Now that they’re becoming a must-have item in a Youtuber’s home decor arsenal and are cropping up on the desks of every wellness blogger under the sun—it’s time to address a simple, yet obvious question; what do salt lamps *ACTUALLY* do apart from look pretty?
Well, it turns out that they come with a host of health benefits, spanning everything from breathing quality, stress reduction and sleep improvement. Phew! Here’s what you need to know about these weird-but-wonderful objects.
Not all salt lamps are created equal
As with most things in life, there is the real deal, and then there are the fakes. Make sure your lamp is actually made with Himalayan salt, else it simply won’t provide the same benefits. Ensure that the salt originates from Pakistan—as this is the only place that real Himalayan salt exists. If it gives off any other colour than a dull, muffled orangey-pink—it isn’t an authentic Himalayan salt lamp, sistas.
They improve air quality
Yup, they actually improve the quality of the air you breathe—so how’s THAT for starters? Because salt is hygroscopic, it attracts water molecules—and a salt lamp works to purify the air by attracting water molecules that carry indoor air contaminants like bacteria and mould. These pollutants are then heated by the light bulb in the lamp, which causes the contaminants to stay trapped within the salt, rather than recirculate in the air. What an MVP!
In a similar vein, Himalayan salt is used to holistically treat a host of chronic health issues and allergies that impact airflow to the lungs, such as asthma and bronchitis, as the dry salt particles attract water particles which helps to cleanse the airways.
They help to neutralise EMF’s
Are you guilty of sleeping with your phone by your bed and reaching for it as soon as you wake up in the morning? Well, a Himalayan salt lamp would work to repair some of the damage that our overuse of technology wreaks on our bodies, thanks to its ability to absorb a build-up of positive ions from electronic equipment.
While we don’t know what the long-term effects of EMF’s, we already know that consistent EMF radiation exposure can increase stress, decrease the body’s ability to fight disease by compromising immunity and also cause chronic fatigue; so every little neutralising object helps!
They give you more energy and help you sleep
Yup, the duo of dreams; the combo everyone seeks. These little beauties simultaneously help to calm you down when you need it and also pep you up during the day. Thanks to the abundance of negative ions that salt lamps emit, they work to zap the positive ions in the atmosphere (which we absorb throughout the day from things like pollution and technology, and work to decrease energy whilst increasing both lethargy and even depression).
At night, the release of negative ions helps to calm you down and increases your levels of serotonin, which makes you relaxed and happy. What a win-win!
