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Do Himalayan Salt Lamps Work?
Happy Friday Beauties!
A few months ago I posted about my new Himalayan salt lamp on Instagram and received a lot of questions about it.
Now that I’ve been using my lamp for about 6 months I figured I’d share and update and my response to the popular question, “Do Himalayan salt lamps work?”
But before I get to that, here’a a little background on Himalayan salt lamps and the benefit of having them in your home.
What are Himalayan salt lamps?
They are simply large pieces of Himalayan salt with a bulb inside. They are meant to be used in the home and put off a nice red/pink glow.
What are the benefits of Himalayan salt lamps?
Himalayan salt has long been known to provide healing health benefits. While Halotherapy (aka: salt therapy) has been around since ancient times it’s recently been gaining in popularity in spas around the world.
Himalayan salt is said to:
- Cleanse and deodorize the air.
- Reduce allergy & asthma symptoms.
- Increase energy levels.
- Neutralize electromagnetic radiation.
- Improve mood & concentration.
- Help treat Seasonal Effective Disorder.
How does it work?
Most of the benefits are based around the fact that salt lamps naturally generate negative ions. Negative ions are usually found in nature (think thunderstorms, ocean, rain, waterfalls), which is tied to why we often feel so refreshed after a storm or after being near water.
Positive ions are found in abundance in our homes – created by electronics, tv’s, microwaves, cell phones, computers, etc.
As I understand it, the combination of light and salt in Himalayan lamps is what creates negative ions. These negative ions neutralize the positive ions in our home which helps to purify the air.
I am not claiming to be a chemistry expert here. When it comes to things like this, I usually inform myself as much as possible and then go off of my own experience.
I do encourage you to do your own research as well. Here’s a link to an interesting article from WebMD on how negative ions help to improve mood, treat depression and purify the air.
Do Himalayan salt lamps work?
While I don’t know for sure that the air quality in our home has changed I can say this: prior to purchasing my lamp I was waking up every morning with a stuffy nose. After purchasing the lamp and placing it on my dresser my stuffy nose went away. So, I’ll take it!
I originally purchased the lamp to use for middle-of-the-night feedings when my baby was born.
Traditional blue lights stimulate the brain and make it harder to get back to sleep, so I chose the Himalayan salt lamp for it’s soft, pink glow. I’ve absolutely loved it and would recommend it to all of my friends. My lamp has a dimmer which makes it perfect for the baby’s nursery.
Some of the links below are affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, The Balanced Life receives commissions for purchases made through links in this post. Full disclosure.
Here’s a link to a Himalayan salt lamp that I like. I plan to buy another one soon. 🙂
When shopping for your own be sure that the lamp is made from pure crystal, rather than a cheap imitation.
I’m also heading to Santa Barbara in a few weeks and am thinking I need to book a session at the Santa Barbara Salt Caves!
xo,
Robin Long
Robin Long, founder and CEO of Lindywell, certified Pilates instructor, Nutrition Therapy Practitioner, and author of 'Well to the Core,' blends 15 years of expertise with a lifelong commitment to holistic health.
Learn more about Robin Long
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6 thoughts on “Do Himalayan Salt Lamps Work?”
I just saw a himalayan salt lamp for the first time yesterday and was wondering about it. I had no idea it had so many benefits! Will definitely look into getting one now. Thanks for the info! 🙂
I’ve been thinking about purchasing one of these (I see there are lots on Etsy) and I honestly forgot until I read this article today. It’s my to-do list now. The bonus is they are actually pretty too!
Robin,
How do you use it? Do you leave the salt lamp on all day and night? Do you turn it on only when we are in the room? I know the salt lamp needs to heat up to be beneficial.
So how do you use it?
Thanks,
Renee
I’m also a big fan of himalayan rock salt lamps and have them in every room in my house. They have helped me with some minor health problems like sinusitis and cluster headaches i had.Their glow is also very relaxing and soothing for body and mind.
Respect. June
I absolutely adore Himalayan salt lamps! I have one in my bedroom which I leave on through the night, and I’m sure it helps with my sleeping. I have definitely noticed that I’m sleeping deeper and more soundly now. I even got a couple of smaller ones to have in the kid’s bedrooms to help them sleep. But, you know, they’re kids…. sometimes they’re just not gonna sleep!
Salt lamps work by themselves. However, the researchers found that if they heated the salt, it would systematically cover a larger area. As a result, the salt has been transformed into lamps and chandeliers. We leave our lamps 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. However, some people do not like to sleep with light; that’s good too. Just light the lamp during the day and turn it off at night. It will work to purify the air throughout the day