Imagine a gentle and affordable way to naturally enhance your wellbeing. Now imagine that this wellness-booster comes as a beautiful decorative item that brightens up your home. Well, a salt lamp is that and lots more. Chiselled from solid blocks of ancient crystal salt and emitting a soft pinkish coral glow when lit up, these beautiful lamps come with many benefits and are steadily gaining popularity.
Find out what the hype is, why they’re the latest in-expensive investment in any health-conscious home, and if you too should get one (or several!) for your home.
Breathe easy
Purer, better quality indoor air? Yes, please! Salt lamps can help improve air quality in two ways. Firstly, by releasing negative ions, they help to reduce the amount of positive ions (also known as free radicals) in the air, mostly emitted by the electronic appliances in our homes. Secondly, they’re able to absorb and trap airborne contaminants.
Negative ions to the rescue
So, what’s all the fuss about ions? In a nutshell, negative ions are good for us, positive ions not so good. Continuous exposure to high levels of positive ions in the form of electromagnetic radiation is known to have unwanted effects such as stress, fatigue, poor concentration and impaired immunity. Thanks to their ability to neutralise positive ions, negative ions can help reduce their amount – which is where salt lamps step in…
While spending time in nature where negative ions are bountiful (especially near moving water) is the ideal and most effective way to experience their health-supporting effects, many of us spend most of our time indoors. Having a beautiful salt lamp on your desk is like bringing a piece of nature into your home. Since they can’t rival a waterfall in generating negative ions, make the most of their capacity by placing your lamps where you spend the bulk of your time and use them consistently!
Allergy relief
Besides helping to lessen the impact of electromagnetic radiation in our homes, salt lamps also help rid some of the more familiar contaminants from indoor air. Dust, pollen, mould, mildew and germs are all carried by water vapour in the air – the salt in the lamp absorbs the water and while the moisture evaporates off the surface due to small amount of heat from the lamp, the particles stay trapped. Pretty good news for anyone seeking ways to ease allergy symptoms!
Mood booster
Negative ions for a positive mood
It gets better! The beneficial effects of negative ions aren’t limited to improving physical health – research has shown that an exposure to negative ions helps to improve the symptoms of those affected by SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder), while anxiety and other forms of depression may be similarly improved. Of course, salt lamps are unlikely to cure depression by themselves, but having them around can form a part of a mood-enhancing strategy for anyone in need of a natural pick-me-up. And the best part? Using them has no side effects!
Colours of calm
In addition to the mood-boosting effects of negative ions, simply having a thing of beauty in your living space can be very uplifting. The warm pinkish coral glow of salt lamps may also have its own therapeutic effects. In colour therapy, pink hues help to evoke emotions of love and warmth while coral hues help promote a deep sense of joy and co-operation.
Slumber deep
Dreaming of better sleep? Having a salt lamp in your bedroom could help you drift off quicker at night and stay asleep until morning. Negative ions (don’t you just love them now?) help to prevent irregular sleep patterns through their beneficial effects on blood and oxygen supply to the brain.
And that’s not all. Have you noticed that watching TV, working on a computer or even using a smart phone late at night can make falling asleep difficult? Pretty much all modern light sources emit predominantly blue light, which messes with sleep hormones and your natural sleep patterns. On the other hand, the warm amber coloured light of salt lamps is close to the hues of a sunset —making them perfect for lighting your bedroom before nodding off! Salt lamps can even be used as night lights without adverse effects on sleep.
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