For many years, anecdotes of people with psoriasis finding relief from spending time in salt baths or more generally, in mineral-rich water, have been reported. The Dead Sea, in particular, is known for its high concentrations of magnesium and has been a popular destination for those who want to try an alternative treatment route to help manage their skin condition.
This has to some extent been supported by research. A study published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology showed that patients with chronic, stable, plaque-type psoriasis benefited from spending time at the Dead Sea, taking sea baths and getting sun exposure, which led to remission periods lasting more than three months on average. These results were then backed up by subsequent and more recent studies, although none clarified which components of seawater, if any, had this impact.
“Any improvement seen after swimming in the sea could be explained by exposure to UVB rays from the sun as this can improve skin conditions, such as psoriasis,” dermatologist Dr Sweta Rai, of the British Association of Dermatologists, points out.
The evidence regarding the impact of seawater on skin conditions such as eczema is even less clear. A large review zoomed in on different trials of seawater therapy and found that eczema patients’ responses to seawater and to salt baths, in general, were highly variable.
“Research around the benefits of seawater on inflammatory skin conditions is very limited. There is some evidence to suggest that water from the Dead Sea could help to improve eczema flares; however, most evidence is anecdotal,” Rai explains.
It’s also likely that it’s not just seawater per se that is having an impact. It might be that being in a new environment, with a different climate, by the beach, is what helps some patients.
“I wouldn’t recommend swimming in the sea as a way for patients to treat their skin condition, as the evidence just isn’t there currently. The mainstay of treatment for eczema and psoriasis includes topical therapies and biologics in the case of psoriasis,” says Rai.