The soft rosy pink hue of Himalayan rock salt makes it more striking and desirable at the same time. Those shiny little crystals look very enchanting and the beautiful pink color just adds to their natural beauty.
anytime when you see this salt you may wonder where it came from or why it is so pretty pink. Himalayan salt is usually seen in small bottles piled on supermarket shelves or in jars placed in the cupboards of our kitchens.
Well, that’s pretty much the crystalline Himalayan salt that exists in the form of tiny crystals. But what about the products made from this salt? Do they? have a pink color? If yes, then why? We look for an answer to all these questions for you.
But for those who don’t know much about Himalayan salt, let’s give a brief introduction first and then move on to the interesting point here – what is rock salt made of and why is it pink?
What is Himalayan rock salt?
The Himalayan salt is often given as a gift to others or usually found piled up in supermarkets or spas. It is an excellent edible salt and bath salt known to have a wide range of therapeutic and health benefits .
Not only is it used to give a beautiful presentation and taste to different cuisines, but it also has a host of other benefits.
The name of this rock salt clearly explains its place of origin which is none other than the famous khewra salt mines at the foothills of the Himalayan range. This salt is carefully mined and extracted in large quantities from these mines, which are then distributed all over the world.
Amazing health and beauty products are made from this rock salt, i.e. face and body scrubs, bath salts , toners and tongue water. Himalayan salt lamps are also quite famous and are not only a source of light but also provide therapeutic benefits to their users.
Origin of Himalayan rock salt
The color and composition of this rock salt also depends on its origin . To find an answer to why Himalayan salt has a pink color, we need to have solid knowledge about its origin.
It is generally believed that a salt bed was formed about 800 million years ago by the evaporation of a huge ocean. The salt bed was then compressed by tectonic and environmental processes and covered with lava at the base of one of the highest and most famous mountain ranges in the world, known as the Himalayas.
Although the salt bed has been there for centuries, the lava surrounding it has made it quite difficult for other environmental pollutants to get into it and affect its purity.
The expanses of salt deposits are crushed and broken down into very small pieces to get the crystalline version of rock salt. This entire process is solely mechanical and workers work by hand to obtain a pure version of Himalayan rock salt crystals.
Himalayan rock salt is often considered pure and free of any processing. That is why it is most commonly used as a main ingredient in health and beauty products.
But very few people know that the main reason behind the pink color of this salt is the presence of certain minerals. So let’s have a detailed look at that and see for why pink Himalayan salt from Pakistan is pink.
Why is Himalayan salt pink?
There are many minerals in Himalayan salt . The normal table salt we use in our daily life consists of sodium chloride.
However, the Himalayan salt also has sodium and chloride as its major components, but in addition it has eighty-four trace minerals that are the building blocks of this salt. So, if you are wondering which mineral is the main component of rock salt? Then you now have your answer.
the Himalayan rock salt contains a large percentage of sodium chloride, but it also contains some other minerals responsible for the pink color. Some of these minerals are iron, zinc, manganese and potassium, but others are elements such as oxygen, potassium, magnesium, calcium and hydrogen.
Therefore, the Himalayan salt contains more minerals than any other salt. Especially the presence of traces of iron oxide gives this salt pink color. This pink color makes this salt unique and recognizable.
Does Pink Color Make Himalayan Rock Salt More Beneficial?
Himalayan pink salt has a wide variety of uses and one of them is to give food a nice color and taste. It is believed that the rosy color of pink Himalayan salt gives it certain properties that make it much better than regular table salt. However, there is no scientific theory that supports this argument. Many people use this marketing strategy to promote their rock salt products.
There is no doubt that these products are beneficial to health, but that is not because of the pink hue of this rock salt, but because of the minerals that cause this pink color.
Himalayan pink salt products
Some of the most common pink Himalayan salt products include edible salt, bath salts, and animal lick salts that are made from rock salt crystals. Himalayan bath salts are known to rejuvenate the skin and make it look healthier than ever. Lick salt is very popular with farm owners because of their animals.
Other common salt products include the Himalayan rock salt candlestick and salt lamps which have therapeutic properties and also serve as excellent relief .
Bottom Line
Rock salt is a fascinating natural product that takes on an ethereal pink hue due to its mineral components and also has a wide range of applications in our daily lives.
