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The picture above is of my lovely, Mini Himalayan Salt Lamp. This baby is so beautiful and since discovering that the himalayan salt lamps aren't only pretty, but also have some neat benefits, I couldn't resist to share all that with you. I should warn you, though. I got a little picture happy and took a lot of photos of the lamp, so as you scroll down, you'll see the different photos. (I got the mini lamp came from yoursaltlamps.com)
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| This is a photo of the lamp turned on, using flash on my camera. You can see a lot of the orange/red tones here. |
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| The Mini Himalayan salt lamp again. This one was taken with the P setting on my camera. This is more how it looks in person than the photo above, which was so bright because of the super flash that it made it appear blinding. |
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| I know, I know. Another picture. Here you see the cord and the switch where you turn the lamp on. I love this because it's super easy to turn on/off. There's a little button switch in the middle of the cord, so whenever I'm ready to turn the lamp on or off, I can just switch it on and don't have to fumble to unplug it. |
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| Now these pictures are of the Mini Himalayan Salt Lamp turned off. I wanted to show how beautiful it is on and off. Hold your horses, there's only a few more pictures to go. By the way, this is a photo of the side of the lamp. You can see the nice chunk of salt and its shape. |
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| The front. You see the wooden base, which is nice. Yoursaltlamps.com has the lamps like this with rosewood bases, which is lovely and it also prevents the bulb thing from just sitting on a counter. |
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| Last one! |
You may have noticed I say "mini" Himalayan Salt Lamp. That's because this is one of the miniature versions, which was absolutely perfect for my bedroom. The larger ones are nice for a larger area such as a living room or kitchen, but the mini himalayan salt lamps are wonderful for a bedroom or bathroom!
YourSaltLamps.com gives the approximate measurements for their crystals and the mini crystals are approximately 4-5 inches in height, 3-5 pounds and the protection area is about 8x8 square feet.
Now for part of why I've been so excited to mention the Himalayan Salt Lamp...
Himalayan Salt Lamps actually have benefits! I've been eating Himalayan Salt for a long time, for the health benefits and because it's better for you than table salt, and I'd seen Himalayan Salt Lamps before, but never knew that they too had such magnificent benefits. Let's talk about them...
"Himalayan Salt Lamps are aesthetically pleasing and create an environment filled with positive energy. Many people find that placing several Salt Lamps in a particular room or space where they spend time lends an even greater benefit, both in terms of physical health and mood enhancement."
Benefits of Himalayan Salt Lamps & How They Work
First, I definitely recommend checking out the FAQ's page on Your Salt Lamps.com to read a lot of very useful information about the lamps. However, I still want to include some of that information that I've learned here too. But click the "FAQ's page" in the permalink above to read more about it.
- The Crystal Salts come from the Primal Sea located deep in the Himalayan mountains a mile or more below the surface of earth. scholars and scientists believed the Primal Sea was the place where all life originated. These salts were created when that sea dried up by the energy of the sun, and then compressed
over millions of years by the pressure of the land masses that formed on top of it.
- Himalayan Salt is chipped out by hand and then shaped and crafted into many different products like the Mini Himalayan Salt Lamps.
- Himalayan Crystal salt is pure and contains 84 different elements and minerals, and provides health benefits to us. This is what got me into eating the salt, and then I learned the Salt Lamps were beneficial too!
- Yes, I licked my Mini Himalayan Salt Lamp. I couldn't resist! It tastes just like the little Himalayan salt crystals I use in food. I can't say I recommend licking your salt lamp though, so don't take this as something I'm advising. Just stating that for interest. It was only a tiny lick.
- YourSaltLamps.com recommends leaving the Salt Lamp lit for as long as possible for optimal ionization and air purifying results. The longer it's on, the better results you'll notice.
- In "The Ion Effect," by Fred Soyka, there's a lot of awesome information about how Himalayan Salt Lamps have improved so many, many health conditions! It would take me ages to list all of it, but to name a few, a scientific report showed they've been super helpful for bronchitis, asthma attacks. Even a small quantity of negative ions have been shown to kill some bacteria that floats in air (and even remove them from the air) such as influenza, colds and other respiratory illness.
- Himalayan Salt Lamps have been used for Chromotherapy (also known as Color Therapy.)
- Ayurvedic professionals have found that Chromotherapy can be beneficial to our moods, energy levels and mental state, so this could be partly why the Salt Lamps affect us so positively.
- The heat from the bulb will decrease the moisture build-up around the lamp.
**These awesome things I've noted about Himalayan Salt Lamps and their benefits are just some of the effects they have on us. I really encourage ya'll to learn even more though. Do some researching, even a quick little search and read up on what all Himalayan Salt Lamps can do for us. It's very intriguing!
How the Himalayan Salt Lamps Work
The air contains positive and negative ions. In a healthy living environment, the negative and positive ions will remain balanced. Electronic devices that we use daily contain a lot of positive ions, so they throw off that balance. What I recently learned was that this actually causes stress, sleep problems, depression, migraines (ahem, huge migraine sufferer right here!), sinus and allergy problems, asthma and other health complications!
