Himalayan Salt Lamps 101

I have thought about getting a Himalayan salt lamp for many years. Every so often, an article about them would show up in my Facebook feed and they always piqued my interest.

I also get questions from readers about them and if I think they would be beneficial for them to add to their life. Since I had never personally tried them, I could not honestly recommend them one way or the other.

So, I decided it was time for me to see what all the hub-bub was about and give them a go. I purchased a 3-pack from The Himalayan Salt Shop. I researched a lot of different brands and settled on them because I liked the quality and purity of their salt (not all salt lamps are the same), all the information they provided on their site, and I also liked their sets of lamps (and the price which was a bit less than similar sets elsewhere).

Disclaimer: This post is a review of the salt lamps from The Himalayan Salt Shop (an affiliate partner). I purchased my own lamps for review and all views and opinions expressed below are my own. As a matter of fact, The Himalayan Salt Shop doesn’t even know that I’m reviewing them. 🙂 

The Health Benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps

The benefits of salt lamps are said to be many, including creating negative ions to help bond with air pollutants and neutralize them from the air we breathe. This is especially important in homes where there is a lot of electro-smog from all of our electronic devices (EMFs).

Crystal Salt Lamps have big advantages, and not only for cleaning the environment of a room. Sitting in front of televisions or computer monitors, we are bombarded with an electro-magnetic frequency of around 100 to 160 Hz. (Hertz). Our brainwaves however, vibrate at around 8 Hz., a rate that equals the Schumann-Resonance-Frequency. This means that while watching TV or working at the computer, our body is exposed to frequencies that vibrate 20 times faster than our brainwaves. The result is a lack of concentration, nervousness, and insomnia. (source)

Some people have reported improvement of a variety of health problems from the use of these lamps. Since the FDA really doesn’t like when we talk about the health benefits of a non-FDA approved item, I won’t go into any specifics as to what those health problems are. Yeah, thank the FDA.

Himalayan Salt Lamps 101

Some people may not be familiar with what a Himalayan salt lamp is, so let me explain that first. These lamps are made from natural crystal salt that is mined from underground salt mines in the foothills of the Himalayan mountains.

These big chunks of salt are then hollowed out a little in the middle of the block, mounted on a wooden base, and then a small light bulb is used in that hollow to heat the salt from the inside by attracting humidity in the air to the salt. This heating process causes the salt to emit the negative ions mentioned above.

These salt lamps help naturally cleanse the air and also provide wonderfully relaxation benefits from their warm orange glow. According to The Himalayan Salt Shop:

The therapeutic wavelengths of the colors of these crystals fall within the upper nanometer zone (600 to 700 nanometers), which are visible to our eyes and effect a reorganization of the epidermal layer of the skin.

These wavelengths have a range of healing benefits that is recognized in both alternative and allopathic medicine. Science has even shown these benefits to be true:

Several scientific studies show that salt crystal lamps can increase the negative ion count by up to 300%. In nature Negative Ions are created by means of wind, sunlight, surf, waterfalls, and rainstorms. Generally, a negative ion is an electronically charged molecule consisting of oxygen. A positive ion in the air is a molecule that has lost its electrons through process of air pollution. In fresh country air we find up to 4000 negative ions per cubic centimeter – the size of a sugar cube. Near strong surf or close to a waterfall up to 10,000 negative ions can be found, however the number of negative ions in major capital cities at rush hour does not even reach 100. (source)

How to Select a Himalayan Salt Lamp

Like all things in today’s world, we do need to do our research and know what we’re buying. Not all salt lamps on the market are the same, so here are a few tips for selecting the best Himalayan salt lamp for your home:

1. Color

Since these lamps are made from naturally occurring salt that is mined deep from within the Himalayan Mountains, there are going to be some differences in color. The differences in color actually depend on what vein they are mined from.

