Epsom Salt and Dead Sea Salt Baths for Psoriasis

Epsom salt and Dead Sea salt baths may help soften psoriasis scales and ease itching for some people, but the evidence is thin. The one small controlled trial of salt baths alone found that both Dead Sea salt and ordinary salt baths helped, with no clear winner, and most of the stronger research combines salt baths with UV light treatment. A short, warm soak followed by a good moisturizer is a reasonable thing to try, as long as it sits alongside the treatment your doctor has advised and not in place of it.

If you are new to home remedies and want to see how bath salts compare with other options, our evidence-graded review of natural psoriasis treatments is a good place to start.

What is the difference between Epsom salt and Dead Sea salt?

The two are often sold side by side, but they are not the same thing.

Epsom salt

Epsom salt is magnesium sulphate. In India you will find it at chemists and online, sometimes labelled as a bath or foot soak and sometimes as a garden fertilizer. If you plan to put it in your bath, buy a pack sold for bath or personal use rather than a fertilizer pack, so you know it was made for skin contact.

A popular claim is that your skin "absorbs magnesium" from an Epsom bath and that this calms inflammation. A 2017 scientific review looked at this idea and concluded that transdermal magnesium is "scientifically unsupported." The main study often quoted for Epsom bath absorption was never published in a peer-reviewed journal, and a study of healthy volunteers soaking in mineral spa water found no meaningful change in blood magnesium [4].

Dead Sea salt

Dead Sea salt comes from the Dead Sea between Israel and Jordan. It is a mix of minerals, mostly magnesium chloride, along with potassium, calcium, sodium and bromide salts. Most of it sold in India is imported, so it usually costs much more than Epsom salt or ordinary salt.

What about sendha namak or sea salt?

Many Indian households already keep rock salt (sendha namak) or sea salt. No study we found has tested sendha namak baths for psoriasis. However, the 1997 trial described below used ordinary common salt as its comparison and found that it also helped, which suggests some of the benefit may come from the salt water soak itself rather than any special mineral [3].

What does the research actually show?

Salt baths on their own

The clearest test of salt baths alone is a small double-blind study from Israel published in 1997. Thirty adults with psoriasis covering more than 15% of their body took a daily 20-minute bath at about 35°C for three weeks, either in Dead Sea bath salt or in common salt. Twenty-five people finished the study [3].

• Psoriasis scores (PASI) fell by about 35% in the Dead Sea salt group and about 28% in the common salt group by the end of treatment.
• One month later, the Dead Sea group was about 44% lower than at the start and the common salt group about 24% lower.
• Neither difference between the groups was statistically significant, so the study could not show that Dead Sea salt was better than plain salt.

Two points are worth knowing. The study was small, and it was funded by a company that sells Dead Sea minerals. A useful result, but not proof.

Salt baths with light therapy

Most of the research is on salt baths followed by UVB light, called balneophototherapy. A Cochrane review of eight randomised trials found that a salt bath plus UVB may improve psoriasis more than UVB alone. The reviewers rated the evidence as low-certainty because few studies measured the main outcomes [2]. This is something done at a clinic under a dermatologist, not a home bath.

Treatment at the Dead Sea itself

A 2012 systematic review of Dead Sea treatments concluded they are beneficial in psoriasis. The authors linked this to both the unusual sunlight at the Dead Sea (which sits far below sea level) and bathing in its water. They found no rise in skin cancer, though sun damage to the skin seemed to increase [5]. A packet of Dead Sea salt in your bucket at home cannot recreate that climate, so these results should not be read as evidence for home baths.

How to take a salt bath safely at home

The American Academy of Dermatology gives clear advice on bathing with psoriasis, and it applies to salt baths too [1][6]:

1. Keep the water warm, not hot. In North Indian winters it is tempting to run the geyser at full heat, but hot water dries the skin and can make psoriasis flare.
2. Keep it short. Limit baths to 15 minutes or less and showers to about 5 minutes.
3. Bathe once a day at most.
4. Use a gentle cleanser. Avoid deodorant soaps, scrubs, loofahs and rough washcloths.
5. Do not scrub off scales. Let softened scales come away on their own. Pulling them off can cause bleeding and new patches.
6. Rinse, then pat dry. Blot gently with a towel and leave the skin slightly damp.
7. Moisturize within five minutes. A thick cream or ointment works best, especially before bed.

If you do not have a bathtub

Most Indian homes use a bucket and mug. You can still try a soak:

• Foot or hand soak: Fill a basin or tub with warm water and soak hands or feet for 10 to 15 minutes. This suits palm and sole psoriasis.
• Bucket rinse: Dissolve salt in a bucket of warm water and pour it slowly over the affected areas, letting it sit on the skin for a few minutes before a plain-water rinse.
• Compress: Soak a soft cotton cloth in warm salt water and lay it over a thick patch for 10 minutes.

