Why bathing with salt water is trending, and who should be careful
Doctors say salt baths may soothe tired muscles and soften skin, but the evidence for salt's own effect is limited, and some people should avoid them.
After a day of work and running around, the body gets tired and needs rest. Many people bathe before going to sleep so they can rest peacefully at night. Bathing removes the layer of sweat and stickiness that has built up on the body through the day and leaves it clean. Some people are used to bathing with hot water, while others prefer cold water. Apart from these two habits, adding salt to bathwater is a practice common in many households. Some use this method to relax the body, reduce tiredness or keep the skin clean.
Bathing with lukewarm water can relax the muscles, and adding salt to that water makes the bath feel more pleasant to some people. But solid, independent evidence of exactly what effect salt water has on muscle pain or fatigue is limited. This means the relief people feel may often be due not just to the salt, but largely to the lukewarm water and the rest that comes with it.
Certain kinds of salt baths can help soften the layer of dead, rough skin cells. Some mineral-based bathing methods have also been studied for specific skin problems. But this does not mean that plain homemade salt water can treat all kinds of skin conditions. This distinction needs to be understood, because studied mineral bathing methods and a plain salt bath done at home are two different things.
In certain skin conditions such as psoriasis or some types of itching, salt baths are used on a doctor's advice. In such medical treatment, the type of salt, its proportion in the water and the other treatments given alongside it matter. So the claim that simply adding salt to bathwater at home will cure a skin condition would not be correct.
Sitting or bathing in lukewarm water for a while can make the mind feel calm and can make the day's tiredness feel like it has lifted. However, this effect is mainly linked to rest and relaxation. It has not yet been solidly proven that salt reduces mental stress or anxiety. So even though bathing with salt water may feel like it calms the mind, it cannot be firmly said that this is an independent effect of the salt.
People who have eczema, highly sensitive skin, open wounds, skin infections or foot skin problems caused by diabetes should consult a doctor before bathing with salt water. If there is burning, redness or increased itching on the skin after the bath, this bathing practice should be stopped immediately.
