Santa Barbara, California is exquisitely beautiful and one of my favorite weekend destinations. Nestled between the mountains and the ocean, the shops along State Street feature a never-ending array of restaurants, boutiques and patisseries. When Salt opened about two years ago, I was intrigued. Was it a new exotic eatery or a purveyor of fancy housewares? The answer was much more interesting. Descending the stairs, I was greeted by gleaming wood floors and lovely displays of product. But the real treat was beckoning behind two double doors – an authentic Himalayan Crystal Salt Cave crafted from 45 tons of 250 million year old Himalayan crystal salt sourced from the Himalayan Mountain foothills located in the Khewra Salt Range in the Punjab Province of central Pakistan.
So what’s so special about Himalayan salt? Unlike regular table salt, which has been processed and chemically refined, Himalayan salt contains the same minerals and trace elements that our bodies are made of. These elements can be freed from the rock and absorbed by the human body to help improve overall health and wellness. Salt Cave Santa Barbara uses a Halogenerator to release the ionic elements bound in the rock, and then supplies the cave with negatively charged, dry salt particles (1-5 micron in size) that can be absorbed through the skin and deep in the lungs. Halotherapy (AKA dry salt therapy) is recognized as a natural and effective way to improve respiratory health.
After getting the above tutorial on the wonders of Himalayan salt, I was invited to remove my shoes and walk around on the salt inside the cave. The sensation was mildly uncomfortable at first, but my feet quickly responded to the effects of the massage. The salt-infused air combined with the otherworldly glow of the pink rocks made it a truly unique experience; I couldn’t wait to come back and enjoy a 45 minute Cave Session. On my way out I purchased a Himalayan Salt Mask Green Tea Fusion and Bath Bar. The mask delivered the glow it promised and is now my go-to treatment before important meetings and events.
Last month I finally had an opportunity to book a Cave Session. I happened to be suffering from a mild head cold so I was excited to test out the therapeutic benefits of this miracle salt. I am happy to report that the combination of the zero gravity chair, relaxation music and salt-infused air made a noticeable improvement in my cold. I left feeling recharged, relaxed and sniffle-free.
Could Himalayan salt be one of beauty’s next big ingredients? I think after 250 million years it might be about time. – CM
