Dead Sea salt


Dead Sea salt refers to salt and other mineral deposits extracted or taken from the Dead Sea. The composition of this material differs significantly from oceanic salt.

History

Dead Sea salt was used by the peoples of Ancient Egypt and it has been utilized in various unguents, skin creams, and soaps since then.

Mineral composition

The Dead Sea's mineral composition varies with season, rainfall, depth of deposit, and ambient temperature. Most oceanic salt is approximately 85 wt.% sodium chloride while Dead Sea salt is only 30.5 wt.% of this, with the remainder composed of other dried minerals and salts. The extreme salinity of the Dead Sea is due to rapid evaporation and the absence of an outlet, leading to a high concentration of minerals such as magnesium, sodium, and potassium. These minerals are continuously deposited as water evaporates, making the Dead Sea one of the saltiest bodies of water on Earth. The concentrations of the major ions present in the Dead Sea water are given in the following table:
IonConcentration
Chloride and Bromide230.4
Magnesium45.9
Sodium36.6
Calcium17.6
Potassium7.8

The chemical composition of the crystallized Dead Sea salts does not necessarily correspond to the results presented in this table because of composition changes due to the process of fractional crystallization.
The main detritic minerals present in the Dead Sea mud were carried by runoff streams flowing into the Dead Sea. They constituted large mud deposits intermixed with salt layers during the Holocene era. Their elemental composition expressed as equivalent oxides is given here below:
Mineral*Content
Silicon dioxide20
Calcium oxide15.5
Aluminum oxide4.8
Magnesium oxide4.5
Iron(III) oxide2.8
Sodium oxide1.7
Potassium oxide1.3
Titanium(IV) oxide0.5
Sulfur trioxide0.4
Phosphorus pentoxide0.3
Chloride6.7
Bromide0.2

Except for chloride and bromide, the results of the elemental composition of the Dead Sea mud given here above are presented as equivalent oxides for the sake of convenience. To illustrate this chemical convention, the neutral sodium sulfate is reported here as basic sodium oxide and acidic sulfur trioxide, neither of which can naturally occur under these free forms in this mud. However, one will note that the elemental composition given here above is incomplete as a major component is lacking in this table: carbon dioxide accounting for the significant carbonate fraction present in this mud.

Therapeutic benefits

Dead Sea salts have been claimed to treat the following conditions:

Rheumatologic conditions

Rheumatologic conditions can be treated in the balneotherapy of rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis, and osteoarthritis. The minerals are absorbed while soaking, stimulating blood circulation.

Common skin ailments

Skin disorders such as acne and psoriasis may be relieved by regularly soaking the affected area in water with added Dead Sea salt. The National Psoriasis Foundation recommends Dead Sea and Dead Sea salts as effective treatments for psoriasis. High concentration of magnesium in Dead Sea salt may be helpful in improving skin hydration and reducing inflammation, although Epsom salt is a much less expensive salt that also contains high amounts of magnesium and therefore may be equally as useful for this purpose.

Allergies

The high concentration of bromide and magnesium in the Dead Sea salt may help relieve allergic reactions of the skin by reducing inflammation.

Skin ageing

Dead Sea salt may reduce the depth of skin wrinkling, a form of skin ageing.