Wait what? You want me to take a bath in Himalayan salt for eczema? Where do you even come up with these things?!
This is what the the journey of healing my eczema does to me, LOL!
But anywho, you googled it and you ended up on the best eczema blog in the universe. So let’s jump into it.
Beyond taking a bath, what are the benefits of Himalayan salt for eczema and even topical steroid withdrawal?
Let me try and explain it like you are five!
Five Benefits of Himalayan Salts
Himalayan salt contains 84 essential minerals required by the human body, however, that number is up for debate around the internet.
It promotes a healthy pH balance of the skin cells, helps regulates blood sugar levels and regulates the body’s natural sleep cycle (this can help during TSW!).
It’s 85% sodium chloride, while 15% of the remaining are trace minerals.
It’s also a good source of magnesium, which is also beneficial for eczema.
A magnesium deficiency in the body will increase the body’s sensitivity levels to stress and you know that stress can aggravate your eczema.
A magnesium deficiency will also result in an increase in your body’s histamine production.
This means more inflammation, itching and more!
Below are five great benefits of Himalayan salt:
- Detoxify your body: helps to pull out toxins out of skin
- Deep cleans your skin: helps maintain the skins protective barrier
- Clears your sinuses and respiratory relief: inhaling the steam from the salt water helps relieve sinus and respiratory problems
- Soothes cuts, scrapes and blisters: it can sting because of it’s antibacterial, antiseptic, anti fungal and anti-inflammatory properties
- May help you sleep!: because it helps with stress relief and inflammation, it can help you relax and get ready for bed
How I Use it Himalayan Salt for Eczema
Whenever I take a dead sea salt or Epsom salt bath, I like to top it off with some Himalayan salts.
You can even take a bath just using the Himalayan salt on its own.
Fill your bathtub up to a good level and follow your products instructions.
This particular one recommends 1/2 cup into a warm bath (it says hot water but eczema warriors should avoid hot showers/baths!).
Have a nice 20 min bath to yourself. It makes you feel good and is a nice way to de-stress your mind and body.
In that 20 mins, try to make it enjoyable by reading a book, watching a show, listening to a podcast, etc.
I say this because you want to make this bath a positive one to help your mind while going through eczema/TSW.
If you can associate something enjoyable to this bath or any skin care routine, it makes you look forward to it no matter how shit you feel because of the TSW symptoms or eczema.
Don’t make it just “another eczema task” or treat it like a burden.
I hated taking showers/baths during my TSW phase. It was pure hell. Stinging/burning sensations all over because my skin was so raw. So I dreaded taking them even though I had too.
These baths can be intense on the body because it is drawing out toxins and relaxing your muscles, helping your skin and more.
You may feel more tired than usual or even possibly dizzy when finishing up.
If you feel like that, make sure you get up slowly or ask someone to be near by while you get out.
Make sure to re-hydrate with water or a fruit/vegetable juice!
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Why Are Salt Baths Good for Eczema?
In one sentence, the mineral composition.
The unique combination of magnesium, sodium, zinc and more are crucial for our bodies to function.
So when you are dealing with something like eczema or topical steroid withdrawal, our body is constantly using these minerals up.
So by taking a bath in them, you are replenishing your minerals.
Taking a bath is the quickest way to absorb the minerals through your skin.
These minerals are found in our food as well but it needs to be digested.
If you want to learn more about the other salt baths, take a look at this.
What else will help my skin other than Himalayan Salt?
That’s a great a question!
Using Himalayan salt is one of the many tools you should make apart of your routine.
However, you need to get to the core of why you are even having skin issues to begin with.
Some will say it’s in your genes and some will say it’s unknown.
Most cases though, is because there is an imbalance in your body.
The first place you need to address is in your nutrition.
What does your current food intake look like?
Does your diet consist of primarily processed and packaged foods?
If so, that is a huge problem you need to address.
All processed and packaged foods contain extra additives and chemicals to make it taste a certain way and to extend its shelf life.
Your body then has to deal with it.
As you continue down this road and your body is unable to properly filter and process it, it then starts showing up on your skin.
If I were you, I would first look at my current diet.
Is it healthy enough to provide you the nutrients to heal?
Because if not, no matter what cream or medications you take, your eczema will come back sooner or later because of what you eat.
You also need to be a detective and determine what foods are triggering your eczema.
The most common allergens are sugar, dairy and gluten.
So if you are embarking on the journey to heal your eczema naturally or going through topical steroid withdrawal, please Book a 20min Free Consultation with me to learn more about the XZMA Healing Program.