5 Ways Salt Water Can Help With Eczema
Can salt water help with eczema?
Salt has long been known as an antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, and healing agent.
When it comes to eczema, salt can be extremely helpful before an itch attack comes on.
This is because salt calms inflammation and supports a healthy and balanced skin microbiome.
The most important thing to know about salt for children with eczema is this:
Unrefined salt contains a good amount of magnesium which prevents itching, reduces redness and inflammation, and kills harmful bacteria and fungi that contribute to eczema.
People with eczema have also been found to be deficient in this super mineral: magnesium.
5 Ways Salt Water Can Help With Eczema
Salt is anti-inflammatory
Inflammation in the skin is one of the key reasons why the skin is red, itchy, and dry.
Salt has anti-inflammatory properties which means that it naturally reduces inflammation on the skin. When the skin comes in contact with salt water, it is purified and cleaned.
Salt removes any harmful bacteria that may be present which allows the skin to heal.
The anti-microbial benefits of salt
Eczema is partly a condition due to an imbalance of bacteria on the skin and most of the time, the cause is in the gut.
Salt baths can help alleviate some microbial imbalance on the skin because it is a natural antimicrobial; meaning it kills harmful bacteria.
People have long used salt for preservation and preventing mold or bacterial growth.
Salt can reduce redness and stop eczema itching
What makes eczema itchy?
Identifying the root cause is the only way to find out the true cause of a person with eczema but there are other skin factors that contribute to redness and flare-ups.
Salt dries out the skin which reduces the moisture that can sometimes cause itchiness.
It cleans the pores in the skin and balances the skin pH level by reacting with water to release or bind to hydrogen atoms.
Salt contains trace minerals for wound healing
Table salt contains only sodium and chloride, but unrefined salt has all of its trace minerals intact like phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, potassium, and, one of the most important minerals available to us: magnesium.
Magnesium is so important for people and kids with eczema because it can help reduce inflammation in the skin that leads to itching and scratching.
Inflammation is a key factor in eczema both on the skin and internally.
Trace minerals are essential minerals that we need for many functions like making enzymes but in the skin, specifically, trace minerals help regulate moisture, reduce inflammation, and are important in making collagen for stronger nails, full hair, and smoother skin.
Salt is naturally calming
Thanks to magnesium, potassium, and calcium found together in unrefined salt, these minerals help relax muscles and calm the nervous system.
The constant itching of eczema can heighten the stress load.
Salt calms the body and helps relieve stress. In fact, studies show that under stress, animals prefer to drink salty water.
When To Use Salt Water On Eczema
Salt is best used on skin that is not broken, cracked, or bleeding. It works well either before a flare-up or in a period after a flare-up where the skin has healed.
Salt baths, when done regularly, can help mitigate itching and eczema flare-ups.
How To Make A Healing Salt Bath For Eczema At Home
For a normal bathtub:
Step 1: Fill the tub with warm water
Step 2: Add 1-2 cups of either Epsom salt or a mixture of Epsom salt and Dead sea salt
Step 3: Let dissolve and soak for 30-40 minutes
For a baby bathtub:
Step 1: Fill the tub with warm water
Step 2: Add 1/4 to 1/2 a cup of Epsom salt or a mixture of both Epsom salt and Dead sea salt
Step 3: Let dissolve and let your baby or toddler soal and play for 20 minutes
Final thoughts
Salt is essential to our health. Our bodies need salt for digestion and metabolism, regulating blood pressure, making energy, maintaining skin moisture and pH levels and so much more.
Unrefined salt is needed for optimal health and salt baths can help mitigate some of the inflammation in the skin and reduce eczema flare-ups.
