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World of Beauty | Maras Salt Mines, Peru Inspire Salt Beauty Rituals

The magical serene energies of earth inspire us to take a deep look at how to infuse clean pure mineral salts into our wellness and beauty rituals. Let’s begin this journey as we spotlight your next breathtaking travel bucket list destination and celebrate the purity of the Maras Salt Mines located in the Sacred Valley of Peru!

Documentary Beauty filmed an exclusive interview at the Maras Salt Mines for the World of Beauty docuseries. Experience a stunning look inside of the ancient and ethical manufacturing processes to learn what makes these clean and pure salts incredibly unique, straight from the voices of the salt miners perspectives.

Maras Salt Mines, Peru | Voices of the miners share their process about the clean, pure and ethical mineral salt.
DOCUMENTARY BEAUTY EXCLUSIVEWORLD OF BEAUTY
DESTINATIONMARAS SALT MINES, PERU
DIRECTORJavier Falcón
CREATIVE DIRECTORKayla MiChele
EDITORLuis Manzanilla
DRONEAlexander Estrada
MUSICColectivo Waykicha

Video Transcription

Hear the voices of the team of workers at Maras Salt Mines

We are in the wells of the salt mines of Maras. Here in these wells is where salt is produced. The creek next to Pichingoto y Maras. 

Our ancestors, the Incas, have used these water wells and they have made this production of salt through these water holes. Then generation after generation our grandparents and the grandparents of our grandparents have been managing it and producing it that way. We have two water eyes that feed more than 5000 salt wells.

We make sure the salt is clean, pure and the salt production system has been maintained generation after generation. This is an artisanal salt. We use ancestral materials. The basket is made from a material named pispita. We use wood as the collectors of the salt. We use pullers also made from wood. This tool that we have here is called panrina, in Spanish it is called a machucador. We use it to hit the underground of the pool so it does not get muddy. 

Our salt is different from all because the production system has always been completely traditional. We do not use any chemicals with the evaporation process because of the sun.

The salt crystallizes and by its weight and gravity, it floats. We pour five centimeters of water to each pool every three days. The sweet water evaporates and the salt crystallizes in each pool. 

This company does not belong to a small group. They are agriculturists, they are farmers. And with this production of salt, they have been able to educate their children.

Maras salt’s natural components are calcium, magnesium, potassium, zinc, and iodine. The salt is mostly used for human consumption. Maras salt is used for cooking, muscle pains, also as an exfoliant for the body and face. 

The salt mines of Maras are currently considered cultural heritage.

By Beauty Expert

Kayla MiChele

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The Maras Salt Mines in Peru, also known as, Salineras de Maras, is an iconic destination to fulfill your wanderlust desires. Visiting this glistening landscape in The Sacred Valley feels surreal as you stand mountainside observing how incredibly stunning mother earth truly is.

This cultural and historical monument has stood the test of time, enriching lives not only through culinary expression but also through beauty and wellness remedies.

It feels like a dream to tour the salt mines which inspires us to infuse the dreamy vibes in our very own homes by creating a serene self care ritual using clean pure mineral salts to nourish both outer and inner beauty.

Let’s explore the best of both worlds featuring exquisite Peru travel advice and top it off with wellness and beauty routine DIY salt recipes to help create your own home spa oasis.

Travel guide quick links

Peru

We asked local Peruvians with exquisite taste for authentic recommendations of what to do, where to stay and places to eat when visiting near Maras Salt Mines, Peru.

Amazing Hotels & SpasTambo del Inka

Belmond Rio Sagrado
DineMIL
Nature & HistoryMachu Picchu

Moray Ruins
Dancing, Dining & HistoryCusco City
Peru Official Tourism WebsitePeru.Travel
Maras Salt Mines WebsiteMarasal
Travel to Peru

Clean, pure and ethical salt

The salts harvested from the canyon at Maras Salt Mines have a rich history and are composed of attributes that are far superior to most salts found worldwide. Salt extracted at this magical destination is known to be the purest, and the most clean salt available due to their ancient tools and processes which creates a very small environmental footprint. There is very minimal pollution in this region and no chemicals are used during the evaporation process, helping to ensure a healthy unrefined mineral salt as the end result.