This is where Himalayan Salt Lamps come in as useful. They produce negative ions naturally. The Salt Lamps are a natural air purifier and ionizer. So having a Himalayan Salt Lamp in a room will purify the air and put things back in balance, reducing health problems caused by the imbalance.
It's not just something some company made up, negative ions have actually shown to help these health problems. They've shown to alleviate indoor pollutants such as dust, mildew, humidity and even electromagnetic fields produced by our electronic devices (cell phones, computers, ipods, e-readers, etc.)
How do Negative Ions Work?
When negative ions enter the body, you experience a sense of well being, are in a more relaxed state, less stressful, which would also mean less tension and more.
Negative ions clean the air, removing dust, pollen and bacteria.
Having an abundance of negative ions can be a protectant to your health, and even drastically improve health conditions.
This brings me to something I just thought of. Yesterday, right as we were going into the store to buy the bulb for this lamp, I had to stop and take a BC Powder for my migraine it was so bad! This isn't unusual. Most of you who read regularly here know how common migraines are for me. Well, I didn't have one today. Not even a bad headache. Today is the day I left the Himalayan Salt Lamp on all day (and all night last night.) This makes me wonder if the Lamp was helpful already to my headaches. It definitely helped my sleep. It's exciting to think the lamp may be helpful for the headaches I frequently get!
The smaller the Himalayan Crystal, the smaller area it will take care of. The larger crystals are more appropriate for larger spaces, so you're able to choose which best suits your living space. YourSaltLamps.com has large, small, medium and they even have a bunch of other amazing Himalayan Salt products.
For us, the Mini Himalayan Salt Lamp has been a peaceful little thing. It does cause the room to have a more peaceful environment and it's feel-able, if that's a word. It's perfect for de-stressing in the evenings.
It kind of creates just a nicer, more relaxed environment and brings me comfort, especially when it's on and the lights are off. Gosh! That was the most comfortable, peaceful and relaxing time I've had in so very long.
I want to share a little about my own experience with this baby -- the good and the sad.
The day I got my Salt Lamp, I instantly put the bulb in and went to admiring it. Then, I wanted to take photos of it (the ones you see above) and so I wanted one of the inner portion where the bulb goes to explain how that works, and stupid me, took the bulb out, and crash! It shatter to pieces. The bulb, not the Salt Lamp! Noo. I'd be crying! But stupid me didn't even think to turn it off, let it cool and then remove the bulb! No. Not me! I just went to jerking that sucker out. When it exposed to the air (much cooler than the bulb!) it caused it to bust.
I was so upset at myself for that. I was really enjoying the lamp and the lovely glow it gave to the room, and then I had to go and mess it all up. The good news is, the Salt Lamp came with a paper of information, instructions and even where to buy replacement bulbs! It also told me what kind of bulb it takes. Thank God for that because I never expected to need one right away. I did think it was awesome that Your Salt Lamps.com sent a bulb with the lamp instead of you having to go out and buy a bulb before you can use your lamp. Kind of like when you buy something and batteries aren't include. It's irritating, so I loved that the Himalayan Crystal Salt Lamp came with everything you need to get it going right away.
So learn from my mistakes! Before being crazy and taking the bulb out, let it cool off first!
The good news is, I went and got a new bulb yesterday. I was kicking myself for the past two days that I wasn't able to use the lamp though. Then more bad news. I went to Fred's, a dollar store in my area to get the bulb and I told my lovie that the bulb looked too long to fit. It was!
PS. The Mini Himalayan Salt Lamp takes a 5-25 caledelabra bulb. We found only one bulb at that store and it was a 15, and I figured it looked too long, but he convinced me it'd work. I got home, and sure enough, the bulb was too long. It hit the top of the inner, carved out portion of the crystal (where the bulb is inserted), so learn from this mistake too!
Then there was good news again though. When I got home and realized the bulb was too long (that was the only problem with it fitting) we began contemplating ways to make it work. I'd gone two days not even getting to enjoy the Salt Lamp, so by golly I was going to use it, and in the meantime just find the right bulb at the other dollar store in my area, which does carry them.
So we came up with a plan -- if we could set the lamp on top of something with a hole in it, so the protruding end of the bulb would just hang into a hole, and whatever it's setting on will hold it up. The problem would be fixed. the bulb would fit in there enough, but not the full length, so part of the plug that holds the bulb would stick out. You can set it on a flat surface that way, so finally I decided a stack of books on either side of the rosewood base! It worked!
Just thought I'd share that. I used two books on either side and have been able to enjoy my Mini Himalayan Salt Lamp for the past two days now! Tomorrow I'll get the proper bulb.
Getting the Himalayan Salt Lamp set up is easy. The problem of me busting the bulb is what made my process so complicated, but as long as you don't make my mistake, it's quick, easy and you have yourself a lovely lamp!
The Salt Lamp looks lovely sitting on my dresser. With my lights out, it creates such a perfect glow! It's very relaxing and nice. It even works out as a night light too, if you don't like complete darkness when you're sleeping. I have been sleeping with my bedroom lights on because I had an issue where the bulbs would blow (I must have bad luck with bulbs!) everytime I turned the lights out, so I just started sleeping with them on. And let me tell you how irritating it is trying to sleep with the lights on. My sleep has been so jacked up ever since I started leaving the lights on.
