Beauty Benefits of Salt: 6 Ways It Can Spice Up Your ‘Me Time’ and Reduce Your Cosmetic Costs

A surprising household staple that reverses beauty bothers? Salt. Packed with age-defying nutrients, salt works wonders in the beauty realm — you just have to know what kind to use for each ailment. Sea salt, for example, is excellent for dull hair, but Epsom salts are best for an inflammation-lowering bath. Himalayan pink salt is ideal for gently exfoliating your skin (it gives it a soft glow). The best part of all these options? You can make many of these DIY treatments at home, thereby reducing your beauty expenses. Below, find out how you can use sea salt, Himalayan pink salt, and Epsom salts can help you look fabulous in a flash.

To Boost Limp Locks: Wash With Sea Salt Shampoo

High amounts of calcium in sea salt draw moisture into hair follicles, plumping the diameter of each individual strand from the inside out. This infuses hair with long-lasting, natural-looking fullness.

Try It: Add 2 teaspoons of sea salt to a dollop of shampoo. Massage onto damp hair from roots to ends. Let sit for five minutes before rinsing.

To Banish Bloat: Relax in an Epsom Salts Bath

Epsom salts’ vitamins and minerals absorb into skin to help boost lymphatic flow and expel bloat-causing fluids and toxins. Pairing with peppermint oil (its menthol increases circulation to further boost lymph flow) speeds results.

Try It: Add ½ cup of Epsom salts and 3 drops of peppermint essential oil to a tub filled with warm bathwater, then soak for 20 minutes. Note: If you struggle with yeast infections, talk to your doctor before soaking in a bath. Sitting in water for a long period of time may make you more susceptible to a yeast infection.

To Soften Rough Skin: Apply This Scrub

Pink Himalayan salt granules gently slough off dead skin cells to remove dry, scaly patches of skin, like those on the knees and elbows. Plus, it may have anti-inflammatory properties that help calm the itchiness or irritation that comes with dry skin. And combining it with coconut oil (it moisturizes) and crystallized honey (its exfoliates) leaves skin feeling softer and looking smoother even faster.

Try It: Mix 4 tablespoons of pink Himalayan salt, 3 tablespoons of coconut oil, and one tablespoon of honey. Massage the mixture onto damp skin for one minute while showering, then rinse.

To Firm Saggy Skin: Try an Epsom Salts Mask

The sulfur in Epsom salts may spur the production of collagen to help make lax skin more taut. And adding in aloe deeply moisturizes and plumps skin so it stays looking youthful.

Try It: Combine ½ cup of Epsom salts and ¼ cup of aloe vera gel. Massage onto areas with saggy skin for one minute. Let sit for 5 minutes before rinsing.

To Mend Cracked Heels: Submerge Them in Sea Salt Foot Soak

Sea salt’s magnesium and potassium nourish and repair skin’s barrier to treat cracked skin, transforming heels from parched and tough to silky-smooth. Even better? Antiseptic and anti-inflammatory agents in the salt prevent cracks from becoming infected while easing irritation.

Try It: Add one cup of sea salt to a basin filled with warm water. Soak feet for 15 minutes; pat dry and immediately apply lotion to lock in hydration.

To Boost Mood: Invest in a Himalayan Salt Lamp

Years ago, scientists noticed that folks who worked in salt caves deep in the Himalayas had fewer respiratory issues than those who didn’t, a benefit they suspected was linked to the millions of tiny airborne salt crystals the workers inhaled each day. Now, studies have further supported this theory: The salt supposedly emits unique ions that purify the air, neutralizing environmental pollutants to help prevent asthma and allergies. Plus, the ions may increase energy levels and promote well-being. To reap the rewards at home, place a Himalayan salt lamp (the heat releases the salt particles into the air) on your desk or in your bedroom. One we like: Himalayan Glow Salt Table Lamp Natural (Buy from Target, $25).

This content is not a substitute for professional medical advice or diagnosis. Always consult your physician before pursuing any treatment plan.

A version of this article originally appeared in our print magazine, Woman’s World.