But first, let's look at how darn cute they are! Don't you just love that soft warm glow? The hippie vibe? The throwback to nature? Even if all that's hogwash to you-- you still have to admit that they are totally adorable.
But besides being the cutest little lamps you can find, they actually can do a lot for your body! Let's chat. Take a seat.
Whaaaaaat?! A lamp that can improve air quality. No way?!
YES WAY!
It has to do with what they are made. Over time Mother Nature has jam-packed these bad boys full of amazing minerals and as they heat up they release all of her glory into your living room! Those negative ions from the salt lamp help to purify and clean the air in your home.
WebMD explains:
And it gets better. Research is showing that these amazing little lamps help to reduce particles floating around in your indoor air like smoke, dust, pet dander, pollens, and other air pollutants. How cool is that?!Generally speaking, negative ions increase the flow of oxygen to the brain; resulting in higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for the Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research at the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.“They also may protect against germs in the air, resulting in decreased irritation due to inhaling various particles that make you sneeze, cough, or have a throat irritation.”And for a whopping one in three of us who are sensitive to their effects, negative ions can make us feel like we are walking on air. You are one of them if you feel instantly refreshed the moment you open a window and breathe in fresh, humid air.
Of course, even though salt lamps are amazing natural air purifiers they do not take the place of HEPA filters or other types of heavy-duty air filters, but they have their own natural superior features. Shall we continue?
So this may sound crazy, but thousands of years ago people believed salt was the answer to getting rid of negative energy, spirits, or increasing your closeness to a Higher Power. A common practice was to dispel negative energy by placing bowls of salt around the home. Salt lamps pay homage to the ancient tradition but amp it up for today's modern times.
Still aren't buying it? How about if I told you that most ancient religions and people from all over the world had a similar belief in the power of salt?
- Holy Water is essentially salt water with the priest’s benediction on it
- Baptism is usually performed in salt water
- In Buddism, salt repels negative spirits
- In the Shinto religion, they use salt to purify any given area.
- Leonardo DaVinci's famous painting, "The Last Supper," Judas has just spilled a bowl of salt - a portent of evil and bad luck!
- Native American tribes believe in the power of salt to protect them from negative energy.
- Blessed salt has been used in various forms throughout the history of Christianity.
Even if you're a skeptic, you got to wonder how so many different people from so many different times in history came to the same conclusion: Salt protects us!
**Every week turn off your salt lamp and wipe the surface with a damp cloth to clean and restore your lamp's positive energy.
Recently we have had a lot of fires in North Carolina. My salt lamps and diffusers worked overtime! I firmly believe they have saved our lungs while others nearby have had a lot more difficulty.
But don't take my word for it! Salt lamps supporting the lungs goes back way further than my little experiment!
For thousands of years, salt has been known as a powerful health remedy, especially for respiratory health and to aid in detoxification of the human body. Even European monks treated patients with respiratory ailments in salt caves with great result. The monks actually ground salt rocks against each other to release a cloud of “salt dust” into the air, which patients then inhaled. I don't know about you-- but I think salt lamps sound like a much better alternative!
Do you want to get awe-struck? Look at these results!
The effectiveness of salt therapy has been measured at 85% – 90% in adults and 95-98% in children with the following health conditions per research and scientific documentation.
- Bronchial asthma of varying severity
- Pneumonia after acute stage
- Chronic non-obstructive and obstructive bronchitis
- Sinusitis, pharyngitis, stuffy nose, allergic rhinitis
- Allergies
- Cleaning respiratory system of a smoker
- Fungus problems (prevention and treatment)
- Less cold and flu issues
Have you heard of color therapy? It's an amazing practice that is being adopted by many alternative medicine practitioners with fantastic results. Plus it's fun.
After all-- research has shown that different colors of light affect the body in different ways. For instance, blue light can interfere with circadian rhythm and disrupt sleep hormones while amber light can help regulate or produce a healthy level of melatonin.
Salt lamps come in all different colors and each one can help you reach your goals.
- Amber Salt Lamp: Facilitates a feeling of security and calm. It can support the sense of love or joy and opens your emotions.
- Gray Salt Lamp: This rare color has great immune boosting factor! It also has a very calming effect and can help you breathe easier. It's a favorite as a night light due to its dim color when lit.
- White Salt Lamp: Has a cleansing, detoxifying effect and represents the healing aspect. It can be great for clarity, focus, and energy. This is a great lamp to have at your work station!
Reduces EMF Radiation
Recent studies have linked EMFs to increased risk of leukemia, lymphoma, brain cancer, melanoma, breast cancer, miscarriage, birth defects, suicide, and most recently, Alzheimer's disease. But sadly, we are constantly exposed to EMF due to modern life via our television, Bluetooth, phones, computers and other electronic devices.
