Is Sea Salt Good for Your Acne? What the different salts can do to your skin and whether sea salt is a good or bad option to get rid of acne

Let's talk about sea salt. Does it work for your acne?

You know that after vacation glow that we all love and hold so dear to our hearts?

Sure, the sun has a massive part to play in that “just came back from living my life like it’s golden” flush but there might be another component here too. Frequent ocean dips and salty ocean air leave us feeling and looking like the gorgeous goddesses we are, and sea salt might just be the reason we step off the plane acting brand new.

An unlikely affair yes, but it seems that the latest beauty trend that’s making waves on TikTok has us exploring the magical properties that sea salt possesses in an attempt to replicate and implement that vacation glow-up to our everyday lives.

It is important to note that there are different types of salts whether it’s table salt, Himalayan salt, sea salt, Celtic salt or even Epsom salts. Though the chemical components aren’t vastly different, they are all used for specific reasons.

For me, immediately when I think of sea salt, I associate it to food but what if it were a key ingredient to healthy, glowing skin too? Can we be rid of our acne forever? Was the solution always in our kitchen cupboards and we just had no clue?

Let’s break it down a bit…

First of all, what causes acne?

From an anatomical perspective, acne is caused by your pores becoming blocked with bacteria, dead, stubborn skin cells and a build-up of oil.

Therefore, understanding the causes of acne is key to knowing how best to target and treat it. According to Dr. Sandra Lee M.D. aka Dr. Pimple Popper, “although your lifestyle can impact your complexion, it’s hormones and genetics that mainly dictate your skin condition”.

Knowing what type of acne your skin is most prone to is also useful in combatting the acne effectively and preventing it from worsening. Other common beliefs about causes of acne include diet, skincare regimen or lack thereof and birth control to name a few. Each of these factors do have small studies to back them up but we can’t look at it from a one size fits all approach to determine the cause of acne as everyone’s skin is different and there may be several other factors with parts to play in someone having an acne breakout.

So, does sea salt work for acne?

Possibly but there are some things to consider.

In his TikTok video, Dr. Anthony Youn M.D. says that it is mostly a fact that sea salt can help dry out pimples. However, that response suggests that it doesn’t deal with the root cause of acne showing up in the first place. Toothpaste and aspirin have been known to dry out pimples too so this isn’t unique to sea salt.

Like your hair, sea salt can dry out your skin so spraying it on your skin every day to combat your acne, especially if you already have a dry skin type, might cause further issues. With that in mind, hydration is important so as not to heavily disrupt the skin’s barrier and its ability to retain moisture.

If you are going to try your hand at this trend, make sure that moisturizing is still a core part of your routine. In fact, Dr. Pimple Popper swears by her 3-step acne system of cleansing, treating and moisturizing to combat acne, writing off the complex regimens with endless products that her patients sometimes subscribe to.

All things considered, for a quick fix, YES, you have a friend in sea salt. Long-term? Probably not. If you have persistent acne, definitely pay a visit to a dermatologist.