possibility of infection, and also utilizing the anti-inflammatory effects of salt on skin in particular.

With the discovery of the value of sea salt, has come in particular a trend towards products related to Dead Sea salt, the Dead Sea of course having a greater density. The waters of the Dead Sea have a concentration of salt ten times greater than that of other waters. Many travelers have travelled to the Dead Sea not just for the novelty of being able to float in the sea. However, many products derived from the Dead Sea and its salt are now available on the market, so it is not necessary to travel to the Middle East to enjoy their benefits.

Mixed products, those which combine the benefits of salt with the benefits of essential oils or their derivative flowers, such as lavender mentioned above, are ideal to use as bath salts, maximizing and enhancing their effect of their use by these combined products. These products also benefit from the aromatherapy effect as the smell of the product on the nose adds to the benefits to the skin and beyond.

There are various grades of salt from fine to coarse, and experimentation will help you to work out which you find the best for yourself and your baths. Whatever grade or type of bath salt you need, you can be sure that there is a product for you, aiding your relaxation, and improving your circulation and skin with every use.

For more information regarding nutrition, hair care, skin care, and related beauty topics, check out My Best Cosmetic.