Salt changes your food’s taste, making it the most common seasoning used in cooking. But do you know that you can have coarse salt rubbed into your skin?
This article will discuss the benefits of rubbing salt on the body and face. You can also learn more about its effects on wounds. Let’s read on to discover!
Does Rubbing Salt On Your Skin Make It Tougher?
Yes. The skin gets tougher if you apply coarse salt to it often. The salt has crystals that are robust and large enough to work as powerful exfoliants, leading to leathery skin.
So what are exfoliants? What happens if you rub coarse salt on your skin using this method?
An exfoliant is any skincare treatment that eliminates dead skin cells from your skin’s surface. This technique improves your skin and allows skincare products to soak deeper into your skin for a better effect.
Crystalline substances in rubbing salt will cut through the layers of dead skin. The harder you scrub the salt, the deeper those cuts can go.
Rubbing salt generates more cuts. This cutting creates microscopic scarring over time, causing the skin to become tougher.
In a nutshell, using rubbing salt as an exfoliator on the skin for a long period toughens the skin.
Benefits Of Rubbing Salt On Body and Face
Rubbing salt is a popular treatment in the beauty industry. Often, we will combine with other ingredients, mostly herbs, to exfoliate the dead skin. This combination is the salt scrub.
You have multiple options in ingredients for the salt scrubs. For example:
- Salt: Sea salt and dead sea salt are popular choices. They gain recognition for their skin soothing and cosmetic value by nourishing your skin.
- Herbs: You can choose lavender, figs, orange peels, lemons, seaweed, lemongrass, or spices.
Depending on your combination, you will get varying effects on your skin. But in general, rubbing salt on your face and body will offer the following benefits:
Exfoliation
Dead skin cells will harden with time, making your skin look flaky and dry. They won’t improve over time unless you think of a way to remove them.
Luckily, you can apply exfoliation to deal with those dead cells. Carefully rub the salt scrub on your skin in circular motions to loosen the cells. They will leave and reveal shiny, moist skin underneath.
Invigoration
Rubbing salt on your skin has an abrasive effect that revitalizes the skin and promotes circulation. Then, enhanced circulation makes your skin shine naturally.
Salt scrubs assist in clearing skin pores and removing microorganisms from the skin. Additionally, the salt will minimize any discomfort and itching caused by bacterial-related skin conditions and inflammation.
Regeneration
Using a salt scrub to exfoliate encourages regeneration. In fact, sloughing off dead skin cells fosters the growth of new, healthy cells.
Your skin becomes tighter throughout this regeneration process, looking stronger and fresher. Regeneration of the skin also avoids skin discoloration, smoothes skin tone, and enriches skin texture.
Scalp treatment
Some types of salt, like Himalayan salt, are excellent for treating the scalp. It will remove product buildup and dandruff that may be there on your scalp.
Frequent scalp exfoliation also aids in improving circulation, which eventually supports the creation of thicker and stronger hair.
Make sure to thoroughly wash your hair after applying Himalayan salt to your scalp. This tip helps remove any leftover oil and salt from the scrub.
Soothing and detoxing
Since salt has anti-inflammatory effects, it can soothe skin inflammation and breakouts. Additionally, it aids in retaining moisture in the layers of skin that require it most.
Salt is also an excellent absorber and a natural detoxifier. It gives you youthful, glowing skin by sucking out the damaging toxins and germs accumulated by the skin.
What Happens If You Put Salt In Wounds?
Salt can dry and kill bacteria that have low salt density by vacuuming the water cells. Many bacteria are sensitive to salt because of this effect.
Osmosis in salt explains its healing effect on wounds. It refers to the water movement from less dense areas to denser ones across a semipermeable membrane.
Some bacteria, however, are halotolerant. It means that exposure to salt will only strengthen them.
Consequently, regularly rubbing salt into the wound may enable some bacteria to grow stronger and penetrate the area more readily while eliminating other germs.
Can you clean open wounds with salt water?
Yes, you can, but do not do it frequently. Saltwater will sting or even burn open wounds. The germs in salt water may also make your cuts worse. Instead, doctors advise cleaning your wounds with antibiotic ointment, clean water, and bandages.
You can use salt water to rinse your wounds as a temporary solution until you can clean them with a safe disinfectant. But make sure the wounds are not severe.
As a rule of thumb, it’s better to ask for medical assistance rather than take risks with your health.
Can salt heal wounds in your mouth?
Although salt water is not a viable cure for skin wounds, it works well to heal throat infections and sores in your mouth.
Many bacteria in your mouth, such as Streptococci or some mouth-dwelling species, are sensitive to salt. Hence, gargling salt water can relieve your sore throat.
Moreover, salt water can eliminate bacteria that may result in gum illnesses and cavities in your teeth. As a result, it’s beneficial to your gum and dental health.
You can make salt water by mixing 8 oz of water with one teaspoon of salt. Salt dissolves faster in warm water, but remember that hot water won’t make salt water work more effectively.
This video will explain more about the effect of salt water to your dental health:
How Does Salt Draw Out Infection?
Osmosis, a process where salt draws moisture out of tissues, works by drying them out. Hence, salt can kill bacteria when the concentration of bacteria-killing ingredients is strong enough.
Which type of salt draws out infection?
With its ability to make skin elastic and smooth, Epsom salts can efficiently cure your wound and draw out infection.
Through the osmosis mechanism, Epsom salt baths promote the healing of wounds. The salt cleans your skin by pushing any liquids carrying dangerous bacteria out.
Saline is also a salt-based solution frequently used in surgical operations to accelerate wound and scar healing.
Most pharmacies offer basic saline solutions. High salt content water has antibacterial properties and works well to minimize infection and promote healing.
How to use salt to draw out infection?
Salt can help treat infections. However, applying it directly to your wound is not a good idea. The tiny particles with a rough texture will hurt you badly.
Instead, you can dissolve the salt in water or use wet wipes to deal with your wound. Both methods are effective.
- Salt water
Cuts and exposed wounds can rapidly get infected. In this case, salt water can be a quick solution to keep the wound free of microorganisms.
You can mix table salt with water, like the way to create the mixture for your mouthwash, and rinse your wound with it.
Although this method works well, it can’t replace medical disinfectants completely. Hence, we still recommend the safest treatment for your wound.
- Wet wipes
Saltwater can also make wet wipes. If your skin or any surface is sensitive to alcohol, those natural disinfectant wet wipes can help.
To make the wipes, please follow these steps:
- Mix two teaspoons of salt with 0.5 liters of water.
- Add some essential oils if you want a nice fragrance in the wipes.
- Soak a paper towel in the mixture until it absorbs all the water.
- Use the soaked paper towel to clean your sound.
Conclusion
Rubbing coarse salt on your skin will help remove dead cells and make your skin tougher, stronger, and shinier. Besides, salt scrubs offer other benefits, such as soothing and treating infections.
Hopefully, you will find this guide helpful. For any further information, please feel free to ask. Thank you for reading!