Detoxing Your Home with Salt Crystal Lamps

Does it really work? Based on my own personal experiences I can say that I am satisfied with results (see photo of my lamp). Described as an ancient healing remedy for practically everything that ails you; it is also supposed to offer much needed light therapy, especially during the winter. The benefits come from negative ions.*

What is a salt crystal lamp?

What is a salt crystal lamp and what does it do? This is a salt lamp that has a light bulb, usually 15 watts, that is housed in a heavy chunk of natural salt mined from the Himalayas. It is supposed to neutralize pollutants and toxins.

How does it work?

When the salt gets gently heated from the bulb, salt crystals are released into the air, attach to impurities and then weigh them down so they cannot circulate - then you cannot breathe them in.

Where do you place it in a room?

When I lived In Seoul, S. Korea there was a shop across the street from my officetel** selling salt crystals lamps almost exclusively. They had every size and shape - some quite massive, and different degrees of coloring. It was time to buy one.

I bought a smaller one, very orange in coloring and paid the equivalent of $50.00. The instruction book said it is useful to use around computers, TV sets and other electrical equipment as those items produce positive ions while the lamp produces negative ions.

What I noticed immediately is the light. I have to say it was so soothing and lovely to look at in an otherwise dimly lit room - I wound up leaving it on all the time I was home.

Did it ionize the air and do the other things promised on the following list such as:

- Purifying the air

- reducing humidity

- offering color spectrum light therapy aid

- removing dust mites

- helping with respiratory problems, migraines, allergies, depression, fatigue and SAD (seasonal affective disorder).

About Light Therapy:

In Korea I appreciated the immediate light therapy but since I am not affected by the above list of ailments I couldn’t tell what other benefits - but perhaps it helped prevent some. However, it is by using the lamp in my Brooklyn, NY apartment where I noticed another result that I am most happy with - the reduction of dust/dust mites.

I gave away my first lamp as a gift in Korea - once back in NYC I purchased another one (not as beautiful and orange as the one in Korea). Again during this long cold dark winter I have it plugged in and I prefer it as a night light. It is generally on all evening. There is a marked reduction in the amount of dust in the apartment. Under the bed there are no dust mites. This is no small feat in my heavily polluted city neighborhood. Seeing dust floating in the air (the way you see dust floating around in sunlight) has always been a given - that has disappeared.

All the ailments it is supposed to alleviate, well, I have never had them so I can’t say. Maybe it is reducing SAD because I see no purpose for winter and cold long night but so far it has not bothered me - so perhaps this is part of the light therapy; negative ions are said to regulate the levels of the brains happiness hormone - I am very happy). It is soothing to look at - no other light has this affect on me.

And the reduction of dust mites - that’s a major plus!

What causes negative ion depletion? Specific culprits are: high concentrations of electronic equipment, fluorescent lighting, static producing fibers, air conditioners, electric heaters and other heating systems, many plastics, older TVs and monitors (CRTs), airflow from furnace ducts and HVAC systems.

*Negative ions are oxygen atoms with an extra electron. They are charged particles that are formed by nature when enough energy acts upon a molecule. An electron is then ejected leaving a positively charged ion. The displaced electron attaches itself to a nearby molecule, which then becomes a negatively charged ion.

In fresh (country) air you can find up to 4000 negative ions per cubic centimeter while during rush hour in a major city it is less than 100.

**Officetel - an officetel is a combination of apartment rental units and office rental units. Usually the first floor is filled with restaurants and shops and the second floor has offices. In my 12 story officetel in Seoul, on the second floor, there was a dental office, a nail salon, a cleaners (where clothes were laundered off premises), tea rooms, etc. It is mostly studio apartments on the upper floors, with a few small private offices throughout. (see link with photos)

Salt rock lamps are most often sold on over the internet.