Road test: I gave one of those Himalayan salt lamps a whirl.

I’ve been on a bit of a mission lately.

For over 10 years I’ve been a terrible sleeper and am generally pretty highly strung. If you look up Type A personality there should be a photo of me next to the description.

In a bid to learn how to switch off, get back to basics and simplify my life I’ve been making some lifestyle changes.

I’ve switched to (mostly) natural beauty products and cleaning products. I’m doing a meditation course through an app. I’ve even started yoga.

It was at my new yoga studio that I spotted these glowing rock light thingies dotted around the place. They kind of look like something out of Fraggle Rock or The Flintstones.

Turns out they are lamps made out of chunks of salt.

The premise behind them is that the Himalayan salt reduces the amount of airborne bacteria in the room, therefore improving the air quality.

It apparently does this by producing negative ions from the water circulating in the air.

A post shared by Temple & Webster (@templeandwebster) on Dec 19, 2016 at 12:40am PST

Quick science lesson: salt is hygroscopic, meaning it draws moisture from the air. The moisture is then warmed by the lamp (if the lamp has been on for a period of time) and the moisture evaporates with a small energy release.

Said energy enables the moisture to capture dust and make it heavy, causing it to fall to the floor instead of staying airborne. Clever, huh?

While that sounds pretty cool (albeit more work for my Dyson), I superficially likes the lamp because it kinda looks like a big chunk of crystal, which is very in right now.

I’ve been turning my lamp on of an evening and have found the warm glow more relaxing than my regular Kmart lamp, which I’ve shelved in the storage cage for the time being.

The soft, warm light also creates a nice environment for my night time meditation.

The lamp gets a little damp after a while, a side effect mentioned in the instructions, so I’ve popped it onto a marble base to protect my bedside. I’ve also caught my cat licking it on a couple of occasions.

Has it purified my air? I can’t really tell the difference. But I think it looks cool and, although probably a placebo, makes me feel more zen. It can stay.

The Himalayan 3 to 4kg Natural Salt Rock Lamp is $35.

Namaste.

While you’re here: Science has said that you can’t actually turn into a morning person if you aren’t already….

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