Care For Your Skin
At Westlab we are passionate and committed to supporting all our customers in finding the perfect solution for their skin. Whether you deal with dry, irritated, itchy skin, or are prone to symptoms of common skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema, we are continuously researching and developing our understanding to provide you with the latest information, advice, and guidance on how to care for your skin.
How to protect your skin barrier and microbiome
The skin barrier is the outermost layer of your skin, the stratum corneum of our epidermis. It protects the skin, providing our first line of defence against infection and harmful bacteria.
However, this natural barrier can easily be damaged by external factors such as cosmetic ingredients, the sun and pollution. It’s also thought to be impacted by lifestyle elements - such as stress and lack of sleep.
When the barrier becomes damaged it allows water to escape, resulting in skin dehydration. This can also lead to inflammation and itching. Once the barrier is damaged to this extent it can be hard to maintain. It will then be in need of repair.
Westlab's 100% natural Dead Sea salt is made of a unique combination of skin-friendly minerals. It not only supports the microbiome, but actually help it to thrive, by improving skin hydration and moisture levels.
Why is Dead Sea Salt used for Eczema and Psoriasis?
The magic seems to be in the unique combination and concentration of minerals. Which some think is due to the Dead Sea’s location at the lowest point on earth, some 400m below sea level.
The salt content of the Dead Sea is a huge 34% - hence the name. Nothing can live in those strong salty waters. This is also why when you see photos of the Dead Sea you’ll see people floating on the surface of the water.
Dead Sea Salt has a totally unique mineral content. It’s the high concentrations of these essential skin minerals which provide the powerful formula that soothes and protects dry, itchy skin.
Calcium - regulates cell turnover
Potassium - balances moisture Levels
Sodium - deep cleansing and purifying
Magnesium - soothing and anti-inflammatory
With what this combination does to support the skin, it’s no surprise that Dead Sea Salt also helps to protect the skin’s natural barrier.
How to use Dead Sea Salts
There are no firm rules when it comes to using Dead Sea Salt for Eczema or Psoriasis. As you will know, everyone is on their own personal journey when it comes to their skin.
What works for some people may not be right for you, and even when you think you’ve got things under control with your skincare, flare-ups can be triggered from external factors.
How frequently you bathe and how much Dead Sea Salt you use is down to your own needs and can change due to how your skin is currently feeling. Some people find a regular Eczema or Psoriasis bath soak with a few cupfuls of Dead Sea Salt works for them, while others may use a full kilogram in their bath less frequently. We’d encourage you to experiment and listen to your skin.
Don’t have the water too hot – 37-39 is ideal as you don’t want to aggravate or inflame your skin. We advise spending at least 20 minutes in a Dead Sea bath and not to shower your skin afterwards. You want to leave all that mineral goodness on your skin. Applying your moisturiser while your skin is still warm and slightly damp from the bath can be good to help lock in moisture too.
As we all know, salt can sting, so if you’re in the midst of a flare-up and you have any broken skin, we would advise avoiding using Dead Sea Salt as a Psoriasis or Eczema bath soak until your skin has calmed down.
Dry, sensitive skin can be a minefield when it comes to cleansing.
It can be hard to find products which leave you feeling clean and fresh without triggering your skin. But dry sensitive skin deserves to feel clean and comfortable. Here’s how you can support your skin by cleansing it gently and naturally.
One of the main triggers of dry, sensitive skin is the use of harsh, alkaline cleansing ingredients. These strip your skin and disrupt the natural barrier. Commonly used examples are the lathering agents such as SLS/SLES (sodium lauryl sulphate / sodium laureth sulphate). These are found in many shower gels and bubble baths.
Not only do they dry out and irritate the skin. They can also disrupt the pH of our delicate areas to trigger or aggravate conditions such as thrush. They’re surprisingly common and can even be found in many ‘sensitive skin’ products. This is why we have created our Dead Sea Bath & Shower Gel.