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Himalayan Salt Lamps are a new trend that has been around for a long time. There has always been something alluring about the soft glow of a campfire or the glow of candlelight. It calms the psyche and adds a special hominess to the surroundings that no amount of artificial light can match. But since we are not cavemen who can always light up a fire any time of the day, our access to this luxury is limited—that is, until Himalayan Salt Lamps became all the rage as a home accent.
What is a Himalayan Salt Lamp?
Natural Himalayan Salt Lamps are lamps made of solidified salt mined from the Himalayas. They can either be made of pure salt or placed as rocks on decorative baskets. Solid Himalayan salt crystals have a carved middle for the placement of the light source. Real Himalayan salt originates from the Himalayan mountains of Pakistan’s Punjab region which, when mined, are either hand-carved to be made into lamps or powdered to be used for cooking.
While Himalayan salt is still mostly made of sodium chloride (98 percent, to be exact) like regular salt, it also contains trace minerals like zinc, potassium, and magnesium which gives these lamps their hue that range from light pink to a dark orange.
How does a natural Himalayan Salt Lamp work?
In addition to adding an organic and attractive décor to your home, Himalayan salt lamps have gained popularity for their supposed health benefits. Their pink glow can help ease someone to deep relaxation and transition into a more mindful space. Its natural composition, moreover, is also believed to do wonders for the body.
So how exactly do they work? The best Himalayan salt lamps basically work by removing allergens in the air. Though they are not visible to the naked eye, there are water molecules floating in our home that has allergens like mold, pollen, dust, even bacteria and viruses trapped on them. A Himalayan salt lamp works by absorbing these water molecules in the air, bringing along with it the contaminants that they carry. After the lamp has detoxified the surroundings, the light source which heats up the lamp will then push the clean water vapor back into the air, leaving the contaminants trapped in the lamp’s body.
In addition to working as an air purifier, it is also believed that Himalayan salt lamps can release negative ions into the air. For those of you who do know it yet, these negative ions are present in our natural surroundings and work to rejuvenate our senses. Using a Himalayan salt lamp, therefore, is like recreating the natural surroundings inside your home.
Are they safe to use?
Some people believe that using a salt lamp will expose them to metals—which all naturally occurring minerals carry trace amounts of. Though it is true that pink salt like the Himalayan variety carries heavy metals, they should come in high amounts to actually be a threat. One thing you must consider, however, is the effect of these lamps on animals. While they are safe for humans, they can be poisonous to your pets if ever they try to take a bite from them.
It is also important to make sure that you are only using an authentic and natural Himalayan salt lamp to avoid side effects that counterfeit ones can cause.
The benefits of using a Himalayan Salt Lamp
There are many believed benefits that a Himalayan salt lamp can bring. We count all the good things you can get from it below:
1. It can help with respiratory problems.
Since they can improve indoor air quality, using a Himalayan salt lamp can help with respiratory problems like asthma, allergies, and even cystic fibrosis. It is important to note, however, that there is still no solid scientific evidence that proves its effectiveness in improving respiratory problems. The claim, however, was derived from the old practice of halotherapy where people with chronic respiratory conditions are asked to spend time in salt caves.
2. It reduces electromagnetic radiation in the surroundings.
Living a constantly connected lifestyle immerses us in electronically-charged surroundings. Using regular appliances like television, laptops, and smartphones leave electromagnetic radiation behind. Unknown to many, highly-charged surroundings (in the literal sense!) can weaken the immune system and cause fatigue and stress. Moving around in this kind of environment regularly can lead to more serious complications like heart diseases, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.
Himalayan salt lamps can help by, as mentioned before, emitting negative ions that can neutralize the air. It’s a good option if you don’t always have the chance to get out and spend some time in nature where they exist naturally.
3. They can improve your sleep.
Having too many positive ions in your surroundings can mess up with your sleep patterns because they keep the body from replenishing blood and oxygen in the brain. Though it hasn’t been scientifically proven yet, lighting a Himalayan salt lamp is attributed to the improvement of sleep thanks to the negative ions it releases into the air. For those who are not hardcore believers of this benefit, a Himalayan salt lamp can still help with sleep by improving the sleep environment. This is because bright, artificial light can hinder the proper production of the hormone melatonin which is important for sleep.
