The Healing Powers Of Vitamin Sea

The ocean’s water, energy, minerals and botanicals have limitless benefits for our holistic health and beauty

- Catharine Nicol

Whether you are in, under, on or beside the sea, you may be experiencing healing on multiple levels. Swimming and diving through the briny water, surfing energising waves or simply sea gazing, while listening to its rhythmic sounds and breathing in the salty air, this fluid part of our planet has a transforming power that spans the physical, mental and spiritual, and has repercussions on our beauty too.

While the ancient Greeks and 19th century Europeans, especially the French and their thalasso therapy resorts, believed in the ocean’s healing capacity, more recently spas, skincare and beauty brands have again been lauding marine healing. While science has yet to catch up with the claims, it is believed our natural affinity for soaking in seawater comes partly from the similarity of seawater to human blood in terms of vitamins, minerals, salts, trace elements and proteins, while algae, seaweeds and other marine botanicals contain curative ingredients.

Cold, wavy and salty, the ocean may not be everyone’s first choice as a bath, but the temperature, energy and minerals it contains work like a healing cocktail on our skin, systems and psyche. Currently trending, cold-water immersion activates the parasympathetic nervous system among other benefits. The waves inspire us to move – to play, swim and surf – while bathing us in negative ions, fuelling us with energy. And this cocktail of magnesium, sodium, iodine, zinc, copper and selenium detoxes, restores skin pH, reduces inflammation, speeds up wound healing, is cleansing and healing for the respiratory system, delivering wave after wave of immune boosting physical benefits.

ANYTHING BUT BLUE