So what’s the difference between Maras Salt and table salt, aka sodium chloride? Maras Salt comes from a sustainable and ethical ancient source where it is hand harvested, uncontaminated and unrefined. Most noteworthy, it includes an impressive count of 84 active organic minerals. Table salt is lifeless because it is highly processed, chemically mass produced, refined and filled with additives.

Salts for beauty and wellness rituals

Salt is an essential for life mineral that has been treasured since ancient times used in cultural and traditional ceremonies and trade. The benefits of pure salt go far beyond the celebrated remedies of a mouth gargle for a sore throat, or a nasal rinse to open up the passages, or even to boost the electrolytes in the body. Let’s take a deeper dive into all of the benefits and uses of mineral salt.

It came very natural to me to manifest many of my own self care rituals on a weekly basis utilizing this magnificent ingredient. I treat my family and clients with clean salt as a key ingredient in some of my custom blended products and regime recommendations. I have created a home spa treatment regime perfectly designed for all the members in your family.

Here are some fabulous ways to add the beloved MUST HAVE clean salt ingredient into your own skincare, hair care and wellness routines to freshen and detox the skin, texturize the hair, relax the muscles and feel peace of mind. 

Salt bath recipe DIY | Body and mind rejuvenation

Health benefits of salt baths

  • A total body immersion experience is the best way to reap all the wellness benefits of salt. It can correct all sorts of imbalances within the body when regularly practiced.
  • Soak in the evening before bed to improve sleep quality
  • Detoxifies the system, and helps dispose toxic waste out of the body. 
  • Helps reduce redness and swelling of pimples.
  • A powerful cleanser known as a neutralizer of bacteria that even kills some types of unwanted fungus.
  • The mineral potassium enters the body through the pores which improves circulation of the blood and lymph. As well as, regulates the fluid balance in the body. Reducing fluid retention in the tissues can contribute to weight loss and relieve problems affecting the joints.
  • Magnesium also enters the body which is our bodies main nerve food and is an essential mineral for overall health.
  • A mineral called bromide also enters the body providing a calming and restorative effect on the system.

What you’ll need

Directions

  • Soak at least once to twice a week to make a very positive difference in your life.
  • Warm water is best so you feel inspired to linger as long as possible. Bath water that is too hot can cause dehydrating and possibly damage capillaries.
  • Pour 3-4 handfuls of salts into the running bath water. Adding salt into your tub will keep bath water warmer longer as the salt slows the transfer of heat from the water to the air.
  • Drip 10 drops of your favorite essential oils under the running water faucet so that the oil doesn’t float to the top of the water. I learned this tip from product formulating classes at the incredible store in NYC called Enfleurage. I suggest lavender for better beauty sleep or rose oil for dry skin and to help prevent spider veins
  • Detoxify and moisture the body to the next level by including one cup of pure baking soda into the tub. “Baking soda is perfectly safe” says Dr Grayson. It’s alkaline and anti inflammatory attributes are very beneficial for neutralizing bad odors, relieving itchy skin issues, soothing sunburn and even removing product buildup in the hair.
  • Submerge your entire body and be sure to include moments to dip your face and scalp into the salt bath to reap the benefits head to toe.
  • Relax, unwind and rejuvenate for 30 minutes. The longer, the better; but soak at least for 10 minutes.

Mindful beauty tips

  • Bring a large glass of drinking water tub side to stay hydrated. Add a pinch of salt into the drinking water if you are feeling dehydrated. Charge your water or tea with intentions and positive energy.
  • Light a nontoxic candle and set intentions for what you wish to manifest into your life.
  • Listen to healing frequency vibration music for extra magic for the mind, body and soul.