There is no tested home dose. Packs commonly suggest one to two cups for a full bathtub, or two to three tablespoons for a bucket or foot basin. Start with a small amount and stop if your skin stings or feels drier afterwards.

After the soak

Salt water can leave skin feeling tight. Rinsing with plain water and then moisturizing straight away matters more than the salt itself. Our guide on how to moisturize psoriasis-prone skin correctly explains which textures work best. For washing on non-soak days, a mild, sulfate-free cleanser is kinder to the skin; our Xpsoria Body Wash is sulfate-free and contains vetiver hydrosol infused with nettle and indrajao, aloe vera and glycerin, and is designed for daily washing of psoriasis-prone skin.

Other bath options worth comparing

Salt is not the only bath additive people try. Colloidal oatmeal is often used for itch, and our step-by-step oatmeal bath for psoriasis guide shows how to make one at home. If scales are your main problem, read our tips on gently removing psoriasis scales, which works well alongside a short soak.

Do not add strong essential oils, bubble bath, or perfumed bath bombs to a salt soak. Fragrances are a common cause of irritation on psoriasis-prone skin.

Who should be careful

• Cracked, raw or bleeding skin: Salt water stings open skin and may delay healing. Wait until cracks have closed.
• Diabetes or poor circulation: Long foot soaks can soften and damage the skin, and reduced feeling makes it easy to scald. Check the water temperature with your elbow or a thermometer, and ask your doctor first.
• Heart disease, high blood pressure or kidney disease: Hot baths and mineral loads may not suit everyone. Check with your doctor.
• Pregnancy: Avoid hot baths, and ask your doctor before starting any new routine.
• Children: Keep baths short and lukewarm, use only small amounts of salt, and talk to your child's doctor before trying salt soaks.
• Never drink Epsom salt or bath water. Swallowed magnesium sulphate is a strong laxative and can be dangerous.

Salt baths are an add-on. If your dermatologist has prescribed creams, tablets, light therapy or biologics, keep using them as advised. Do not stop a prescribed treatment because a home remedy seems to be helping.

When to see a doctor

See a dermatologist promptly if you notice any of these:

• Skin that burns, stings badly or turns redder after a salt soak and does not settle within a day.
• Signs of infection: pus, yellow crusts, spreading redness, warmth or fever.
• Psoriasis spreading quickly over large areas, or skin that is red and peeling over most of your body (this can be an emergency).
• Small pus-filled bumps on red skin, especially with fever or feeling unwell.
• Painful, swollen joints, morning stiffness, or swollen fingers or toes, which can be signs of psoriatic arthritis.
• No improvement after several weeks of a careful routine, or itching that stops you from sleeping.

Frequently asked questions

Is Epsom salt good for psoriasis?

It may help soften scales and soothe itch during a warm soak, but there is no good evidence that it works better than a plain warm bath or ordinary salt. The idea that skin absorbs magnesium from the bath is not supported by research [4].

Is Dead Sea salt better than Epsom salt for psoriasis?

Dead Sea salt has a little more research behind it, but in the main trial it did not perform significantly better than common salt [3]. Given the price difference in India, many people start with Epsom salt or ordinary salt.

How often should I take a salt bath for psoriasis?

There is no agreed schedule. The 1997 trial used daily 20-minute baths, while dermatologists generally advise no more than one bath a day, kept to 15 minutes or less [1][3]. Two or three times a week is a sensible starting point; watch how your skin responds.

Can I use salt baths for scalp psoriasis?

Salt water can dry the hair and scalp, and there is no research on salt soaks for scalp psoriasis. A gentle, sulfate-free shampoo and scalp oiling are more practical for most people.

Should I rinse off the salt after bathing?

Yes. A quick plain-water rinse removes salt residue that can leave skin tight and dry. Then pat dry and moisturize within five minutes [1].

Sources

1. American Academy of Dermatology. 8 ways to stop baths and showers from worsening your psoriasis.
2. Peinemann F, Harari M, Peternel S, et al. Indoor balneophototherapy for chronic plaque psoriasis: Abridged Cochrane Review. Dermatol Ther. 2021;34(1):e14588.
3. Halevy S, Giryes H, Friger M, Sukenik S. Dead Sea bath salt for the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris: a double-blind controlled study. J Eur Acad Dermatol Venereol. 1997;9(3):237-242.
4. Gröber U, Werner T, Vormann J, Kisters K. Myth or Reality—Transdermal Magnesium? Nutrients. 2017;9(8):813.
5. Katz U, Shoenfeld Y, Zakin V, Sherer Y, Sukenik S. Scientific evidence of the therapeutic effects of Dead Sea treatments: a systematic review. Semin Arthritis Rheum. 2012;42(2):186-200.
6. American Academy of Dermatology. 7 ways to relieve itchy psoriasis.

This article is for general information and is not medical advice. Please consult a qualified dermatologist or Ayurvedic doctor for diagnosis and treatment.