You might be asking, what is this Himalayan Rock Salt lamp thingy? Do I cook with it? Do I gargle with it? Is it a new-age face tanning mechanism?

Before I purchased mine, I had no clue they even existed. Some mommy friends happened to mention them to me on a playdate. I did a little research and decided I needed them.

My Experience

The salt lamp I purchased is about 5 pounds and 8 inches tall. I decided to keep it in our master bedroom, since I wanted to see if there were any sleeping benefits. I was having bouts of insomnia and trouble staying asleep. Since having the lamp, I noticed that I am sleeping a little better and longer, but am having more vivid dreams. Like I’m really awake and dreaming at the same time.

I’ve also noticed that my room is a little less dusty than it typically would be.

Overall, I’m not seeing a HUGE difference, (I’ve had mine about 3 weeks), but I will say that the salt lamp has created a VERY soothing, gentle, calm energy and ambience in the room, which I LOVE! I also use a lavender oil diffusor in my bedroom on my nightstand and with the combination of that and the lamp, my room really has become a special space, just for me. (And my husband, too. But mostly for me.)

So what do these salt lamps do?

There is a bit of science behind it. But you don’t have to drag out your lab coat and safety goggles. It’s pretty simple stuff.

Salt lamps are natural negative ion generators. Which leads to another question. What the heck is a negative ion? It sounds, well, negative.

So, let’s back up. At any given time, there are both positive and negative ions in the air.

Negative ions are actually good for us. Positive ions are not so good. Go figure.

The Wellness Mama goes on to explain how we can grab some good old fashion negative ions, the natural way:

“Negative ions occur more often in nature and they are often created by things like lightening storms, sunlight, waterfalls, and ocean waves. Running water is considered nature’s greatest source of negative ions and may be one of the things that contributes to the refreshing scent of waterfalls and the beach. In fact, this is one of the reasons people often report feeling renewed or refreshed after a storm or at the beach.

Places like waterfalls and beaches where negative ions are naturally produced can have a negative ion concentration of up to 10,000 negative ions per cubic centimeter whereas busy cities can have negative ion levels as low as 100 ions per cubic centimeter.”

Amen to that! I am much more relaxed and refreshed at the beach and walking in nature.

Alternatively, positive ions are found in our homes with things like fluorescent lighting, TVs, clothes dryers, and blow driers. In places like offices, items like printers and computer equipment carry an abundance of positive ions.

But what if you don’t have a beach, waterfall or forest in your backyard? That’s where the salt lamp comes into play. But does it really work? My research shows that it does. But there’s caveats.

First, you need to have a quality lamp. There are fakes out there. And as far as I can tell, the one I purchased is a good one. (I’ll get to my personal experience in a bit.)

Quality lamp vs. Fakes

The folks over at Natural Living Ideas have some great tips regarding quality vs. fake lamps.

1. Your Himalayan Pink Salt Lamp Is Very Bright

Himalayan salt crystals typically range in color from medium pink to dark orange. Also, because the salt is full of various different minerals, light emanating from the lamp will be muted and uneven. For these reasons, the average salt lamp emits only a soft warm glow. If your lamp is small but gives off enough light to fully illuminate the room that it is placed in, this is a fairly good sign that your Himalayan salt lamp is a fake.

2. Your Lamp Has A White Crystal, But It Wasn’t Too Expensive

As previously stated, Himalayan salt crystals usually display a warm pinkish or orange hue. While white Himalayan salt does exist, it is rare and highly sought after. Thus genuine white Himalayan salt lamps will be much more expensive than the common colored varieties.

If you find a lamp which sports a white salt crystal, but the price isn’t significantly higher than other Himalayan pink salt lamps, this another sure sign that the product isn’t genuine Himalayan pink salt.

3. It Handles Moisture Exceptionally Well

Himalayan pink salt lamps cleanse the air around them by absorbing moisture and any attached airborne particulate then evaporating pure water pack out into the surrounding environment. This process is called hygroscopy and is responsible for one of the most common problems inherent to genuine Himalayan pink salt lamps – sweating. (You can read more about it in our use and care guide.)