I don't know about you, but I am NOT giving up my cell phone! No way. I'm spoiled. But at least there are ways to help reduce our exposure to EMF radiation!
Did you know that salt vibrates at a similar frequency as our own bodies, so it helps protect us against the EMF (electromagnetic radiation) given off from a computer, TV, cell phone etc? That's why salt lamps can be so helpful when dealing with EMF radiation!
They are recommended to be placed near computers while working to help keep our bodies healthy. But, of course, they are handy to use around any devices that puts off EMF radiation. This is why it's often recommended to have a salt lamp in each room of your home.
Mini USB Salt Lamp
That's why I love this little Mini USB Salt Light. It plugs right into my computer (or any USB port) and helps to reduce my exposure to EMF radiation. It doesn't get hot like other salt lamps so it lacks some of the other benefits mentioned because it's only job is to help us reduce our exposure to these harmful waves.
Lucky for you, SoWell gave me a coupon code so you can purchase a traditional salt lamp (or two) and get a USB diffuser for FREE!
********COUPON CODE: Use code FREEUSB to get a Free Mini USB Himalayan Salt Light with purchase of $45 or more When You Purchase Your Salt Lamps at So Well until December 1!
OR if it's a better benefit to you, then you can sign-up for their newsletter on the sidebar of their website and get 15% off your first purchase, but ssshhhhhh... I didn't tell you to go crazy. But go crazy if you want to. I did.
Reported health benefits of Himalayan salt lamps include:
- Reducing allergies
- Ease of breathing
- Less cold and flu issues
- Ease of coughing
- Increased relaxation and calmness
- Less stress
- Improved concentration
- Fewer headaches
- Easier to get to sleep at night.
- A better overall sense of health and wellbeing
- Natural way to increase serotonin levels
- Supports postoperative rehabilitation and recovery
- Improved eczema, dermatitis, allergic dermatitis and psoriasis
- Supports heart health
- Supports endocrine system, immune system
- Supports healthy hormones
- Improves the blues, especially SAD
With so many fake salt lamps out there you need to know what to look for when buying a high-quality lamp!
- Buy Himalayan. Watch out for non-Himalayan salt lamps. You want the real deal to get the real impact!
- Uniformity. Uniform color or transparent with the lighting element on can be a sign something is amiss.
- Bumpy is Better. Crafted salt lamps into smooth shapes can have less of a health impact than naturally shaped salt lamps because there are fewer surface grooves for those yucky air particles to settle on.
- Fair Trade. Be sure to look for Fair Trade salt lamps. After all, you don't want to give the middle finger to the people who mine the salt, assemble the salt lamps or the earth who gave you the salt--- do you?
- Not Bleached. White salt lamps are often bleached-- buy a variety that is naturally white to avoid those toxins! You will pay a little more for real white salt lamp than the traditional amber color.
I have purchased some from local stores (after asking several questions) and reputable online sources. You can check out my favorite online store's inventory by clicking here: So Well.
What Size Should I Buy?
Here is the recommended size based on the room(s) you want to purify.
Here is the recommended size based on the room(s) you want to purify.
- (Mini) 3-5 lb. Salt Lamp: 8x8
- (Small) 6-8 lb. Salt Lamp: 10x10
- (Medium) 9-11 lb. Salt Lamp: 12x12
- (Large) 12-15 lb. Salt Lamp:14x14
- (Extra Large) 16-20 lb. Salt Lamp: 15x15
- (Jumbo) 21-25 lb. Salt Lamp: 16x16
- (Extra Jumbo) 30-40 lb. Salt Lamp: 20x20
- (Super Jumbo) 40-60 lb. Salt Lamp: 25x25
Psssst.... if you want a 60 lb lamp, you can always buy six 10 lb lamps to get the same impact.
Sources:
- Rahi, G. S. “Physical Laws and Social Order: Positive Ion Poisoning.” Fayetteville State University, n.d. Web.
- Mann, Denise, "Negative Ions Create Positive Vibes." WebMD, 2002.
- EMF Radiation & Salt Crystal Lamps, So Well Website.
- Negative Ionizer, "Himalayan Salt Lamp Benefits: Do Salt Lamps Really Work?", Web
Great article. I have three salt lamps and looking to put one in each room so I need more still.
ReplyDeleteI hear you! I have 8 and I still want more!
DeleteJust convinced me to buy 2 lamps :)
ReplyDeleteI hope you love them as much as I do!
DeleteHi Sherri! I just got a himalaya salt lamp as a gift, and asked my bestie Lynz at hotpinkcrunch what the heck to do with it- she referred me to your article and it was awesome!!! Although I'd read about them before, this was definitely the best explanation as to why I need to plug it in RIGHT NOW! thanks :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Caitlin! I hope you enjoy the salt lamp as much as I do. And Lynz is AWESOME! I love her and her blog so much! You're lucky to have her as a bestie.
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