Dead Sea products: mud, salt and minerals, and how to use them

Why the Dead Sea is so rich in minerals

The Dead Sea has no outlet. Water flows in, mainly from the river Jordan and from springs and winter floods, and leaves only by evaporation under the strong sun. Over thousands of years this has concentrated the salts, so its water is about ten times saltier than the ocean, at roughly a third salt by weight.

The minerals are also unusual. Compared with ocean water, the Dead Sea is far richer in magnesium, calcium, potassium and bromide, and relatively poorer in ordinary sodium chloride. This mix is what gives the water its oily feel and what makes its salt and mud prized for skin care.

The black mud

Along the shore lies a soft, dark mud formed from layers of fine clay and sediment soaked in mineral-rich water for thousands of years. It is smooth, holds heat well and dries to a tight film on the skin.

At the Dead Sea beaches you will see visitors covered from head to toe in it. Most resorts and public beaches keep a supply of mud by the water, so you can try it right there, and the same mud is cleaned, packed and sold in jars and tubes across Jordan.

How to use Dead Sea mud

Apply an even layer to dry skin, avoiding the eyes, the mouth and any cuts or scratches. Leave it for about fifteen to twenty minutes, until it starts to dry and feel tight, ideally in the shade or soft sunlight rather than strong midday sun.

Then float in the sea to soften the mud and wash it off, and finish with a shower in fresh water. At home, packaged mud is used the same way as a face or body mask, usually once or twice a week.

What the mud and minerals are valued for

For centuries people have come to the Dead Sea to relax and care for their skin. Many visitors find that the mud cleanses and softens the skin and leaves it feeling smooth, and that bathing in the warm, salty water is deeply relaxing for tired muscles and joints.

The special conditions of the region have also been studied by doctors. Stays combining bathing in the sea and carefully measured sunbathing, sometimes called climatotherapy, have been used for people with skin conditions such as psoriasis. Because the Dead Sea lies so far below sea level, the extra layer of air filters part of the sun's burning rays, although you can still burn easily. The mud and salts are cosmetics, not medicines: if you have a medical condition, follow your doctor's advice.

What Jordan produces from the Dead Sea

The best-known products are for skin and bath care: packaged black mud, coarse and fine bath salts, mud and salt soaps, body scrubs, creams, face masks and shampoos made with Dead Sea minerals. They are made by local factories and small workshops and sold in Dead Sea hotels, shops in Amman and Aqaba, and at the airport.

On a much larger scale, the southern Dead Sea is an important industrial area. Huge evaporation ponds near Ghor as-Safi concentrate the water in the sun to extract potash, a potassium salt used as fertiliser, which Jordan exports around the world. Bromine and magnesium compounds are produced there too, for industry and agriculture.

Buying Dead Sea products

Read the label: good products state clearly that they contain Dead Sea mud, salt or minerals, list their ingredients and are sealed. Prices vary a lot between hotels, city shops and the airport, so compare before buying large amounts.

Mud, creams and liquids count as liquids and gels at airport security, so keep small containers in your hand luggage and pack larger jars in your checked bag. Bath salts are heavy; a few small bags go a long way.

Frequently asked questions