New from SaltHouses, UK distributor for Wroclaw-based halotherapy specialist the Salus Group, are the Salt House and the Salt Grotto.
Explaining the concept, the company says that they are specially constructed rooms which have been designed to replicate the environment found in naturally formed underground salt caves and sought out for centuries for their healing qualities.
The air in the caves is extremely rich in natural salt microns and negative ions and these have been found to be effective in reducing asthma, other breathing problems and allergies, as well as soothing irritated skin and restoring the body's ionic balance.
The salt used in the company's House and Grotto comes from Polish mines and is reported to be more than 250 million years old, by far the purest salt available and uncontaminated with toxins or pollution. This creates a microclimate resembling the physical, chemical and biological - and thus, says SaltHouses, healthy - conditions of an underground salt mine.
The Salt House is timber built, hexagonal in shape, available in a variety of sizes and comes with seating for up to eight people. In each corner are baskets filled with crystallised salt and the floor is covered with a thick layer of salt. The atmosphere within the House is constantly replenished with negative ions, these coming from a brine solution flowing down a birch column in the centre of the room as well as a waterfall against one of the walls.
Features include full air-conditioning and electrical supply, plus ventilation and hi-fi systems.
The Salt Grotto is constructed from natural blocks of salt and built to resemble a cave. As with the House, negative ions are replenished from a brine solution down a birch column and waterfalls, plus an additional fountain in one corner.
It's fully furnished and has coloured lighting to create a relaxing atmosphere. Features are the same as those for the house and both structures are said to be suitable for installation at spas, hotels, sports and recreation centres, clinics and rehabilitation units.
Picture: Inside one of the company's Salt Grottos