So if you live in a particularly moist region and your lamp has never done it, this is a pretty good sign that your Himalayan pink salt lamp is a fake.

4. Your Himalayan Pink Salt Lamp Is Extremely Durable

Another big problem inherent to genuine Himalayan pink salt lamps is that they tend to be rather fragile. In fact, it is not uncommon for lamps to be damaged during shipping due to poor packaging or improper handling. Accidentally dropping or bumping your HPS lamp into another solid object is a sure fire way to ding or chip away pieces of the salt crystal. If you’ve done either of these things (or anything else that would otherwise damage a fragile chunk of Himalayan pink salt) and your lamp held up exceptionally well, this is another good sign that it may be a fake.

5. The Manufacturer or Supplier Has a Poor Return Policy

Suppliers of genuine Himalayan pink salt products understand that Himalayan pink salt is a fragile material. As such, genuine HPS salt lamp vendors usually offer flexible and convenient return policies. If you’re about to purchase a new lamp and the supplier is super strict about returns, buyer beware! If they are selling counterfeit Himalayan salt lamps, it’s highly likely that they’re hoping you won’t discover the truth until it’s too late to return the product.

As previously stated, in some cases real Himalayan pink salt lamps don’t even survive the shipping process due to the fragile nature of the materials! So even if they are selling genuine HPS salt lamps, you should still be wary of any merchant who isn’t flexible about refunds or exchanges.

6. You Don’t Experience Any Of The Health Benefits

Despite all of the research and firsthand accounts of how Himalayan pink salt lamps have improved the lives of people around the globe, there are still a lot of skeptics out there. From easing asthma and allergy symptoms to increasing energy and counteracting Seasonal Affective Disorder, the science behind HPS lamps is the real deal.

If you followed the sizing guidelines (listed at the end of the above-linked article) but your lamp doesn’t seem to be providing any of the health benefits as it should, it’s possible that your lamp may be a fake.

7. The Salt Crystal’s Country of Origin Isn’t Pakistan

Real Himalayan pink salt is obtained from deep underground in the mines of Khewra, Pakistan. Khewra is located on the western edge of the Himalayan mountains and it is the only place where true Himalayan pink salt is found. So if you aren’t sure about the authenticity of your lamp, you can always inquire about the salt crystal’s country of origin to determine if your lamp is a fake or the real deal.

(Just remember that some manufacturers may list country of origin as where the lamp was assembled, so be sure to specify.

As with any product, please be aware of lamp recalls!

There are three different styles of rock salt lamps being recalled, and they’re all sold under the brand, Lumière. The lamps were either one hunk of salt mounted on a wooden base or a basket of smaller rocks. Here are the product names and numbers:

• Rock of Gibraltar Lamp, SKU 495144, UPC 00886946056253
• Carnival of Lights, SKU 495433, UPC 00886946058325
• Basket of Rocks, SKU 495146, UPC 00886946056277

The lamps were sold at Michaels stores between July and November 2016, but also online on Amazon. Stop using your lamp immediately if it’s on this list, and you can return it at Michaels to get a full refund.

So how do you choose one?

Size of lamp 

First, salt lamps do in fact generate negative ions, but in very small amounts. So putting a smaller size salt lamp in a very large room won’t do much.

Here’s a recommended rock salt lamp size/room size ratio:

• 5-7 lbs. salt lamp — 10×10 sq. feet (small bedroom)
• 9-11 lbs. salt lamp — 12×12 sq. feet (large bedroom)
• 12-15 lbs. salt lamp — 14×14 sq. feet (living room)
• 40-50 lbs. salt lamp — 30×30 sq. feet (joined rooms & commercial spaces)

Check out what Hibiscus Moon, a crystal healer says about salt lamps:

Do you have a salt lamp? What is your experience? Tell us now at sothishappened@bleepingmotherhood.com