Maybe it’s because I grew up in a fishing town, but I love the story behind the origins of salt baths. It’s been said that it was Greek physician and one of the most notable figures in the history of medicine, Hippocrates (460-370 BC), who first discovered the healing qualities of seawater and salt baths when he saw the healing effects they had on the injured hands of fisherman – calming both infection and pain.

Since Hippocrates’ discovery more than 2,000 years ago, people all over the world have been bathing in salt water (including seawater) for the well-documented health benefits: relaxation and stress relief, to detox the body from harmful pollutants and chemicals we encounter on a daily basis, to soothe aches and pains, to fight inflammation, to stimulate circulation, as a sleep aid…the list goes on.

While you can derive benefits from a salt bath any time, many people time salt baths with phases of the moon, known as Moon Bathing. According to himalayancrystalsalt.com, it’s during the Full Moon when the minerals and energies in the salt can optimally be absorbed by the body. This is when the body’s healing potential is at its peak, bio-energetic weak points can be harmonized, and the body’s own energy flow can be activated. During a New Moon, the cleansing effects are optimized because the body’s capacity for detoxifying is at its peak. A salt bath taken at this phase of the moon will have a detoxifying effect similar to a three-day fast.

Salt baths are also a great detoxifier during times of “shifting,” or when you’re shedding old energies and replacing them with new, high-vibe energies – such as after an energy work session. The salt’s crystalline structure helps with crystallizing the new frequencies within the physical structure of your body. The salt can also alleviate any soreness or aches, which the physical body can sometimes experience when it begins to embody higher frequencies and releases lower ones.

All-Natural Bath Salts Now Available at Moonlight + Sage

We’re thrilled to now carry two bath salts from Miss Violet Lace’s (MVL) line of natural skincare products as part of our Karma Collective. MVL believes nature and skincare are symbiotic, so their products only contain the finest ingredients with a focus on beneficial and nutritive, sourced-from-the-earth ingredients. All of MVL’s products are handmade in small batches in their countryside Minnesota studio.

• Pink Sea Botanical Bathing Salts – Pure Pink Himalayan salts and Dead Sea salts are hand-blended with energizing citrus fruit essences and soothing herbal lavender for an uplifting and spa inspired experience. Dead Sea salts naturally contain over twenty essential minerals that are known to treat, detoxify and cleanse our bodies. Millions of people bathe in the Dead Sea each year to enjoy the benefits of one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world.

• Unicorn Island Botanical Bath Salts – Dead Sea salt is hand-blended with antioxidant-rich spirulina and plant essences for natural, striking violet hue, contrasted against pretty pastel coloring of Pink Himalayan salt. The unique color blend fades without a trace in your tub. Soft jasmine infuses this salt blend for a gorgeous, light floral scent that fades as you soak.

The Ritual*

• Rinse your body before getting into the bath to avoid soaps, shampoos and other products in your salt bath
• Fill your tub with ~3 inches of hot water
• Add salts, stir until dissolved
• Finish filling the tub with warm – not hot – water
• Submerge as much as your body as possible and soak for 20-30 minutes
• Sip a glass of water – this will help with the detox process
• When you get out of the tub, don’t rinse off. Allow skin to air-dry or gently pat yourself dry (skip the moisturizer, as you want your skin to breathe)
• Rest for 30 minutes

No tub? No worries. These salts can also be used as a hand or foot soak.

We are looking forward to your feedback on MVL’s salts, as well as the many other handmade products that we’ve selected to be part of our Collective. There’s Wild Honeysuckle & Woods botanical body oil, Crystal Tranquility Mist and more (including one of my personal favorites – Cactus Dew roll-on perfume!).