Short answer: The Dead Sea is the lowest dry land on Earth, sitting about 440 meters below sea level and bordered by Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank. Its water runs roughly 9 to 10 times saltier than the ocean, and the dissolved salt is dominated by magnesium, calcium, and potassium, with the highest bromide concentration of any water on the planet (Wikipedia). That profile is genuinely unusual, and a controlled clinical study found that bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improved skin barrier function and hydration while reducing roughness and inflammation (Proksch et al., International Journal of Dermatology, 2005). So the "magic" people talk about rests on real, measurable chemistry rather than folklore alone.
A mineral chemistry unlike ordinary sea salt
Most sea salt is mostly sodium chloride, the same compound you sprinkle on food. Dead Sea salt is different. Its dissolved salt is dominated by magnesium chloride (about 50.8 percent), followed by sodium chloride (30.4 percent), calcium chloride (14.4 percent), and potassium chloride (4.4 percent), and its bromide level is the highest of any water on Earth (Wikipedia). The overall salinity was measured at about 34.2 percent in 2011, roughly 9.6 times saltier than ocean water, and the water is so dense (about 1.24 kilograms per liter) that swimmers float on the surface (Wikipedia).
Geography amplifies the effect. The Dead Sea surface sits about 439.78 meters below sea level, the lowest dry land elevation on Earth, and that low setting filters some ultraviolet light, which is part of why the region has documented benefits in photoclimatherapy for psoriasis (Wikipedia).
What the research actually shows
Magnesium is the mineral most credited in the peer-reviewed literature. It binds water, influences how skin cells grow and mature, and supports barrier repair. In the 2005 study, researchers had people with atopic dry skin bathe one forearm in a 5 percent magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution and the other in tap water. The salt-treated skin showed significantly better barrier function and hydration, along with reduced roughness and redness (Proksch et al., 2005). That is a controlled result, not a testimonial.
A responsible caveat belongs here. The strongest evidence comes from bathing or from climatotherapy at the sea itself, using concentrated salt solutions. Any given cosmetic product's effect depends on how it is formulated and how much active mineral it contains, so a bath salt, mud mask, or cream is not automatically equal to a clinical soak. People with sensitive or broken skin should patch test first. It is also worth noting that some popular marketing numbers, such as claims of 26 essential minerals, are not documented by reputable sources, even though the major ionic composition clearly is.
An ancient remedy with a modern shelf life
People have turned to these waters for a very long time. The Greek philosopher Aristotle recorded the sea's unusual properties around the fourth century BCE, and by the first century BCE, King Herod the Great built fortresses and palaces along the western shore, helping make the region one of the world's first health resorts (Wikipedia). Today, "Dead Sea minerals" in skincare usually means salts, mud, or extracts sourced from this water and blended into bath salts, scrubs, masks, and creams for their moisturizing and soothing properties.
There is a sobering footnote to the story. The Dead Sea is shrinking, falling roughly a meter per year in recent decades, and its surface area had dropped to about 605 square kilometers by 2016, down from 1,050 in 1930 (Wikipedia). This natural resource, shared by Israel and its neighbors, is under real environmental pressure, which makes the minerals drawn from it feel all the more precious.
Bringing the Dead Sea into your routine
If you want to experience this mineral chemistry at home, our Dead Sea collection gathers authentic Israeli salts, muds, serums, and creams made with minerals from the source. Think of them as an easy way to fold a little of the world's most unusual water into a daily routine: a mineral mud mask, a magnesium-rich bath salt, or a moisturizer built around the same elements the research points to. Read the label, start gently, and patch test if your skin tends to react. You get the ritual and the minerals without booking a flight to the lowest place on Earth.
Related
- The benefits of Dead Sea salt
- Benefits of Dead Sea skincare products from Israel
- Why Dead Sea minerals make the best skincare products
Last updated July 2026.
