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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.
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I invested in salt lamps a couple of years ago. I gave one to my mom and put one in my son’s room and put one beside my bed. I used it a lot initially, but like you didn’t notice a big difference so I kind of forgot about using them. Just over the weekend I moved into my new office at work, and I think I’ll get one for my new office since I don’t have a window, I think it would be a nice touch and help with all the electo-smog which is almost certainly building up. Every once in a while I turn my bedroom light on and I do like the color of the light. Mine is orange.
Thanks for taking the time to comment Starlene! They sure are pretty and I am going to assume that they are helping on some level. 🙂 I love the warming glow and find it so relaxing, especially in the evening. 🙂
I saw someone ask a question before somewhere about how much of a bulb they need to get warm enough. I never saw an answer, so would you happen to know if in the small ones you can just use a nightlight bulb? That’s what it appeared mine was when I changed it, but the nightlight bulb doesn’t make it warm at all. What about the bigger ones? Any idea?
Hi Lori – These lamps came with a 15w lamp bulb. You don’t want them to get hot, but they should be warm. The larger lamps will use a 25w bulb. According to The Himalayan Salt Shop, the 15w bulbs are idea for optimal ionization. Hope that helps! 🙂
Hi! I, too, have a lamp that is orange and got it after reading several blogs that recommended them. I am like you in not being sure of any effects other than that I enjoy the light and if it is helping to clear my air then all the better. Thank you for the post though, it’s nice to have it all in writing. I think I got mine on Amazon, but would have ordered from your place if I didn’t already have one. I will pin this article, though, to help others! 🙂
Thank you so much Connie! I appreciate you stopping by and also sharing! I was just reading an article the other day about how dirty our indoor air is, so I am glad I keep this running. Hopefully they are helping a little. I also want to start researching some air filters for the home and see if I can improve the quality that way as well. Have a great night! 🙂
Jessica any change in your electric bill from running the lamps 24/7? Just curious. I too work from home as a virtual call center agent so I’m on the phone and PC 10-12 hours everyday. I think these lamps would be helpful. They can’t hurt they are lovely. Do you have one right on your desk?
Hi Teajae! I have one next to my desk. My desk is pretty small so I don’t have room for it on here. Then I have a small one in the bedroom and the living room. I have not noticed any increase, though I don’t run them 24/7. I only run them during the day so, maybe 12 hours total. I always turn them off at bedtime and sometimes forget to turn them back on the next day. If you ran them consistently I could see that there might be an increase in the bill, but I can’t imagine it would be a ton. They are only 15w lamps, so much less than your other lighting, appliances, electronics, etc. Hope that helps! They really are soothing!
I’m also a big fan of himalayan rock salt lamps and have them in every room in my house. They have helped me with some minor health problems like sinusitis and cluster headaches i had.Their glow is also very relaxing and soothing for body and mind.
Respect. June
Awesome! So glad they have been helpful June! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂
I bought a pink one from tjmax that’s were I work and my boss was telling me what good prices they were. When I got it I had seen them certain places but didn’t really know what all of the trend was about them or what they did. I had recenter moved in to a 3 bedroom apt in an older building. The first month we were there I had been feeling ill, not sleeping well, coming down w ear aches, runny nose, headaches, my chest hurt. I’m pretty sure it was caused from mold in the apt but I’m still not sure. Any way the day I plugged it in with in 4 min of it being on I swear I felt better and I told my husband who thinks I’m crazy basically. I went out and got one for each room in the house (4) and I run them all day and night ( no influx in my light bill) I haven’t had any problems w them and I love them. Recently I noticed that there are 2 small black marks on the one in my room and I looked on line to see what it could be caused from and got no info. I was maybe wondering if it was suckling up some of the mold. Anyway I cleaned my lamps and it comes right off.
Hi Renee! I am so glad you had such a positive result with them! That is great to hear. In regards to the black marks, I really have no idea what that could be. Mold won’t grow on salt from my understanding, so I’m not sure if it would be mold? Maybe just dust that has settled? I’m honestly not sure!
Mine has gotten black spots to I can not find why online either ?
Weird! I will reach out to my contact at the company where I got mine and ask if they have any ideas as to why this is happening.
I was renting a house with mold/mildew in the walls, and unfortunately I couldn’t do anything about it short of moving (which I couldn’t afford til now). I’d gotten a Himalayan salt rock lamp for the health benefits (I was constantly sick in that house) and it’s artful appearance. When I first got it, it looked great, but now, maybe a year in, there is a large dark cloudy bit at the top, with streaks of dark pink here and there, and the those dark streaks are chipping off in large grains of salt. Do you know if that’s normal? At the very top, it’s looking more like 2 slabs put together instead of 1 rock hollowed out a bit…
Hi Holly! To be honest, I’m not sure about that. It sounds like it could be just wearing down with age and exposure to humidity. Do you remember where you purchased them? If so, I’d snap some pictures and email the company and ask. They could be under warranty if they are proving to be defective in any way. Hope you’re feeling better now that you’re out of the mold. Mold is no joke!!
Also, I have a dimmer switch on my lamp. Does the dimmer actually control the strength in which the salt rock works, health wise? Or does the dimmer only affect the brightness of the light, allowing the salt rock to work just as well, whether at its brightest or dimmest?
Hi Holly! Hmm, great question. I am guessing that it might but I can’t imagine that it would make a huge difference. Those little bulbs don’t get super hot. If I can remember, I’ll ask one of my contacts about it.
Hi, I like the pink ones, but you say that they are are not very good, I saw a pink one on a shopping network that has a flashing night in it which shows off different colors, would of love to get it, but can’t afford it. Which color is the best.
Hi Kelly – Thanks for stopping by! The pink ones are not necessarily bad, it just means that they may not be mined from as high of quality salt. The orange lamps are going to be the most common and easiest to find. Truly you just want to make sure that the place you buy them from is being truthful about where the salt is mined from. If you’re going for just an aesthetic look and don’t care much about the health benefits, there are lots of cheap options on Amazon: http://amzn.to/2DjFsuK
Whilst I don’t think there are any physical benefits (that’s just my opinion), there are certainly some emotional benefits. I have had some really dark moments where I’ve been having panic attacks because of my mental health. I put the salt lamp on and only that. I switch off all LED type lights and I can truly relax. I think just the warming glow is comforting.
Hi Emily! I think it’s so individual when it comes to things like this. I’m glad it has helped you and I too find that the warm light is so soothing and calming when I am feeling stressed and anxious.