Salt exfoliating scrub natural recipe DIY 

Salt Scrub Benefits

  • A world renowned chemist perspective – In my clean beauty product development journey, I have consulted with many chemists and formulators. One of my favorite takeaways that I learned from these beauty industry perspectives is that exfoliating the skin allows for any other products that are used on the skin to have a higher percentage of measured results due to better absorption.
  • “Exfoliation is the process of removing dead skin cells from the outer layer of your skin.” American Academy of Dermatology Association
  • Salt naturally has an effect on the skin’s excretory function by dissolving the dehydrated dead cells which accumulate on the surface. This speeds up the elimination process of the body’s waste, which results in a smoothing and refining effect on the skin.
  • Detoxifying organic salt minerals soak into the pores, versus sugar scrubs which do not infuse healthy minerals.

What you’ll need

Directions

  • Mix the salts and carrier oil together in a large bowl.
  • Add in optional essential oils, vitamin e oil and/or oatmeal and mix well.
  • Store in an airtight container. To extend the shelf life of a natural exfoliator recipe that doesn’t contain preservatives, I recommend to use a clean spoon instead of dipping fingers inside of the formulation. Try to not allow water to blend into the recipe and store the mixture in the refrigerator. These are great tips that will help to prevent bacteria from entering your skin love potion.
  • Indulge in this wonderful exfoliating ritual once per a week.
  • It’s best to apply to the body inside of a bathtub.
  • Start with a full body rinse in the shower or a soak in the tub.
  • Give the mixture a fresh stir if you notice the oils separating to the top.
  • Apply neck to toe for a gentle massage. Apply to the face as a mask and not as a massage.
  • Massage in circular motions very gently with minimal pressure. If you notice irritation stop rubbing.
  • Relax and enjoy the process. Leave the salt scrub on the body for as long as you’d like. You can do a quick scrub and rinse off. For the most health beneficial experience, leave the salts on the body for 10-25 minutes to allow the minerals to have more time to absorb into the skin’s pores.
  • Rinse off in the shower or in a bath.
  • Gently towel dry the skin.
  • While the skin is still damp and supple use a gentle moisturizer. I am loving the HONEST Lavender Calm Lotion for a quick absorption clean beauty lotion lately.
  • Treat extremely dry areas like cracked heels with a thicker ointment treatment. Burts Bees Coconut Oil Foot Cream is my current go-to for those stubborn dry spots that need some extra TLC.

Mindful beauty tips

  • You may use a salt with a larger coarse grain. In this case be gentle to your skin by minimizing the rubbing. Instead just use the salt scrub mixture as a mask treatment rather than a massaging scrub. The salt’s attributes will still help to exfoliate the skin without requiring a rub.
  • Make it a home spa day routine by starting with a full body exfoliating treatment then soak the scrub off in the bathtub water and bathe in the healthy ingredients for 15-30 minutes for added absorption of the beneficial minerals and oils.

Sea salt hair spray DIY recipe for beachy natural waves

Salt benefits for scalp and hair

  • Creates a kissed by the ocean salty texture to a hairstyle.
  • Clean mineral salts on the hair helps to remove product buildup.
  • The scalp will love absorbing the mineral salt water to have a detoxifying effect and boost circulation. Stimulating circulation in the scalp is a wonderful way to help prevent hair loss.

What you’ll need

Directions

  • Start with adding warm water inside of the spray bottle, simultaneously add the carrier oil and essential oils into the bottle while the water is being poured. This ensures that the oil will blend better throughout the formula, instead of just floating on the top.
  • Shake.
  • Next add in the salts.
  • Shake.
  • The water based formula won’t last long without a preservative, so I recommend storing the recipe in the refrigerator for up to a couple of days for reapplications.
  • Whenever you are ready to apply the mixture to the hair and scalp be sure to give it a fresh shake before. The oils will separate and float to the top of the water as the formula settles which would make the oil ingredients useless.
  • Spray an even coat roots to ends on damp or dry hair.
  • Depending on your hair type and desired results you may feel inspired to play with different ratios of the salt, water and oil combinations. For dryer hair textures, add more oil and a touch less salt.
  • Air dry to prevent frizz. If extra wavy bends are desired, experiment using a blowdryer. Regardless of your choice to air dry or use a blowdryer; scrunch the hair occasionally with your hands as the hair is drying.
  • Once the hair is dry; if the texture looks too piecy or crunchy, use your hands, a comb or a brush to break up the texture to make it softer.
  • If the hair looks too dry, add a touch of the carrier oil on the dry areas.

