Salt crystal lamps have become fashionable since the past decade, if you notice. Pastel colored, with a soft, warm glow when light is passed through them, they are claimed to confer various health benefits. To be more specific, what are the benefits of halite and salt crystal lamps?

Well firstly, let’s look at the basics. Salt crystal lamps are basically, rock salt or halite. Not quite unlike table salt, except that it’s in a natural form, halite crystallizes as masses or well defined crystals. The color ranges from white, pink, red, orange, blue, and black. Soft (hardness 2.5 on the Mohs scale), and easily dissolved in water, halite has several important uses from a metaphysical standpoint.

Halite (NaCl) is an excellent cleanser of negativity. In some parts of Asia, salt is scattered in house warming rites, to chase away evil spirits. As an important component of the oceans, halite absorbs negative energies and transmutes them into positive ones. That is why we often use sea salt to clean crystals, because halite is a very good absorber of negative energy. Halite (salt) cleanses and purifies everything.

Meanwhile, salt crystal lamps are claimed to increase the amount of negative ions in the air and this is believed to improve the air quality in the immediate surroundings. This effect is increased, the larger the surface area of the salt lamp; so in theory, a large salt lamp generates more negative ions than a small one.

A chunk of halite is excellent for purifying its surrounding area.

There are two kinds of salt crystal lamps currently being sold, originating from either Europe or the Himalayas. The most common ones are the pastel brown or orange salt lamps, although blue colored ones are more sought after, as it is believed they stimulate the psychic senses. Other claimed benefits of salt lamps are minimizing asthma attacks, reducing bad odour, reducing the negative effects of cigarette smoke, and improving insomnia. Having several crystal salt lamps in a room seems to stimulate the mood and atmosphere of the room, and is especially good for meditation rooms.

Halite on its own is fragile and thus not suitable to be worn as jewelry. But having them in your surroundings seems to generate a good vibe, wherever they are placed. Among their health benefits include stimulating iodine absorption and the thymus and thyroid glands. For this reason, sea salt is a much better alternative to table salt for consumption purposes.