Government name
Sodium Chloride
Goes by
Himalayan salt
The verdict
Superhero
Superpower
Pretty pink crystals, tinted by trace minerals such as iron oxide.
Himalayan salt's government name is Sodium Chloride, the same as table salt. It's mined in the Salt Range in Pakistan, a few hundred kilometers from the Himalayas themselves. "Himalayan" is the nickname that stuck.
Superhero or supervillain?
Superhero. Its superpower is its looks: rosy pink crystals that make a bath soak pretty.
What it does in my bath soaks
Himalayan salt is the base of a bath soak, along with other salts. It dissolves in the bath, and its pink color makes the soak look lovely in the jar.
The supervillain rumor
You'll often hear that Himalayan salt contains "84 minerals." It's about 95 to 98 percent sodium chloride. The rest is trace amounts of other minerals, which is where the pink comes from. Those traces are real, but they're tiny. It's a beautiful salt, and that's reason enough.
Where you’ll find it
In 2 things I make.
Usually seen with sea salt, epsom salt, magnesium oil and dried grapefruit.
Don’t judge an ingredient by its government name. Judge it by the science.
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