My Experience with Salt Caves: Halotherapy

At one point or another, I’m sure you’ve been given the advice go swim in the ocean since salt water is said to be beneficial for eczema. This is one of the first pieces of advice I can remember being given. And for good reason. Did you know that salt contains essential minerals and gives your body much-needed electrolytes? Sea salt ions possess strong antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. When inhaled, it cleanses and kills bacteria and germs.

Halotherapy for eczema in other countries

I just came back from a trip to the east coast, and while there, my friend surprised us with a visit to a salt cave. Soleil’s Salt Cave in Exeter, NH was named in honor of their little girl who has eczema. I didn’t even know until that day that salt caves aka halotherapy are actually considered a treatment in several other countries. According to Canada’s Huffington Post, Europe has thousands of salt rooms. Halotherapy is widely respected in Europe, and in other parts of the world, insurance even covers part of the treatment according to Oprahmag.com.

Soleil's Salt Cave

I was so excited. I had no idea where we were going (duh, it was a surprise) but as soon as we stepped into the door I was elated! The family who created this cave did so after looking for natural drug-free relief for their daughter. Apparently one session of halotherapy is like having been to the beach for 3 days. On their site (saltcavenh.com) they explain that:

"...halogenerators grind and disperse pharmaceutical salt into the chamber. Breathing this dry aerosol salt into your lungs can help clear congestion and inflammation throughout the body. It has helped people dealing with allergies, apnea, arthritis, asthma, congestion, COPD, depression, eczema, fibromyalgia, insomnia, Lyme Disease, neuropathy, psoriatic arthritis, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), stress and more.”

What the salt room looked like

So here we were - my friends and I changed into our swimsuits (a feat in itself since just a few days before I miraculously healed up the last of my open sores thanks to TSW). Then, in a peaceful room behind the front desk, we made sure to sufficiently hydrate with their Berkey-filtered water. The three of us then walked to the big mahogany doors and watched as they revealed what felt like a whole other world. We had a private room to ourselves filled with gorgeous pink Himalayan salt. The ground was like a shallow sandbox filled with salt. The walls were covered with huge slabs of the salt, and above us suspended in netting were golf-ball-sized rocks of salt. The beautiful glow emanating from the salt - whether from the salt lamps in the corners or from the salt suspended above, lent to the relaxing, zen atmosphere.

Feeling relaxed in the salt cave

We all started by lying in silence, directly on the ground of salt, propping our heads up on pillows, and some of us (me) laying a blanket down after realizing the salt was a bit too rough on the still-sensitive skin on my back. I was very conscious of my breathing, wanting to take full advantage of the health benefits of inhaling salt. It was a little difficult to keep the pace of my breathing since I was with two of my closest friends. Our fits of laughter came naturally as this wonderfully soothing experience washed over us. We then moved over to the anti-gravity chairs, stretching out and hovering in this private sanctuary. I felt relaxed and truly happy simply laying there. I’m sure it was a combination of the company, ambiance, and pharmaceutical-grade salt being pumped into the air. And just like that, our time was up! No one was rushing us out, but we wanted to be considerate, so we sorted the blankets and pillows and shuffled out.

Feeling the effects of the salt on my eczema

I didn’t feel any physical changes in my body as we walked out, but at that moment I was so happy that my skin had healed up all its lesions in time for this trip. For me to come in direct contact with salt without cringing nor being stung was a miracle in itself. After gathering the salt lamps and baubles we had fancied, we left grinning, bags of keepsakes in hand. It wasn’t until the car ride as I laid across the back seats, feet propped up to help my legs, that I felt the overwhelming soothing and relaxing effects of the halotherapy. I couldn’t believe it. It felt as though I had just received a massage. And that says a lot because I hold a lot of tension in my shoulder muscles and upper back.

Let me know if you decide to try out halotherapy and what it ends up doing for you! What worked for me might not work for you, but the fact that so many other countries believe in halotherapy just might say something.