So last night, we turned the light off to admire the lamp in the dark and it was so nice! It was very relaxing to me and my partner. Neither of us wanted to get up or even turn the light back on. I finally said "one of us has to turn the lights back on because I've not felt this relaxed for as long as I can remember and I'll pass out!" It was just crazy how great it felt. It was so soothing and I decided right then that I was sleeping with my lights off, and the Himalayan Salt Lamp on. It's incredible the difference in sleep I had. I didn't even realize just how bad my sleep was until I spent last night with no lights besides my Salt Lamp on. I have the lamp situated near my bed, so I grabbed my new book (made a much needed trip to the bookstore yesterday!) and laid down, using the light to see my book and I woke up this morning with my book half way across the bed.
It was like instant de-stressing. I actually noticed that the tension in my entire body was feeling relieved.
Also, my cat, Fuzz seems to be a huge fan of the Mini Himalayan Salt Lamp! She was in the room yesterday when I came home to put the new bulb in, and as soon as I got it positioned on the dresser, she bounced right up there. She just sat there hovered over the lamp forever. She stayed there all night long -- from yesterday evening (before 8PM until well after midnight!) Everytime I came in the room, she was hanging out right over the lamp. I was joking about her enjoying the soothing effects and how she was hogging all the good stuff, but later, when I turned it back on again and she went back to the lamp, I realized that she actually is drawn to it! I thought that was very interesting. If the lamp is on, she's near it unless she's at her food bowl. She didn't even sleep in bed with me last night. She slept with the Crystal Salt Lamp! Right now, the lamp is turned off and Fuzz is right beside me. The time it's been off today, she hasn't been on the dresser with it one time. Makes me think she is actually drawn to its effects. Maybe she'll de-stress and be sweeter.
As I said, I've seen Himalayan Salt Lamps before in my life, but never owned one and certainly never knew the nice feeling they add to a room. It's incredible. But there are more possible benefits to Himalayan Salt Lamps and that excites the far out of me! I know I've rambled on a lot, but I can't help but to include this as well.
On the instructions paper that the Himalayan Lamp came with, it also said that you could even experiment with colored light bulbs in the lamp! I thought that would be really neat too, so I'll have to round me up some colored bulbs.
How To Take Care of a Himalayan Salt Lamp
I didn't know if my lamp would ever break down and just disappear. Sounds funny, but I actually did wonder if anything could happen to it. Thankfully, on the FAQ's section (the one I linked to earlier in this post) contains everything you need or just want to know about their Himalayan Salt Lamps, and they said that as long as you don't submerge your Salt Lamp in water or expose them to excessive moisture, the lamp will last you forever. Talk about exciting! I was so happy to read this.
They do forewarn ya that the lamps can sweat a little when it's humid and because it absorbs moisture particles from the air. I heard this referrred to as "crying," but it's okay! Don't panic if it happens. It just means the humidity is high. So far, my lamp has not cried. But it's been very cold here since I got mine. I'll now know that when summer time comes, if my lamp gets sweaty, that it's just the high humidity. I live in Georgia and it can get miserably humid here, so I expect my little beauty might "cry."
Oh, they also say that if you turn the lamp on, the sweating will subside. It won't even sweat on the most humid days as long as it's left on.
You can wipe it down with a slightly damp cloth, or even one of those dust cloths, which is what I'll probably use to be safe.
As a side note, the part that you screw the bulb into has two metal prongs on either side, you squeeze those to insert the bulb into the lamp and to remove. It's very simple. Just turn the lamp on its side while doing so. I made sure I was sitting down while doing this as I was terrified of what would happen if I dropped the Salt Lamp by accident.
YourSaltLamps.com also say you can use a 7 watt calendelabra bulb, but using a higher one (15+) will provide better results as far as air purification and such goes. They even tell you on the instruction sheet that's included where you can likely find the bulbs. You can imagine how helpful this was to me since I broke mine the darn day I got it! It said you could find the bulbs at most dollar stores, Home Depots or Lowes and Wal-Mart. They're cheap too. I don't remember exactly what mine costed (my replacement. Remember the bulb is included, but when you have to replace it (or break it like me) this info is handy), but it was around $2.
It's fairly safe to just leave the Himalayan Salt lamps on at all times. I was hesitant to leave mine on after it'd been going all night until this evening, but the information provided from YourSaltLamps assures you that it's not bad, and they don't even draw a whole lot of electricity! Plus, the more you leave it on, the better the results.
Do be careful not to plug it in near water (sink, tub.)
Your Salt Lamps.com is an American owned and operated company, located in New Jersey. They import their salt products directly from Pakistan (which is where the Himalayan mountains are located.) They import the "highest quality Himalayan salt products." They sale both retail and wholesale.
Sources:
*The Ion Effect, by Fred Soyka, p. 57, 1991.
*Study done by Dr. Albert P Krueger, microbiologist and experimental pathologist. Info obtained from The Ion Effect, by Fred Soyka, 1991.
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