You can find few things in everyday life as soothing and relaxing as the warm glow of any campfire, and pink salt lamps offer this same ambiance in your house.
I’ve talked before about how I prefer those to help purify indoor air and for their soothing red glow. We utilize these lamps so often which i figured they deserved their very own post.
Salt lamps or HPS (Himalayan Pink Salt) lamps are essentially large components of pure Himalayan Salt using a small bulb inside. They may be solid bits of salt (this way one) or decorative baskets full of large crystals of salt (such as these). They offer a good warm glow when lit and might be advantageous for indoor air quality.
Himalayan salt lamps are made of pure, food grade, Himalayan salt crystals and could even be powdered for salt in recipes as needed. These beautiful lamps have gained massive popularity recently and there are many benefits related to them.
But they are these benefits actually backed by science?
Many sources declare that salt lamps are natural negative ion generators, although there are a few important points to understand:
At any given time, there are actually both good and bad ions from the air. Like a flashback to freshman science class:
“An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons will not be equal to the complete amount of protons, giving the atom a net positive or negative electrical charge.”
Positively charged ions are also called cations, while negatively charged ions are anions. The positive or negative charge makes ions able to move and bond easily.
Negative Ions naturally
Negative ions occur more regularly in general and are generally often made by things like lightening storms, sunlight, waterfalls, and ocean waves. Running water is recognized as nature’s greatest source of negative ions and may be one of the things that plays a role in the refreshing scent of waterfalls and also the beach. In reality, this is among the reasons people often report feeling renewed or refreshed right after a storm or at the shore.
WebMD explains several of the great things about negative ions in the air:
Generally, negative ions improve the flow of oxygen towards the brain; leading to higher alertness, decreased drowsiness, and more mental energy,” says Pierce J. Howard, PhD, author of The Owners Manual for your Brain: Everyday Applications from Mind Brain Research and director of research on the Center for Applied Cognitive Sciences in Charlotte, N.C.
“They could also control germs inside the air, causing decreased irritation because of inhaling various particles which make you sneeze, cough, or use a throat irritation.”
And for a whopping one out of three individuals who definitely are responsive to their effects, negative ions can certainly make us think that our company is walking on air. You happen to be one of these if you feel instantly refreshed as soon as you open a window and inhale fresh, humid air.
Places like waterfalls and beaches where negative ions are naturally produced can have a negative ion concentration as high as 10,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter whereas busy cities can have negative ion levels as low as 100 ions per cubic centimeter.
Do Salt Lamps Generate Negative Ions?
Spending some time by nature, especially around water, is certainly the easiest method to get being exposed to negative ions, but pink himalayan salt lamps also generate a small amount, particularly when used consistently with time.
Since positive ions tend to be created by electronics like computers, TVs, microwaves, and in many cases floor cleaners and will often exacerbate problems like allergies, stress and sleep trouble. Negative ions can neutralize positive ions (they bond together) and help cleanse the environment. Additionally, salt lamps offer a soothing glow that lots of people see relaxing.
I don’t use salt lamps strictly as a negative ion generator, but keep them at home, especially near electronics. If negative ions are definitely the goal, utilizing a negative ion generator would have been a much more concentrated source.
But, Salt Lamps ARE Hygroscopic
Salt, by its nature, is hygroscopic, meaning that it attracts water to its surface which water evaporates quickly due to the small amount of heat through the source of light (this can be why salt lamps usually sweat and appear wet in humid climates).
Small amounts of water vapor exists from the air and may carry such things as mold, bacteria, and allergens. Salt lamps attract this water vapor as well as the things it carries to the surface and removes them from your air. This is one of the main benefits of salt lamps, and one good reason we now have them in many rooms of our own home.
Salt lamps might not be the negative ion generation panacea they may be made in the market to be, but we have them in many rooms of our house for other reasons:
Research shows that different colors of light impact the body in different ways. My own, personal doctor recommends avoiding blue light after sunset as it can hinder circadian rhythm and disrupt sleep hormones.
Unfortunately, many modern light sources like mobile phones, tablets, computers and TVs emit a lot of blue light and many people spend considerable time staring at these, especially at night.
Salt lamps, on the other hand, give a warm orange glow, the same as the hues present in a campfire or by candlelight. Because of this, they are a great light source for your evening and can even be used like a night light without negatively affecting sleep.
I often wear orange sunglasses through the night if I’ll be using the pc or watching a movie to prevent blue light so we use mostly salt lamps and other low and orange lights at night.
Salt lamps usually are not a spectacular source of negative ions. However, because of the hygroscopic properties, they could enhance the air in different ways. Besides offering a soothing glow, they are able to attract pollutants from the air as well as help neutralize the consequences of electronics.
These soothing lamps may also help boost mood as well as levels, specifically those with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The soft orange hues are probably the soothing colors often accustomed to calm mood and increase focus. The small amounts of negative ions may also be useful when you are boosting mood also.
My brother in law has struggled with asthma and allergies for most of his life and he found respite from utilizing a Himalayan salt inhaler. Others notice an improvement from having salt lamps inside their homes or offices.
How to locate a High Quality Salt Lamp
It is actually possible to buy machines that create negative ions, but I’ve found out that salt lamps can be a less expensive alternative and offer other benefits too.
We now have salt lamps in the majority of rooms in our home and savor them during winter months when it isn’t possible to offer the windows open or to spend as much time outside. We currently have got a solid salt lamp or perhaps a basket lamp in numerous room of the home and I love them for his or her ambient glow and orange color.
Salt lamps cost less than many other sorts of lamps, and a superior quality one may last for decades.
If you are considering adding a salt lamp to your property, choose ones with one of these features for best quality:
Orange Color- Darker colored lamps are generally considered high quality. Lamps should specify they are 100% Himalayan salt, as cheap imitations might use lower quality salt.
Size- The larger the salt lamp, the bigger the affect. Smaller lamps weight 5-6 pounds while larger ones can weigh around 50. A good general rule is 1 pound of salt will filter approximately a 4×4 area of an area. Smaller lamps are usually much less expensive, so that we keep 1-2 in smaller rooms and 2-3 in larger rooms of our own home.
Rough Surface- The surface area of a salt lamp determines its hygroscopic potential. Rougher lamps have got a higher surface than smooth and decorative salt lamps and are more potent at improving air quality. In my opinion, in addition they look better and are a great decoration for almost all rooms.
Bulb- The hygroscopic benefits are due to the salt as well as heat together so it is very important use a heat-producing bulb. LED bulbs don’t achieve this. I personally use these inexpensive bulbs.
Salt lamps aren’t a panacea and they don’t use the place of an air filter. They don’t create a lot of negative ions like you’ll find in nature, especially around water. If negative ions would be the goal, taking a hike or possibly a swim in general is a much more efficient way of getting them.
Salt lamps are a beautiful light source which may offer the advantages of color therapy, by cleaning the air hygroscopically and also in alleviating allergies. They may be a cheap no-blue light source to make use of in the evening and as a sleep-friendly night light for children.
At the end of the time, they aren’t likely to fix any health issues on their own or drastically improve indoor quality of air. They may be, however, a beautiful and eco-friendly source of light that makes a healthy spectrum of light. When you are choosing lamps for your home, they are a great solution to consider.