Himalayan salt lamps are great and have many purposes: living a healthier lifestyle, home décor, even as an environmentally friendly source of light for small rooms. Salt lamps have been known to remove harmful particles from the air, reduce static and moisture, and help sufferers of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Other effects include helping you sleep better, improving your concentration, and increasing your energy levels.
However, there is a chance the salt lamp you pick up won’t be the real deal. Be a smart shopper and educate yourself on how to spot a fake. Here are the things to look for when you’re buying a Himalayan salt lamp.
Colour
Generally, salt lamps are a warm pink, red, or orange, and they’ll emit a warm glow. While white crystals do exist, they are very rare and will be quite a bit pricier than an orange or pink lamp. If you see a white crystal salt lamp and it’s not sold at a higher price, you’re probably holding a fake. If you’re at a popular lifestyle store in the mall and you’re looking at a white crystal, that’s all the more reason to be suspect.
Another indication of fakery will be that the lamp is very bright. The light from a real salt lamp will be subtle, muted, and uneven. A strong, bright light indicates a phony lamp.
How It’s Made
A real salt lamp will not be durable. While heavy, Himalayan salt lamps are fragile and prone to dings and scratches. If you dropped it and the only damage done was to your floor… sorry, it’s probably a fake.
That’s not to say that you should test its fragility in the store, like an Olympic champion biting their gold medal. Where you get the lamp should have a very flexible return policy, especially if you’re ordering it online. A retailer selling salt lamps should know the product is fragile. Anywhere that says “no returns” should set off alarm bells.
Likewise, find “Pakistan”, “Khewra, Pakistan”, or any indication that it comes from this region. Genuine Himalayan salt crystals come from this mine, and it’s a bad sign if the box or label doesn’t even mention geography.
Positive Effects
A good, real Himalayan salt lamp will actually do something. It will purify your air, reduce humidity, and remove foreign particles from your home that cause and exacerbate allergies, asthma, and congestion. It will neutralize positive ions, electromagnetic radiation, and static in the air.
If you’re not feeling any different after a period of time – if you’re still sleeping poorly, feeling unenergetic, and suffering from SAD – then it’s more than likely you’ve taken home a fake.
Don’t let frauds take your money and rob you of the Himalayan salt lamp’s positive health effects. Be wary, ask questions, and make sure you know for sure it’s the genuine article before money changes hands!