There are multiple colours involved when it comes to Himalayan Salt, and it can be confusing in regard to reasons behind the colour difference, and whether certain colours are more beneficial than another. Let’s go through each colour and the difference between them.
Pink Himalayan Salt
Pink Salt is the most common colour of Himalayan Salt and has recently become popular to have in the home. The main reason for the difference in salt colour is iron content. If iron is present in the crystal formation, then the tones will be pinker. Pink Salt can be a variety of shades of pink, red or orange; each colour reflecting the amount of iron found within it. So, the darker the pink, the higher the iron content.
Cooking Salt – Pink Salt is used more for cooking than the other colours. It has a minimal salt taste so it is perfect for seasoning food and not dominating the palate. It is also seen as ‘cute’ when in a salt grinder so is popular for those who want an aesthetic pantry.
Lamps – Pink Salt Lamps create a warming glow, much like that of a fire. It’s a common colour for lamps and can be found almost anywhere salt lamps are found.
White Himalayan Salt
White Salt is a beautiful colour and can sometimes display patches of grey. White Salt is much rarer than the Pink Salt so is often more expensive. Its rarity is based on the location it is found in. White Salt is generally found in the outer parts of the mountain which makes it harder to retrieve than Pink Salt. The colour, as it is so light, indicates a low iron content.
Cooking Salt – White Salt is often used in cooking to replace regular table salt. It isn’t used as much as Pink Salt because of the reduced minerals. It is mostly used for food presentation as the light colour is aesthetic when placed with food.
Lamps: due to the rare nature of White Salt, a White Salt Lamp will not be found everywhere. The glow it emits is brighter than Pink Salt which makes it more useful as a general room lamp, or desk lamp.
Black/Grey Himalayan Salt
Black Himalayan Salt is much rarer than White Salt. It has a very strong sulphur, magnesium and iron content which accounts for the darker colour.
Cooking Salt: Black Salt isn’t as common as Pink or White Salt for cooking. Due to the higher sulphur content in the Salt, it is known to have a richer taste, and is often used in authentic South Asian cooking and is referred to as “Kala namak”.
Lamps: the lamps made from Black Salt tend to appear more grey than black. Black Salt is rarer than White to find. With the darker colour Salt, the light doesn’t glow as brightly as Pink or White salt. However, the light emitted from the Salt creates a relaxing atmosphere and it is perfect for the bedroom as it aids in sleeping.
Overall
The difference between the colours of Himalayan Salt is not as confusing as the internet makes it seem. It has been around for thousands of years, with each colour being just as beautiful and useful as the next. Himalayan Salt is believed to have multiple health benefits such as reducing asthma symptoms, increasing air quality, and easing headaches. Although each colour is unique, none of them have been known to have stronger or weaker healing qualities.