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Sea salt is, as the name suggests, salt obtained from sea water. Unlike table salt, it is produced by evaporating seawater, and therefore may contain trace minerals like iron, potassium and zinc. It has a unique taste, and it is widely used for seasoning, preserving, and in cooking. However, in addition to its culinary uses, it can also be used for your skin. Today, many skincare products include sea salt as an ingredient for exfoliating and more.
Sea salt can be used as a potent exfoliant, removing dirt, grime and oils, and cleaning the pores on your skin. It can also be used to balance oil production, and reduce oiliness. (Don’t confuse Dead Sea Salt or Epsom Salt with sea salt. Each has unique properties.) To use, mix a teaspoonful in warm water, and mist onto your face. It’s that easy! Or, to find out if this would make an appropriate ingredient in your daily skincare regimen, click here to take the Skin Quiz.
Sea salt, while great for exfoliating, may be harsh on your skin. It may cause mini tears to form on the skin surface, through which bacteria can enter your skin and cause problems such as acne breakouts. Therefore, it may be a good idea to use a gentler exfoliator.
Oily skin occurs when the sebaceous glands in the pores are producing more oil, or sebum, than necessary. Sebum is natural in all skin as it keeps the skin moist and healthy. Over production of sebum can be caused by hormones, genetics or could even be a result of dry skin over-compensating by producing extra oil, in order to retain some measure of moisture.
Oily skin can also be caused by using the wrong products for your skin type. For example, if you are using overly drying soaps and astringents for your skin type, your skin may respond by over producing oil to compensate, as mentioned above. This can create an unfortunate cycle of using harsh soaps to eliminate oils, but instead exacerbating the problem.
On the other hand, overly oily makeup and products can also cause oily skin.
Ingredients that help exfoliate dead skin cells to keep pores unclogged and increase new skin cell production, such as Vitamin A/Retinol, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid, are good for treating acne as well. Benzoyl peroxide is a topical agent for fighting bacteria and unclogging pores. It is one of the longest-used medications to keep oily pores clean and healthy. Jojoba oil is also good for fighting bacteria trapped in oily skin and maintaining a moisture barrier to prevent over-production of sebum.
Sea salt may be effective for oily skin, but there are many other factors that may affect whether this ingredient would work on your skin or if there are better ingredients that may work for you. Take this skin quiz to find the best ingredients for your skin and build your skincare routine.
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