Dermatology

The particular health benefits of the mineral salts of the Dead Sea were already known in Antiquity. Through the centuries, humankind has discovered ever more aspects of the beneficial effects of mineral salts, especially when highly dosed in baths. When floating, the body lies suspended in a high concentrate of magnesium sulphate (also known as epsomite or bitter salts) the sensation is similar to that of bathing in the Dead Sea.
Particularly in dermatology, a lot of research is being done on the effects of highly saturated saline solutions on human skin. Saltwater baths can be very helpful when treating common skin conditions such as allergies, neurodermatitis and psoriasis. Loss of moisture in the cells is balanced out and minerals and other nutrients are transported more easily through the cell membrane.
The alleviation of a number of skin problems has been very well documented. Skin diseases seldom improve with medication or other therapies, so that many patients seek this approach as the only truly effective treatment. The salt penetrates hard skin and comparatively little water is absorbed. Studies show that proteins in the skin’s cells are broken down and with that cell proliferation increases. This naturally stimulates epidermal regeneration and the skin becomes smoother. Magnesium assists in normalising exfoliation of the skin and accelerates the metabolism of the cells.

When floating (suspended in a super saturated saline solution), there are two additional effects, which, it is said, have at least an indirect effect on skin diseases of psychosomatic origin:

– deep relaxation through the effect of floating weightlessly
– sensory deprivation which relieves the complete nervous system.

When floating in the Dead Sea, but also in other saturated salt baths it is recommended not to stay for more than 30 minutes, as some of the high-chloride salts (mostly sodium chloride) frequently cause skin irritations. By using high-purity magnesium sulphate, which is by far the most gentle salt to the skin, sessions lasting up to several hours in a super-saturated saline solution are possible and have a positive effect on the skin.