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SALT CAVE SANTA BARBARA: ANOTHER HEALTHY BENEFIT OF LIVING ON THE AMERICAN RIVIERA

May 19, 2022

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The Largest Underground Crystal Salt Cave in North America is Right Here on State Street

Doors open to a new world at the Salt Cave Santa Barbara

It’s not difficult to understand why Santa Barbara is ranked one of the Top 100 Best Places to Live by Livability. Besides enjoying miles of pristine coastline, widespread civic participation, and cultural attractions, locals have many options when it comes to self-care, including the Santa Barbara salt caves that take wellness to new heights. The treatment, known as dry salt therapy or Halotherapy (Halo is Greek for salt), has recently grown to become a significant spa trend.

Logo for the Santa Barbara salt cave and the front of the building

From the Himalayas to State Street

Located at 740 State Street, two Himalayan mineral caves at Salt Cave Santa Barbara create a surreal environment to relax, recharge, and rejuvenate both body and mind. The walls and ceilings of both caves are made from 45 tons of backlit Jurassic-Age salt blocks and crystals. Even the floor is covered with crushed salt.

Himalayan salt is loaded with minerals, including magnesium, calcium, sodium, and potassium. All those minerals play an essential role in how your body functions and how your cells communicate. That means Santa Barbara residents and visitors alike can reap all the time-tested and claimed benefits of immersing themselves in Himalayan salt in a beautiful, relaxing cave setting right downtown.  

“We want customers to experience wonder in the natural beauty of crystalline rock in our salt caves and experience a sense of calmness and wellness,” explains owner Pam McCaskey. “From athletes to entertainers, several notable personalities and celebrities from our town and from Southern California have been to our caves or had a treatment here.”

Offering a comprehensive healing experience 

During a trip to Vermont, McCaskey had the vision to create a healthy, holistic business in Santa Barbara, emphasizing wellness in a nurturing environment. In addition to cave sessions, the spa offers health classes, including meditation, massage body treatments, mineral facials, and a wide array of unique products made in Santa Barbara for the home, body, and cooking. You can also find imported lamps and other products from the Himalayan mountains of Pakistan.

Salt Therapy dates back hundreds of years to Eastern Europe

There are still thousands of salt rooms in Europe where it all started. That’s because Europeans know that breathing in Himalayan salt offers a variety of reported health benefits, including:

  • Relief from respiratory ailments such as asthma, allergies, and bronchitis
  • Reduction of symptoms caused by chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, colds, cystic fibrosis, ear infections, headaches, and sinusitis
  • Recovery from skin conditions like acne, eczema, psoriasis, rashes, and rosacea
  • Detoxication and anti-inflammatory properties
  • Supporting immune, nervous and lymphatic systems 

Himalayan salt’s negatively charged ions are thought to improve health and mood

Believe it or not, dry salt air is reportedly healthier than plain, simple, moist air. It’s said that breathing in salt air can reduce inflammation and mucus in the lungs. It’s also a natural disinfectant, antimicrobial, and antibacterial.

Calming effects

The calming and detoxifying effects of halotherapy are thought to support the human immune, nervous and lymphatic systems. The salt ions reportedly purify the air while increasing lung capacity. After just one session in a Santa Barbara Salt Cave, many people feel an immediate reduction in stress, not to mention increased energy. It is reported to help individuals who suffer from insomnia, too.  Some flu and allergy sufferers claim notable benefits as well. 

Heal skin conditions

Whereas table salt is refined and heated sodium chloride, which can be dehydrating to a person’s skin, pure mineral salts are said to offer natural moisturizing properties that balance the skin. Himalayan salt contains all 84 elements and trace elements found in the human body. Its pink color comes from relatively high amounts of iron.

Himalayan salt also attracts moisture to the skin, offering deep detoxification and rejuvenation properties your skin needs. If you suffer from psoriasis, rashes, eczema, or acne, spending time in a salt room might alleviate your ailments. Since minerals are necessary for normal cell function and detoxification, it stands to reason that breathing in mineral salts might play a part in rejuvenating your whole body, especially your skin. 