Mindful beauty tips

  • Adding in a dreamy essential oil into your homemade beauty recipes is a natural and clean beauty hack that is much healthier for you compared to the chemical fragrances commonly found in mainstream products.
self care rituals

Home Spa Vibes

Feature your salts so they can glisten like jewels! Creating an environment at home that is reminiscent of the most prestigious spas in the world really helps captivate you to melt into your self care rituals. Placing these chic treasures in your sacred space invites an elevated energy by igniting a full sensory experience!

Decorative salt bowls & vases

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Clean pure mineral salts

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Non-toxic candles & healing music

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References – Must have wellness and beauty books

References for this article are from my treasured personal library collection. These books are incredible and I highly recommend they are added to your own wellbeing collection at home as well. I am a natural remedy enthusiast and it gives me great joy to dive into beauty and wellness topics to help solve problems and create more inner peace. I did the the research for you by searching through over 30 books to create this article. I hope you enjoyed my compilation of wisdom!

The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Healing Remedies by MD PhD Norman Shealy

Beauty Wisdom by Bharti Vyas and Claire Haggard

Grandmother’s Home Remedies by Dr Myles H. Bader

Home Remedies What Works by Gale Malesky and Brain Kaufman 

911 Beauty Secrets by Diane Irons 

love note

Launching Documentary Beauty’s ‘World of Beauty’ Docuseries

Traveling the world as a professional beauty artist has led me to work on photoshoots in some of the most gorgeous destinations on the planet.

Several years ago I traveled to Peru to shoot editorial stories for Vogue Mexico and Centrefold Magazines. On one of the locations I was introduced to the Maras Salt Mines.

Visiting the Maras Salt Mines felt mesmerizing as I walked in the dreamscape. I was experiencing an intense gratitude for being able to work and visit a place of such iconic beauty and culture. I had a strong desire to share with the world this profound experience.

Documentary Beauty teamed up with director Javier Falcón to manifest my vision to create a short documentary about the clean salt producing processes of the Maras Salt Mines and the benefits.

In my heart I knew this is the perfect location feature to launch the Documentary Beauty ‘World of Beauty’ Docuseries! It’s the ideal example of everything I want to explore and share, featuring attributes of natural clean beauty and wellness rituals and remedies paired with a destination worthy of expanding one’s horizons to travel to.

My dream is to inspire you to nurture your inner beauty; to fall in love with earth, to visit places that open up your heart and to learn about the magical ingredients nature blessed us to co-create with.

stay inspired!
Kayla MiChele

Issue 02

You’re the muse of my dreams! Thank you for being an important part of this beautiful community! Learn all the ways to support DB to help make the dream thrive! We hope you are enjoying our beauty expert curated advice and learning about the recommended products that we truly love! We value transparency and want to let you know that some of the links in this post may be affiliate links. This means that DB will collect a small share of the sale from any purchase you make from the products at no cost to you. Your support is valued! xo KM

Disclaimer: Information on this website is not intended to be used as legal or medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a legal or medical professional for advice.

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Kayla MiChele
Kayla MiChele

Kayla MiChele is a celebrity and fashion beauty artist who is interviewed in the pages of Vogue Italia featuring her as top talent in the world. Her work is in prestigious editorials from Harper’s Bazaar to W to Vogue with clients for fashion brands ranging from Tom Ford to Chanel. Kayla's beauty expert collaborations include indie clean beauty brands to leading cosmetic brands Estée Lauder to L'Oréal. She began her career assisting hair stylist Guido Palau backstage at fashion shows from Louis Vuitton to Marc Jacobs. Since then, she has worked with top models and iconic artists including Vanessa Hudgens, A$AP Rocky, Jared Leto, Joan Smalls, Hailey Bieber, and Gigi Hadid.

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