If you’re salty about low-quality grocery store soap, then it might be time to put all that salt into your soap. From smooth skin, to an ocean breeze scent, you’ll love all the benefits of ditching commercial soap for a handmade salt soap.
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Benefits Of Salt Soap
Salt Soap Is Perfect For Oily Skin
If you suffer from what I like to call French Fry Face, then put some salt on your oily potato.
The soap portion of your salt soap will help dissolve those oils, while the salt exfoliates and locks in moisture. It’s a power-combo for getting rid of dead skin, and leaving your face with that nice squeaky clean feeling.
Just be sure you’re buying a salt soap that’s labeled as a facial soap; it’ll have all the moisturizing components that your more delicate facial skin needs.
Salt Soap Exfoliates Gently
Depending on what type of salt soap you buy, you might end up with a light exfoliant, or a heavy exfoliant. Think of salt soaps on a scale from heavy himalayan, to gentle table salt. Somewhere in the middle, you’ll find sea salt. It’s up to you to decide what’s right for your skin type.
Whatever grain size you decide on, your natural soapmaker will tweak it so that you don’t have to worry about irritation or over-exfoliation. So, as Amazon reviewers like to say, you can buy “true to size” for your skin. Skip the mental gymnastics.
Salt Soap Comes In All-Natural Options
Perhaps best of all, lots of the salt soaps you find online are handcrafted by natural soapmakers. That means you’re getting authentic ingredients, a difference you’ll feel on your skin.
If you’ve never experimented with the difference between commercial soap and natural soap, I wouldn’t necessarily dive right in with salt soap. It’s not a bad option, but it’s definitely a bold choice for your first natural soap purchase. Work up to it with something more “normal,” like the gentle smell and texture of almond soap, or the classic woodsy scent of sandalwood.
What Salt Is Best For Skin?
Whatever you do, just avoid Epsom salt. Too many horror stories—skin irritation, infections, and more. *Shiver* It’s just not worth the risk.
Other than that, you won’t go wrong trying out a few different types of salt. If you’re looking for heavier exfoliation to combat a thick layer of oil, you might enjoy something with a larger grain, like himalayan salt.
For a lighter exfoliation and gentle ocean scent, try sea salt.
Or, you can even get a little bit crazy and exotic. If you want a conversation-starter luxury soap, look for a natural, handmade black lava salt soap. Impress your overnight guests (and bedroom buddies) with an alaea hawaiian red salt soap.
You have a ton of options! Some soapmakers even stick with classic table salt and report that it smells and feels great.
Does Sea Salt Soap Dry Skin?
Shockingly enough, salt soaps are strong moisturizers.
If you remember high school science, salts are hydrophilic, meaning they attract water, and enjoy dissolving in water. So when you apply salts to your skin, they lock in moisture from the air around you.
Like all exfoliating soaps, you might feel a little bit dry after a salt soap rubs away your dead skin. But that won’t be the case for too long—throughout the rest of your day, your skin should feel smooth, and even supple.
I know what you’re thinking: if it draws the water from the air, won’t it draw water from my skin? It’s actually quite rare that a salt soap user reports any skin dehydration; at worst, some people experience skin irritation, but that’s a problem that most people face when picking the right exfoliating soap for their skin.
Rest assured, the salt won’t dry you out. It’ll lock in moisture, and the soap’s glycerin content will keep you hydrated, especially if you opt for a natural bar of soap with pure ingredients.
Does Salt Lighten Skin?
A great soap should never lighten your skin. Instead, it should cleanse and brighten, without changing your natural hues too much.
That’s exactly what salt soap can do for you. After a few weeks of using a salt soap, you’ll notice fewer blemishes, a smoother complexion, and a more vibrant skin tone. Some people even start to see those benefits after a few days.
If you do find a soap (even a salt soap) that labels itself as a skin lightener, turn and run. The bleaching agents in lightening soaps have long-term health consequences, beyond irritated skin.
Instead, seek out a natural soap—maybe even a salt soap?—to cleanse your skin the healthy way.
Can You Use Himalayan Salt On Your Face?
Before I even answer this question, don’t use soap on your face if it’s not labeled as a facial soap!
But yes, you can absolutely use himalayan salt on your face. As long as it’s labeled as a facial soap. Please triple check.
Like any soap that’s meant to be used on your face (because you’re only using soap on your face if it’s labeled as a facial soap, right?), himalayan salt facial soap contains lots of skin-friendly added ingredients to exfoliate, moisturize, and fight acne.
Himalayan salt itself is an excellent do-it-all ingredient. Lots of himalayan salt soap users swear by its ability to minimize breakouts and keep uncomfortable skin conditions under control.
Frank Edwards
Frank Edwards is a men's grooming & style expert who is "internet famous" for being able to simplify complicated grooming routines into easy, yet effective rituals any man can do. As a professional analyst, he has spent years researching the biggest brands, products, experts, best practices, and breaking news in the space. He takes this analysis, tests it out on himself, and then documents everything in his writing. As a result, his experience-based articles are considered by some to be the gold standard in men's grooming and men's style.
