What Are the Health Benefits of Dead Sea Salts?

The waters and salts of the land-locked Dead Sea have been used for various therapies for thousands of years. The sea is fed by the Jordan River and other rivers flowing out of the nearby mountains. The waters carry salts. Since the Dead Sea has no outlet, those salts have accumulated in the Dead Sea over the millennia. It is the salts of the Dead Sea that are believed to have healthful benefits for humans.

Skin Conditions

Dead Sea salts contain minerals--including sulfur, chlorine, iodine, potassium, sodium, calcium, magnesium and bromine--that are helpful in alleviating many skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis or eczema, psoriasis and acne. According to the website Salt Works, the salts relieve the severe itching of atopy or eczema early on in the treatment, which generally lasts about six weeks. While no cure for psoriasis exists, treatment with Dead Sea salts relieves the symptoms of the disease. Treatment for acne often uses sulfur, so the sulfur in Dead Sea salts can be helpful in cleansing the skin.

Aging

Dry skin and wrinkles are common signs of aging. Bathing in Dead Sea salts can help relieve dry skin because the high mineral content of the salts aids in cleansing and replaces electrolytes, according to Salt Works. Research has shown that treatment with Dead Sea salts can reduce the depth of wrinkles by up to 40 percent.

Arthritis

Research at Dead Sea spas and other facilities has shown that applying mud infused with Dead Sea salts is helpful in relieving the stiffness and pain of various forms of arthritis. Salt Works attributes the effectiveness of Dead Sea salts to the minerals' ability to improve blood circulation, help detoxify the body and work as a muscle relaxant. Heating improves their effectiveness in treating arthritic conditions.

Cellulite

Dead Sea salts can help remove toxins from the body and improve circulation, which will not cure cellulite, but can help reduce its appearance, according to Salt Works.

Stress

Dead Sea salts and mud packs relieve the symptoms of stress by improving circulation and detoxifying the body from the byproducts of stress, or stress hormones, according to Salt Works. In addition, bathing in Dead Sea salts induces relaxation and promotes restful sleep.

Headaches and Migraines

The website Seacret maintains that Dead Sea salts have been credited with stopping headaches and migraines and reducing stress and sleeplessness.