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It turns out that salt can be a lot more magical than we expected. Beyond making our food taste good and scrubbing away dry skin cells, salt crystals are being fashioned into aesthetically pleasing and affordable lamps which are attracting a new-generation fan base with their beauty, and wellness benefits.
Himalayan salt has become extremely popular both in the kitchen and when used in decorative lamps. Himalayan salt lamps are blocks of halite (rock salt) with a cavity hollowed out of the center where an incandescent lightbulb, or sometimes a tealight is placed. This pink salt is sourced in the Khewra Salt Mine in Pakistan, a remnant of an ancient lagoon that featured in the region 600 million years ago.
Himalayan salt lamps come in various designs, some carved, others in more traditional “organic” styles with a wooden base. People adorning their homes with these lamps are attracted to the calming light that emanates through their pink minerals, and their reported health benefits, such as air purification and improved sleep.
Consumer reviews and a plethora of positive articles are a testament to their growing popularity. The Daily Mail newspaper, for instance, recently reported that these lamps are garnering a consistently high average user rating, and outpourings of compliments such as: “Absolutely stunning! Can't rate this lamp enough. It's beautiful and [offers] such a relaxing glow. Bought for my autistic son and asthmatic son who both love it. It has really helped with sleep and calmness.”
For more insights into what makes Himalayan salt lamps so unique and popular, check out our list of their top five benefits:
1. Calming lights that reduce stress
The ambience we create around us impacts significantly on our mood. The soft, orange-pink light that salt lamps emit generates a relaxing glow that can help ease anxiety, depression, and stress for our families and guests.
Many lamps also come with a dimmer, so that you can customize the brightness level, choosing the radiance that best helps you unwind.
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2. Helping you breathe more easily by reducing asthma and allergy symptoms
Himalayan salt lamps can help you breathe more easily by removing contaminants - dust, pollen, cigarette smoke, pet dander, and other pollutants from the air through a process called hygroscopy.
This happens when water molecules that carry pollutants are attracted to salt, and therefore get trapped inside. As the lamp heats up, clean water vapors are released, while pollutants remain inside the salt, therefore reducing allergens in the air.
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3. Functioning as a natural air purifier
Many people purchase Himalayan salt lamps because of their ability to generate negative ions. Negative ions often occur in nature, by the sea or by waterfalls, for instance, while positive ions are created by electronic devices such as cellphones and TVs. Negative ions can protect against germs in the air, and therefore reduce throat irritations associated with coughing and sneezing.
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4. Promoting mental clarity and better sleep
Negative ions are also associated with improved oxygen flow to the brain; therefore, when heated sufficiently, salt lamps can reduce drowsiness and increase mental energy and clarity.
Salt lamps are also associated with improved sleep because of their orange-tinted light. While artificial blue light can negatively impact sleep hormones, orange lights, which replicate a candle flame, are soothing, and can improve sleep.
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5. Beautifying your home
Beyond the health benefits, salt lamps provide a different route to enhancing home decor. As demand for these calming accessories increases, their designs are also becoming increasingly more diverse and creative. For example, some lamps are carved into pyramid shapes, others come in the shape of bowls containing several small crystals, while some are candlelit, allowing consumers to find the perfect match for their homes.
By incorporating natural elements into our living spaces, we can use these organic and grounding minerals to balance our fast-paced digital lives. Just by looking at salt lamps, we are reminded that we, too, are part of the natural world, and often these visual cues can slow us down and center us.
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