
It purifies air.
Salt is hygroscopic, which means it attracts water molecules. A Salt Lamp purifies air by attracting water molecules that carry indoor air pollutants (like bacteria, allergens, and mold). Since the lamp is heated from the lightbulb, the pollutants are believed to stay trapped in the salt, rather than circulating in the air. Therefore, a salt lamp leaves you with purified and cleaner air (now if only it could’ve purified my overflowing laundry pile from freshman year, too).
It helps allergy symptoms and asthma.
Fun fact: Himalayan Salt is now used in some inhalers, and Salt Therapy is used to treat a variety of issues that result in lack of airflow to lungs, like COPD, chronic bronchitis, cystic fibrosis, and asthma. The dry salt particles help cleanse airways by a similar process of attracting water particles.Beauty bonus: some people do Salt Therapy to purify skin as well. While a lamp made out of salt is not nearly the same as sitting in a cave made of salt (known as Salt Therapy in many spas and alternative medicine practices around the world), it’s a way to bring the possible benefits of the ancient salt into your home, on a smaller (and cheaper!) scale.

It can calm your mood and help you sleep.
The pink, warm glow that the lamp gives off provides a calming and happy atmosphere, according to color therapy. Furthermore, Himalayan salt is also said to release negative ions, which are molecules that produce a biochemical reaction when they hit the bloodstream. This reaction increases levels of serotonin, aka the happy hormone. Therefore, a salt lamp is believed to help regulate sleep cycles and calm anxiety.
It can increase energy levels.
Yes, a salt lamp is one of those few magical things in life that can simultaneously calm you down and help you sleep at night, and give you energy during the day. Positive ions (what is emitted from technology, pollution, and even carpets or wall paint) completely zaps energy, and can increase depression, making you even more lethargic. The negative ions that the salt lamp emits balances out the positive ions in the atmosphere, meaning you’ll reap more benefits of negative ions, and decrease harmful effects of positive ions (like lethargy).
It’s Environmentally Friendly.
Because what kind of wellness writer would I be if I didn’t mention the planet!? The reserves that Himalayan Pink Salt is mined from is estimated to last for another 350 years at the current rate of extraction. In simpler terms that I can actually understand, it’s one of the natural resources on the planet that we have more than enough of. Also, the base of salt lamps is usually made with sustainable wood (like neem) and they typically use low-wattage lightbulbs which consume very little energy.

What to look for when buying a salt lamp:
A good manufacturer will have a fair return policy for the lamp. Real Himalayan salt lamps are very fragile, and can be easily damaged during shipping. Good manufacturers know this, and are typically fine with returns and replacements because of damage. If the policy is extremely strict (as in “No Returns”), it might not be the real deal.The only real Himalayan salt is from the underground mines of Khewra, Pakistan. Look for the salt crystal’s country of origin (different than the location of assembly) and ensure that it’s the right kind of salt.A Himalayan salt will almost always be orange-y pink. If it’s any other color, it is not the real deal. (There are such things as white Himalayan salt lamps, but they will be fairly expensive, so if you find a white salt lamp that’s just as expensive as the orange/pink options, it is not real Himalayan salt).When you have your lamp, it should be decently fragile. The salt crystal can easily chip or become damaged, so you should be careful not to drop your lamp or let anything hit against it. If it doesn’t chip or break by a collision, it is likely a fake version.Due to the minerals in Himalayan salt, the lamp should give off a dull, muffled orange light. If the light is bright enough to light up a room, or is a bright white light rather than orange-ish and dull, it is not the real deal.Himalayan Crystal Mineral Salt comes in many natural shades of colours. The colours of the crystal vary from pure white, pinks, oranges to deep reds, and sometimes a mixture of all. The reason for the variations of the Himalayan Crystal Mineral Salt is caused by the infusion of iron along with over 80 other minerals within the salt crystal. The richer the iron content, the richer the pinks, oranges and reds appear in the crystal.Himalayan Salt like with all crystals, minerals and precious gemstones, if there is iron present, it alters the colour to a pinky, red, orange colour. For example, Selenite (commonly white) with iron present is a bright orange. The precious gemstone Amethyst; over time, heat and pressure and the rich infusion of Iron, Amethyst then becomes ‘Citrine’ which is a light yellow to darker orange colour.WHITE Himalayan Crystal Mineral Salt; generally found in the outer parts of the salt mine. White Himalayan crystal mineral salt has a low iron content in the crystal. White Himalayan Mineral Salt is not as common, so generally may be priced higher. As a Salt Lamp, white Himalayan Salt has the same healing properties, when heated it releases negative ions which purifies the surrounding air.PINK Himalayan Crystal Mineral Salt; which is what Himalayan Crystal Salt is more commonly known as. Pink Himalayan Salt is pink in colour with tinges of both white and red.RED Himalayan Crystal Mineral Salt; the dark red and the orange colours in the red Himalayan Salt is due to higher iron content.BLACK Himalayan Crystal Mineral Salt; also known as ‘Kala Namak’ is not actually black, but more of a reddish-grey. Black Himalayan Salt is a complex mineral compound with a very strong sulphur content and taste. To eat; the flavour hits quickly but then it dissipates to leave a rich mineral taste. Black Himalayan Salt is often used in authentic Indian cooking.All of the colours of Himalayan Mineral Crystal Salt is rich in minerals and offers health benefits. When the bulb inside the lamp heats the Salt crystals, the Himalayan Salt then release negative ions – counteracting positive ‘pollutant’ ions in the air, regardless of what colour the Lamp is. However, most people find that the darker the colours of the crystals within the Salt Lamp, the more calming effect it has on the surrounding environment.When it comes to eating Himalayan Mineral Salt, a balance in colour is best ie; pink, white and red. Some people believe that the darker the salt the richer in minerals and is therefore better quality and better for your health – this is not entirely correct. The darker the colours simply means the richer the Iron content – which you can have too much Iron in your diet, so a good balance in all colours is best.Not all salt lamps are made the same, and some are made with non-Himalayan salt, which won’t provide the same benefits. But that doesn’t mean a Himalayan salt lamp should be expensive. Here’s what to look for when buying your own, no matter the price:A good manufacturer will have a fair return policy for the lamp. Real Himalayan salt lamps are very fragile, and can be easily damaged during shipping. Good manufacturers know this, and are typically fine with returns and replacements because of damage. If the policy is extremely strict (as in “No Returns”), it might not be the real deal.The only real Himalayan salt is from the underground mines of Khewra, Pakistan. Look for the salt crystal’s country of origin (different than the location of assembly) and ensure that it’s the right kind of salt.A Himalayan salt will almost always be orange-y pink. If it’s any other color, it is not the real deal. (There are such things as white Himalayan salt lamps, but they will be fairly expensive, so if you find a white salt lamp that’s just as expensive as the orange/pink options, it is not real Himalayan salt).When you have your lamp, it should be decently fragile. The salt crystal can easily chip or become damaged, so you should be careful not to drop your lamp or let anything hit against it. If it doesn’t chip or break by a collision, it is likely a fake version.Due to the minerals in Himalayan salt, the lamp should give off a dull, muffled orange light. If the light is bright enough to light up a room, or is a bright white light rather than orange-ish and dull, it is not the real deal.
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