• White salt lamps are going to be very rare. Some people like this, coupled with the fact that they give off the most light. Other people may find that the white salt is too bright to offer the relaxing benefits of the lamps. It is said that the color white represents healing, cleansing, and detoxification.
• Pink salt lamps can be aesthetically pleasing, but there are a few things to keep in mind if you see pink lamps: the shade of pink, whether the salt is brittle, or if it has dark black marks in it. These can all be indications that they are mined from an inferior section of earth and not truly from the Himalayan mountains. It is said that the color pink helps stimulate love, emotion, and a sense of partnership.
• Orange salt lamps are typically the favorite and the most common. They have the warmest colored glow that is not too bright and not too dark. This color is usually a sign of a quality salt crystal and offers the best balance. It is said that the color orange helps the nervous system and activates the kidney and bladder.
• Red salt lamps can be quite pretty, but often they are too dark and block off most of the light from the bulb. This reduces the attractiveness of the map, but some people prefer to use these darker red lamps in bedrooms where they can sleep with them on all night. It is said that the color red helps activate the heart and promote circulation.

2. Size

In addition to color, size it another thing to keep in mind. According to The Himalayan Salt Shop, the biggest differentiating factor here is going to be weight. The bigger and heavier it is, the broader its ionization properties. So, the bigger the room, the bigger the lamp you need. Here is their general size guide:

• 5-7 lbs. salt lamp — 10×10 sq. feet (small bedroom)
• 9-11 lbs. salt lamp — 12×12 sq. feet (large bedroom)
• 12-15 lbs. salt lamp — 14×14 sq. feet (living room)
• 30-40 lbs. salt lamp — 20×20 sq. feet (recreational room)
• 40-50 lbs. salt lamp — 30×30 sq. feet (joined rooms & commercial spaces)

3. Shape

This is something else to consider, though this is not as important as quality and condition of the salt. The lamps I received are in the natural shapes, which is the most popular type. They are unaltered and quite similar to how they were mined out of the mountains.

There are also crafted salt lamps where the salt is shaped into different forms, say a bowl, which some people may prefer depending on their own personal style.

4. Condition

After assessing the quality of the salt itself, you need to asses the quality of the wooden bases that are attached to the salt. Some bases are flimsy and poorly attached, which can lead to issues down the road. Also, the wiring should all be done using proper UL Listed cords and use a quality lamp socket to ensure no fire risk.

When selecting a Himalayan Salt Lamp for your home, those are the four most important things to keep in mind.

My Experience With Himalayan Salt Lamps

So, after I ordered my lamps, I patiently (well, more like impatiently) awaited their arrival. I was excited to see what all the fuss was about and if I could notice a drastic improvement in air quality.

When they arrived, I was amazed at how pretty they were. They really are like little (or big) pieces of art. When turned on the glow is so relaxing and soothing. While I do run them all day long, I really enjoy them in the evenings when I am trying to relax.

So, did I notice any dramatic improvements? 

No, honestly, I did not. I know that I personally seem to feel better when they are on, but I didn’t have any A-HA! moments while using them.

I guess I was a teeny tiny bit disappointed about that because when I posted about it on my Facebook page, some people were talking about how much their health had improved when they added these lamps to each room of their house.

I think any time I try something new that is health related, I always have a small part of me that wants to have something exciting happen. 🙂

That said, I love these lamps and am happy that I have them. I want to do whatever I can to help clean up our household air and since I run a business from home where I am at a computer and near a cell phone all day, so I know that my exposure to EMFs is quite huge. So, I personally feel that anything I can do to help improve my air quality is going to help in the long run.

If you’d like to learn more about Himalayan Salt Lamps, visit the The Himalayan Salt Shop. They have a lot of great info on their site and their customer service has been great!

P.S. I personally loved the Himalayan Salt Shop company, but you would prefer to buy on Amazon, there are some great options here.

Now, I’d love to hear from you. Have you ever used these types of lamps? Have you had any noticeable improvements in your health? Leave a comment below.