The Dead Sea is located in Israel, less than an hour’s drive from Jurasalem. The Dead Sea joins Israel and Jordan, and is sometimes called the Sea of Peace.

More relevant for our needs (given that this is a skin care website and not a geography one!) is that the Dead Sea is the lowest point on earth, as well as the largest natural “spa” in the world.

The Dead Sea is 1,373 feet below sea level, and contains mineral rich waters and world-famous black mud; both said to provide natural health and beauty benefits to visitors and consumers.

The Dead Sea is considered it’s own “micro-universe” in that it even has its own climate! The Dead Sea is the saltiest and most minerally rich body of water in the world. The waters of the Dead Sea contain 27% salt, compared to the normal 3% in regular sea water. While normal ocean water is made up of about 80% sodium, the balance of salts in the Dead Sea are magnesium, potassium, bromides, and calcium chloride.

The Dead Sea is so salt rich, in fact, that every bather actually floats on the surface of the water and doesn’t sink.

The combination of warmth and minerals makes bathing a very pleasant experience.

That sounds great, you might be thinking, but what are the skin benefits of the Dead Sea salts?

Glad you asked. Studies have been conducted on the health benefits of bathing in Dead Sea salts, and they have reported the following results:

Dead Sea salts have the following beneficial effects on the skin and body:

• They provide relief from skin and joint inflammation
• They stimulate circulation
• They enchange cell regeneration
• They improve skin tone
• They cure muscular pains
• They reduce feelings of stress

Studies of psoriasis patients treated in a 10% salt bath 3-4x/week had marked improvement in their condition in just one week. These patients had significant relief from itching, skin scaling, and sleep disturbances.

What makes the Dead Sea salts so helpful? It has to do with the various elements: magnesium, calcium, potassium, bromides and sodium. Magnesium helps to combat stress and decrease fluid retention, which calms the nervous system and slow the aging process. Calcium prevents water retention while it improves circulation and strengthens bones and nails. Potassium helps balance skin moisture, and is a crucial element for proper cellular balance.

The bromides relax stiff muscles and prevent delayed soreness. Sodium helps maintain proper flud balance and immune system functioning.

You can see that bathing in all of these minerals could have profound effects on both our skin and our general health and well being.

So far, no studies have reported side effects from using Dead Sea salts in your skin care routine.

If your skin could use a little calming, balancing, and hydrating nutrition, consider using Dead Sea salts.

People can get dermatitis, for instance, when they come in contact with mosquitos, snails, lice, poison ivy, poison oak, or when they have dry skin or staph infections. Skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, and sunburn can also increase the itchy factor. Finally stress and too frequent use of antibacterial soaps can also increase the scratchiness quotient.

What causes our need to itch?

Put simply, some of our nerves are responsive to itchiness. Histamine, the protein released in our bodies during an allergic reaction, tells our itchy nerves to send information to the spinal cord, and, ultimately, the brain. Our brain activates certain sites in our brain; these are similar to the ones which are activated when we’re in pain.

Antihistamines (commonly prescribed for allergies and itches) ‘turn off’ the signal from the skin’s surface to the brain. New research says there are other types of nerve-itchy fibers than just the histamine ones, and that these recently discovered fibers may be responsible for the itch associated with more chronic conditions.

This new research suggests that people may scratch because, by doing so, this stimulates pleasure systems in the brain.

Too much scratching, though, can leave your skin broken, bleeding, and unable to provide its normal barrier to the environment.

So the point of the story? A little scratching is ok, too much is not.