Did you know that the ancient Egyptians used the ocean to treat a variety of different conditions? Turns out that they were onto something, even then. Today we tend to go to the beach just to hang out and have a good time, but there are really a lot of different benefits to swimming in sea water (besides the well-being we get from play) including skin benefits you likely won’t learn in esthetician schools online or off. So, here are just a few of the many ways that some time spent in the ocean can make you a little bit healthier, happier and more beautiful, too.
Vitamins and Minerals, Oh My!
Saltwater is full of all sorts of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals which are beneficial to everything from skin to nails (not many nail schools will teach you that). It also has amino acids and tiny organisms that live in the water. All of these different elements have different effects that can help to boost and even activate your immune system. Aside from salt, sea water also contains magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Breathing in the salty air can also help with asthma and COPD. Those kinds of treatments are called halotherapy, and you can pay big bucks for that kind of treatment at a doctor’s office. Save the copay and head to the beach instead.
The Power of Relaxation
Even if there weren’t all those great things in sea water, it tends to be warm. Not as warm as bathwater, obviously, but it’s still soothing and relaxing. Couple that with the fact that saltwater makes everyone more buoyant and floating around is a breeze. While your skin is soaking up all those nutrients, you can just relax and let your cares fall away. You might even notice that your aches and pains float away, too. Swimming in the sea can help you to improve your circulation, too, which is one of the main points behind thalassotherapy, or saltwater therapy.
Salt Water – Smoother Skin
The magnesium and other elements in saltwater can help your skin slough off dead cells and even heal itself because it’s mildly exfoliating just to swim around in the water. People with dry skin, eczema, and even psoriasis can see big results from exposure to ocean water. People have visited the Dead Sea for centuries simply to bathe in the super salty water. After you get out of the ocean, your skin is able to hang onto moisture a little bit better. This is particularly handy if your skin won’t even respond to moisturizers. They don’t teach that in makeup artist school!
Beach Hair Don’t Care
You’ve seen those expensive salt spray treatments you can use on your hair or that you can get from a trained cosmetologist, right? A dip in the ocean does the same thing for you, and it does it faster and with less fuss. Saltwater adds lots of volume and texture to your hair, and it does it naturally. Saltwater is the perfect tool to use when you want those big beach waves that everyone covets. Before you head out to the ocean, use a deep conditioning treatment since too much saltwater can dry out your hair. Then, when you’re ready to go, tousle your hair and you’re good to go.
Now that you know all the benefits you can glean from some time in the ocean, get out there and enjoy it.