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HowAddingSaltIntoYourSkin-CareRoutineCanBeGoodforYourComplexion

Thetablesideseasoningcouldbeamazingforacne—yes,really.

BYDEVONABELMANFEBRUARY6,2019

EverythingI'vebeentoldabouthowsaltinteractswithmybodyhasledtomyassumptionthatasaltfacial,atrendytreatmentatthemoment,wouldbeaterribleidea.Weallknowthatandsaltyfoodmakesyourfacelookpuffyifyoueattoomuchofit.Sotheideaofusingsaltonyourskinjustdidn'taddup.EvenwhenIheardLukaSabbat,whoIconsideroneofHollywood'scoolestmen,getsbiweeklysaltfacials,Iwasstillskeptical.Myskindoeslookbetter,aftergoingtothebeachorsweatingmyassoffatadancecardioclass,though.Bodyscrubsandwavespraysoftenfeatureseasalt,too,sosaltisn'tcompletelyoffthetableinthebeautyworld.Takingallthisintoaccount,Idecidedtoindulgeinasaltfacial.Thetreatmentinvolvesanaestheticianrunningaspecialmicrodermabrasion-liketoolalloveryourfacethatbasicallycirculatesfinecrystalsofHimalayansalttohelpremovedeadskin.Acoupleofdaysaftermyappointment,amakeupartisttoldmeIhadbeautifulskinandaskedwhatIusedtomakeitsoglowy.Usually,makeupartistsgivemeunsolicitedadviceaboutmyacne.Istartedtobelievethatsaltcouldbebetterformeinfacialformthaninfried-foodform.

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Accordingtosomedermatologists,I'mnotwrong.Acoupleofdermstoldmethetablesideseasoning,whichisgrowinginpopularityamongKoreanskin-carebrands,isamazingforthosewithacneordullskin.Ifyou'restillnotconvincedthatsaltissomethingyoushouldbeincorporatingintoyourskin-careroutine,here'sacloserlookatitsbenefits.1.MajorExfoliationBodyscrubsareaprettyobviousindicationthatsaltisagreatnaturalexfoliant,muchlikesugar,cosmeticchemistGingerKingpointsout.Infacescrubs,salthelpssloughawaydeadskintobrightendullcomplexions.Saltcanleaveskin"visiblysmootherandimproveskintextureovertime,"NewYorkCity-baseddermatologistArashAkhavantellsAllure.Thismechanicalformofexfoliationcomeswithawarning,though:"Onehastobecautiouswhenusingsalttoscrubtheirfaceaseachparticlecouldcauseminorabrasionsoftheskin,"saysAnnaGuanche,aCalabasas,California-baseddermatologist.

Insteadofmixingascrubfromscratch,TooCoolforSchool'sMineralPinkSaltDeepCleansingFoamorthebelovedOceanSaltScrubfromLusharesafebets.They'repackedwithultrafinegranulesthatarelesslikelytocausedamage.Foramoreluxuriousoption,K-popstarTiffanyYoungswearsbythesuperluxeLaMerReplenishingOilExfoliator.Andforthosewhowishtotakesalt'sexfoliatingcapabilitiestothenextlevelandleavetheminthehandsofprofessionals,saltfacialsareanamazingalternativeandcomerecommendedbyAkhavan.2.DeepCleansingUnlikesugar,salthasa"slightedgebecauseofitsantimicrobialproperties,"Kingsays,andit'softenaddedtocleansers.

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Guanchecompareswashingyourfacewithsalt-spikedproductstosaltedfish.Thedry,preservedfooddoesn'thavetoberefrigeratedbecause"bacteriadoesnotgrowaswellinahigh-salinityenvironment,"sheexplains.Thesameappliestoskin.Whenswipingonacleansingwater—likeBlithe'sAnti-PolluagingHimalayanPinkSaltCleansingWater—theingredienthelpskillandstaveoffbacteria.

"Salthasabsorbentpropertiesandis,therefore,agoodingredienttolookforifyouwishtorelievecongestioninyourpores,"Arashexplains.So,ifyouhaveblackheadsthatjustwon'tbudge,somethingliketheTonyMolyEggPoreBlackheadSteamBalmmightdothetrick.Youcanalsodoublecleansewithsalt,startingbymeltingawayyourmakeupwithTooCoolforSchool'sMineralPinkSaltDeepCleansingOil.Thenyoucanrinseawaywater-basedimpurities(likedirtandsweat)withK-beautybrandInnisfree'sPurifyingFacialCleanser,whichoffersseasaltasitsfeaturedingredient.3.PowerfulBalancingWhenyoucombinesalt'sabsorbentandantibacterialeffects,Guanchesayssalt-infused-skincarecouldbehelpfulforthosewithacne.Notonlydoessalthelpabsorbimpurities,butitalsosoaksupsebumtohelpcontrolandbalanceyourskin'soillevels.Cleansingyourfacewithasalt-infusedproductisn'ttheonlywaytoputsalt'sblemish-bustingpowerstothetest.Tonersworkwell,too.Ifyoualreadyhaveproductslabeledasbalancinginyourskin-careroutine,theymayhavegoodoldsodiumchlorideorseawaterontheiringredientslist.TheLaneigeFreshCalmingTonerandKoraBalancingRoseMist,forexample,havesaltintheirformulas.4.ImpressivelyMoisturizing

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Itmayseemasifsaltonlytakesawaynasties,butitcanalsogiveskinsomegoodieslikehydrationandnourishment."Minerals,suchascalcium,magnesium,andpotassium[insalt],helpmoisturizeandfirmskin,"AshleyBrown,TooCoolforSchool'sdirectorofeducation,explains.

Somemonthsago,myfriendintroducedmetotheDailyRepairATOSaltCreamfromTheFaceShop'sDr.Belmeurline.Initially,Iwashesitanttoslatheritonbecauseoftheaforementionedreasons.(Also,ATOremindsmeofthenameofafraternityfrommycollege,butthat'sneitherherenorthere.)Luckily,Idecidedtotryitanditwastheonethingthatsavedmyskinfrombeingaflaky,irritatedmesswhenIstartedusingapotentretinol.AndIjustfoundoutthatPeach&LilyMatchaPuddingAntioxidantCream(amoisturizerIgothroughsoquicklythatIneverhaveajararoundfortoolong),hasseasaltinit,too.Thelesson:Saltissurprisinglysneaky(andunexpectedlyeffective)inskin-careproducts.It'sbeendoingmyskinfavorsallthistime,andIdidn'tevenknowit.

https://www.allure.com/story/salt-skin-care-ingredient-acne