• The Dead Sea
• Ein Gedi Spa in Israel
• New York City's Oasis Day Spa
• Lavender Dead Sea Salt Scrub
• Dermalogica
• Denver's A New Spirit Wellness Center and Spa

Salt Soaking

Ah, salt, the spice of life. Sure, it invigorates French fries, but did you know it does the same for your skin? For centuries, doctors have sent patients suffering from psoriasis and eczema to Israel's Dead Sea, where the unique salt composition of sulfur, magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium detoxifies and nourishes the skin while relieving sore muscles. The demand for Dead Sea salt has led to an outcropping of Israeli spas, such as Ein Gedi Spa, which offers six salted pools for soothing steeping.

Dead sea salt has "a detoxifying effect," says skin-care expert Jo Ann Garner.

"Dead sea salt contains trace minerals that you need, but aren't manufactured by the human body," explains Jo Ann Garner, the director of skin care and hydrotherapy at Oasis Day Spa in New York. "They have a detoxifying effect, and neutralize free radicals which are antiaging." Her spa offers a Lavender Dead Sea Salt Scrub, which consists of a 30-minute salt exfoliation, followed by a power shower. To recreate the process at home, she recommends using Dermalogica's hydroactive mineral salt.

For some, the simple-yet-magical act of floating is the greatest appeal of the salt bath experience. A New Spirit Wellness Center and Spa in Denver, CO, is one of a handful of spas around the country that offer clients a salt bath float in their flotation tank. The tank is a light-proof, sound-insulated capsule containing 800 pounds of Epsom salts. While not as nutritionally rich as Dead Sea salt, Epsom salt is less drying to the skin, so you can soak in it for longer. It also contains magnesium and is able to draw lactic acid from overworked muscles.

"It makes me feel calmer. It's improved my ability to deal with stress," says D. Moore, 55, a small business owner in Denver who floats up to four times per week.

The experience of reposing in these extremely buoyant pools feels like something between flying and swimming in totally soundless darkness.

"It's just easier for me to get the tension out of body when I'm floating," says Moore. "I think maybe I'm a mermaid at heart."

Posted on May 01, 2006