What is Salt Therapy or Halotherapy
Salt has been around since the beginning of time and has been used throughout history in all sorts of ways
As a common cooking ingredient, on snowy and iced roads, as a preservative, and even as currency in centuries past. Salt is one of the essential ingredients that constitute life.
Salt has also been utilized in various therapeutic, healing and medicinal ways including saline solutions, nebulizers, skin scrubs, salt baths, etc...mostly known as "wet" salt therapy. In our modern society, thanks to technological innovations, another aspect of salt therapy has emerged where the main health benefit comes from the salt's quality to absorb moisture. It is called Dry Salt Therapy and is also known as Halotherapy.
Today, Halotherapy is being provided throughout Europe, Australia, United Kingdom, Canada the United States and other areas as a natural alternative and complimentary way of improving general wellness, respiratory issues, skin conditions, detoxification, athletic performance in humans and equine and more.
Active Halotherapy
Active dry salt therapy is simple to understand. There are three primary characteristics of pure sodium chloride, NaCl, known as salt:
- Salt is super absorbent (especially when it is completely dry)
- Salt is anti-bacterial
- Salt is anti-inflammatory
This type of dry salt is placed into a halogenerator that then precisely grinds the salt into specific micro-sized particles and then disperses the salt aerosol into the air in a closed environment such as a room or chamber or a stall or trailer for equine.
As the salt travels in the salt room, these salt particles of dry sodium chloride are inhaled into the respiratory system. The dry salt naturally starts absorbing allergens, toxins and foreign substances into the lungs and throughout the respiratory tract. Dry salt may help to reduce inflammation and open airway passages. The micro-sized crystal structure of pure NaCl particles breaks loose and clears out all of the ‘bad stuff’. This is the basis for how dry salt therapy can impact people or animals suffering from respiratory conditions.
The properties of dry salt also absorb impurities and provide anti-bacterial properties that benefit the skin such as acne, psoriasis and eczema as well as regulates the skin's micro-circulation. The smaller particles can reach beneath the skin’s surface and absorb moisture towards the skin. The larger salt particles land on the skin and absorb any bacterial and foreign substances. The dry salt accelerates cell rejuvenation and improves skin rigidity.
The climate conditions in a dry salt room therefore must maintain certain temperature and humidity levels and proper ventilation to ensure the efficacy of the salt therapy and provide a ‘clean-air’ environment for the consumer.