4. It helps with skin diseases.
This benefit seems far-reaching, but it might not be an actual stretch. Skin conditions that are triggered by dust and pollen (like eczema, for example) can be improved by a Himalayan salt lamp by purifying the air. Do note that sucking in the allergens do not make these ailments go away, but they can help in reducing symptoms and flare-ups.
5. They can improve your mood.
Again, you can attribute this to the Himalayan salt lamp’s capability to release negative ions into the surroundings. The more negative ions are in the air, the more the body can produce serotonin, an important chemical that helps in improving the mood. Several professionals even say that people with depressive episodes can be helped by exposure to more negative ions. In addition to this, simply lighting a Himalayan salt lamp can provide light and color therapy to the user, especially to those with Seasonal Affective Disorders (SAD). The gentle orange light emitted by these lamps will not only calm the mood but also increase focus.
How to choose the best Himalayan salt lamp
Thanks to the high demand for these salt lamps, fakes have become prolific in the market. Besides from being ripped off and getting low quality if you get duped, buying a fake one can pose health dangers since you don’t really know the exact content of the lamps. If you’re planning to buy a Himalayan salt lamp, here are some guidelines to make sure you end up with the best one.
1. Check its glow.
Authentic and natural Himalayan salt lamps should be emitting a warm and soft glow. Before purchasing one, ask the seller to light up the lamp and observe its light. A Himalayan salt lamp that looks too bright is most likely fake. Now, the seller might reason that the item is made with Himalayan white crystals, but while these actually exist, they are very rare and therefore, very expensive! So you’re better off to drop it if you’re being offered one for an affordable price.
2. Decide the perfect size for your needs.
This might depend on your aesthetic preference, but you also need to consider this factor if you’re buying a salt lamp for health-related reasons. Deciding on where you will be placing the lamp can help you arrive at a conclusion–obviously, you need a larger one if you want to place it on the living room rather than your bedroom. Tip: position it depending on where you spend most of your time. If you have a modest-sized room, for example, then you can make do with an average-sized one.
3. Buy the right shape.
Himalayan salt lamps are usually marketed in their raw, natural form placed on top of a base, but they also come available in other shapes like spheres, cylinders, even smaller salt rocks cradled on a basket. Do you prefer not to use electricity to power it? You can put them on candleholders–just make sure not to leave them unattended to avoid fire!
4. Consider the location and the environment where it will be placed before purchasing one.
Technically, you can place a Himalayan salt lamp anywhere, but it is still useful to consider the place where you will be placing it. It is natural for salt lamps to produce “sweat” since they absorb moisture in the air, and this might cause certain discolorations on precious furniture surfaces if you don’t put a buffer between the lamp and where you will be placing it. You can prevent it from sweating by moving it to a less humid place or even using a higher-wattage bulb. The more heat the bulb generates, the faster the water trapped inside will evaporate. Make sure to only use the designated bulb wattage for your salt lamp though.
When do you need to replace Himalayan salt lamps?
What’s wonderful about Himalayan salt lamps is that they are made with material that took millions of years to form. Therefore, even one salt lamp can last you a lifetime even if you leave them on 24/7. High-quality Himalayan salt lamps with certifications are usually safe to be left on the whole day, but it is still recommended to not leave them unattended for too long to prevent fire hazards. If you’re looking to buy a Himalayan salt lamp with a wooden base, opt for models that are guaranteed to be resistant from molds. Your salt lamp may be indestructible, but the base where they are perched on is a different story. To be safe, you can opt for other designs like the lamps that come in baskets, or those with more durable bases like steel.
How to clean a Himalayan salt lamp.
Because Himalayan salt lamps basically function by absorbing water and trapping the allergens on them, you have to be ready to do some wiping every now and then. To do this, you just need to turn off t