On a whim, I recently bought a himalayan salt lamp while purchasing books on Amazon.com. When the Amazon packaged arrived at my house, my dad asked, “what did you get?” I replied, “Some books and a himalayan salt lamp.” He burst out laughing. “I have no idea what that is, but it certainly sounds strange enough to be something you would buy.”

Yeah, I buy some weird things in my adventure for healthy living (a menstrual cup or algae antioxidants, anyone?). So, in comparison, a salt lamp isn’t weird at all. Actually, it makes an ambient and cleansing addition to my bedroom.

Himalayan salt lamps produce negative ions

Salt lamps are prized for their negative ion production. I first learned about the air purifying properties of negative ions in my work with beeswax candles, another natural air purifier.

How do himalayan salt lamps create negative ions? Salt lamps attract moisture from the air to the lamp surface, where, due to the warmth, the water evaporates quickly. The evaporation produces negative ions (source). Pollen, dust, dirt, pollutants, and allergens in the air all carry a positive charge, and that is how they can be suspended in the air. The negative ions neutralize these positive ions so they can no longer be airborne.

Numerous studies show that negative ions boost mood, relieve seasonal affective disorder, and improve breathing problems such as asthma. These studies use large, expensive negative ion producers, however, not something which is practical or affordable for everyday use.

Himalayan salt lamps provide an inexpensive solution with the same benefits. And although they aren’t used in controlled studies, I believe we assume that natural negative ion producers still provide results. For some, the results are profound. For others, the results are moderate or not noticed. It depends on both the situation and the sensitivity of the individual.

Reviews on Amazon provide testament to the effectiveness of salt lamps. This himalayan salt lamp boasts an average of 4.5 stars with nearly 1000 reviews. One reviewer commented,

I moved into my new apartment and had the worst allergies. I was taking medicine but I was still waking up every morning with a lot of mucous in my sinuses/throat/everywhere. So a friend told me about her salt crystal lamp and how it had helped her so I went ahead and bought this. I’ve been using it for about 2 weeks now and no more allergies! This think is amazing! I was skeptical at first especially since it’s electric but even after a couple days of use I noticed a huge improvement.

Due to the negative ion production, himalayan salt lamps are believed to reduce the toxicity of EMFs. EMFs are the electromagnetic frequencies emitted from electronics. Growing research shows that the high levels of EMFs in our living environment contribute to disease. You can purchase salt lamps that plug into your computers USB port to help reduce the electropollution and radiation from the computer.

Also… himalayan salt lamps are pretty!

As much as I love the though of cleansing my bedroom air with my salt lamp, I’m most enamored with my lamp because it just looks pretty! It gives the most soothing glow. A warm, reddish light, it seems to bathe my room in candlelight.

It does not provide enough light to read by, instead it is a dim and relaxing glow. I leave it on 24/7 whether the lights are on or off in my room. Even when the lamp is off, it looks like a beautiful and unique art piece.

How long do himalayan salt lamps last?

For best results, leave your himalayan salt lamp on 24/7. The lamp itself lasts indefinitely, but the bulb will need to be occasionally replaced. I find replacement bulbs – which are just oven/microwave light bulbs – at my local home improvement store. These replacement lights are taller than the original bulb, but they still fit my lamp.

Try a himalayan salt lamp!

Readers tell me that they find himalayan salt lamps through catalogs and wellness stores. You can also find this Air Purifying Himalayan Salt Lamp on Amazon for a great price. Select your size on the page: it comes in 7, 8, 9 or 10 inch height options. The 8″ size (the size I have) is currently 50% off!

Do you have  a salt lamp? Have you tried any other form of negative ion therapy?