It’s something this TikTok user noticed after returning from her most recent getaway—and so she decided to bring the beach to her bathroom with a DIY sea salt toner. The video (and her glowing complexion) practically made tidal waves—it currently has 4 million views and counting. Some limited data even touts sea salt for balancing inflammation, which can be helpful for those tender, puffy pimples. Especially if you use magnesium-rich types of salt: One study found that bathing in a magnesium-rich salt solution was effective for reducing dry skin and inflammation. Anecdotally, some people who suffer from eczema and psoriasis have also found salty ocean water helpful for calming flare-ups; the National Eczema Association even recommends adding 1 cup of table salt to your bathwater to ease flare-ups. So, sea salt can simultaneously dry out pimples while tempering inflammation associated with those painful bumps. However! You can potentially damage your skin if you overdo it on the saltwater. Says board-certified dermatologist Azadeh Shirazi, M.D., in another duet video: “It can also be irritating to the skin,” especially if you’re scrubbing at your face with larger salt crystals (um, ouch). Sea salt is also mildly exfoliating, so she says you should avoid it in tandem with other exfoliating ingredients.
