Is Our Vanity Killing The Dead Sea?

The Dead Sea may the closest we'll ever get to the fabled Fountain of Youth. The extra-salty sea and its mega mineral-rich mud have several millennia-worth of health testimonials backing its claim as an all-star source of skin care ingredients (legend has it that even Cleopatra couldn't resist slathering them on her skin), and  studies have shown that the sea's water and mud—which holds magnesium, calcium, and a host of other minerals—can combat skin roughness, psoriasis, dehydration, inflammation, and even help skin cells protect themselves from UVB rays. Yup, there does seem to be magic in those waters, and even in the products containing their ingredients.

But this begs an important question: Does harvesting these ingredients damage the Dead Sea?

In a word, no. "Beauty companies mostly use the mud—they don't necessarily take much water, so they aren't driving the depleting water levels," says geologist Nicolas Waldmann, PhD, of Haifa University in Israel, who has been studying the sediments of the Dead Sea for more than 15 years.

As for the real cause of The Dead Sea's annual 3-foot drop, blame the area's increasing industrialization. Just 5% of the sea's original water inflow now reaches its shores thanks to the diversion of the Jordan River, while massive industrial plants nearby mine millions of tons of minerals for fertilizers and other industrial uses every year.

So while your beauty products aren't wreaking havoc on this ocean, there's one important caveat: The minerals they contain are a non-renewable resource—even though it will take many generations of Dead Sea product junkies to exhaust them, once they're gone, they're gone. In light of that, some beauty companies that rely on the sea's minerals are taking an environmental stand and making sustainability a priority. AHAVA, for example, the Israeli maker of products sourced from the Dead Sea, has designed and built an eco-friendly water recycling system and minimizes its environmental footprint whenever possible.

If you're concerned about the impact that your products have on the land-locked ocean, your best bet it to do your research before buying to make sure the companies behind them practice sustainable harvesting methods.