Himalayan pink salt comes from the Himalayan region of Pakistan. This mineral-rich rock salt is mined in the Kashmir region of India. The rock salt commonly has a reddish brown color because of mineral impurities. It's mainly used as an industrial salt, as table salt in many countries, and as a decorative material for kitchen utensils, tablecloths, and jewelry, but it's also been used as an abrasive material and as food coloring.
Since the early days of the Incas, this mineral-rich rock salt has been called "Himalayan." Inca tombs have been found with a large slab of "Himalayan" salt on their burial beds. Some of the Incan tombs have the color of dark green, others a grayish-greenish hue.
Nowadays, high-quality Himalayan pink salt has its own popularity. Many different industries use it as an ingredient, such as the salt used in making white distilled tea, white distilled white wine, and also in making soap, toothpaste, hair styling products, and in medicine as antiseptic and antibacterial substances. And because of its wonderful aesthetic and health benefits, it has also become popular among the ordinary people.
Most Himalayan rock salt comes from the Kashmir region of India. However, it is also mined from other places around the world, such as the Andes and the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, as well as parts of Russia, Turkey, and China.
While many people are familiar with the name Himalayan, many are not familiar with its type.
Himalayan rock salt can be divided into four types:
o Himalayan crystal salt – this is the most expensive of the four types. Its color is silvery grey, while its aroma is sweet. This type of salt has a smooth and shiny texture that is ideal for jewelry making, especially pendants, necklaces, and bracelets.
o Himalayan sandstone – this type is another type of Himalayan stone salt. This stone has a gray-to-blueish gray tint. appearance.
o Himalayan meadow rock – this is another type of Himalayan rock salt. It's found in the valley between the Himalayas and the Tibetan plateau, on a sedimentary rock surface which is very porous.
o Himalayan soapstone – this is the fourth type of Himalayan rock salt. This type is found along the Himalayan-Tibetan border. It's a very porous rock and when salt crystals are deposited on it, they tend to bond together, forming a soft, thick, translucent mass that is very beautiful.
Himalayan rock salt is used to make a variety of other items. It can be used to make fine art pieces, including wall art, jewelry boxes, or even tableware, but the most common product manufactured from it is soap.
– used for bathing and as an antiseptic.
The most common method used to manufacture Himalayan salt is to melt down the rock and then the water, potassium or sodium, in turn, is added to produce lye.
– a chemical compound that is naturally found in the earth and can be used as a chemical cleaner, an abrasive, or as a disinfectant for things like foodstuffs, clothes, and even as a preservative.
Lye is highly flammable, so precautions must be taken when handling lye. It also produces fumes that can be hazardous, so it should never be used near anything that might be highly flammable or have a lot of moisture, like wood, clothing, or carpeting.
The great thing about using Himalayan salt is that it has no odor. It's used in this way only because of its natural properties, without concern for its smell or taste. Its natural state makes it completely harmless. It also doesn't react with acidic objects or anything that may cause damage to it like bleach or detergents.
