The salty ocean water is rich in trace minerals and has a molecular structure very similar to healthy human blood. It comes as no surprise that it has vast beneficial effects on our skin, which is our largest organ.

Especially The Dead Sea bordering Israel has shown to be of immense medicinal healing value for psoriasis, eczema and skin disorders as such.

This mainly due to to the high concentration of magnesium which is essential when treating dry skin conditions.

On the contrary, swimming in pool water is pretty bad for the skin.

This is because chlorine removes all the skin's natural oils og leaves it dehydrated and vulnerable to infections - including staph, which is predominant nowadays. If you are going in the pool this summer, definitely shower off quickly thereafter to remove the nasty chemicals.

Ocean water with its salt can also admittedly somewhat dry out the skin. However instead of washing off the nutrient rich trace minerals, I recommend lathering up with some coconut oil afterwards to prevent dehydration and benefit from the minerals naturally found in ocean water.

We might as well use nature as our spa - it is free, gorgeous and much more healing than any fancy pants designer spa can ever claim to be.

Reference: Int J Dermatol. 2005 Feb;44(2):151-7. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. Proksch E et al.