How does it work?

It easy—just indulge in a mind, body, and soul 45-minute meditation session at Salt Cave Santa Barbara. You’ll relax in a gravity-defying chair, listen to calming music, and breathe in the therapeutic salty air while focusing on the natural beauty of the salt crystals. The pure environment is precisely balanced with 40 % to 50% humidity and 70° to 75° F temperatures.

Breathing salty air might be a refreshing ritual you’ll want to add to your wellness routine and easy to do for those of us lucky enough to call the American Rivera home. I suggest you try the natural detoxification offered by the Santa Barbara Salt Cave experience and see for yourself if you breathe easier and feel better. In fact, The local salt cave and spa could be exactly what you need if you’re experiencing the stress and worry often associated with the purchase or sale of a home.


The calming reassurance of a seasoned, knowledgeable, understanding, and caring real estate professional can help tremendously as well. Allow me to be that person if you’re looking to move in Montecito, Hope Ranch, or any of Santa Barbara’s upscale communities. Simply give me a call at (805) 886-9378 or email me at Cristal@montecito-estate.com. I’ll happily add your listing to my portfolio of fine homes in the area and find your new dream home at the same time. We can celebrate with a session at the Santa Barbara Salt Cave!


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“We have used Cristal now several times and cannot express how grateful we are for her expertise, dedication, and unwavering support throughout the entire home-buying process. Cristal is knowledgeable, patient and attentive. Her attention to detail is remarkable, and she consistently went above and beyond to provide us with all the information and resources we needed to make informed decisions. Cristal is a skillful negotiator and advocate. She can navigate complex negotiations with professionalism and grace and felt like a true partner to us in the home-buying process. Cristal has a genuine passion for real estate and a deep commitment to her clients' satisfaction. I cannot speak highly enough of Cristal and her exceptional service. She is a true expert in her field and her dedication to excellence, combined with unwavering support is the reason we choose to work with her for all our real estate buying needs.”

- T.C.

“Cristal is a top-notch realtor who sold my home before it ever went on the market. I had two competing offers that enabled me to get top dollar for my home. Not only is Cristal superb but her team is extraordinary. I cannot say enough about Cristal and her team. They are simply phenomenal, the consummate professionals, who took care of every possible detail, making the sale and transition period, smooth from our end. They are also lovely, caring people, who knew all the right professionals, to get the job done. Thank you, everyone!”

- D.R.

“I could list lots of cool adjectives to describe Cristal. All good by the way. But, that is not why I or anyone should hire Cristal. My reason for hiring her, which proved to be correct, is very simple. She got the job done. And, she does it time and time again and with zero issues. And, that is why she is one of the top agents in the country. End of subject. ”

- M.A.

“Working with Cristal was a complete pleasure. Cristal was extremely patient with us as we evaluated nearly 2 dozen homes over a span of 2 years. Her knowledge of the market is unmatched. Cristal provided us with exceptional counsel as we evaluated opportunities and negotiated pricing. The closing process was handled thoroughly and efficiently. We could not be happier with our purchase and even more happy to now call Cristal our friend.”

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- John and Lacey Williams

“After considering our many choices, we are grateful it was Cristal Clarke of Sotheby’s International who represented the sale of our Montecito cottage. We are familiar with Cristal’s reputation of hard work and dedication to clients, but it was her attention to detail that made our experience so positive. She offered suggestions for staging the property, worked in harmony with potential buyers and was even able to secure back up offers. The sale of our cottage was completed much sooner than we expected, due in great part to Cristal’s professional skills and support. We highly recommend Cristal as a first choice for anyone needing representation with real estate.”

- Michael & Nancy Lee

“Our experience in working with Cristal Clarke resulted in the successful and discrete acquisition of a property which was not yet on the open market. Her knowledge of the Montecito/Santa Barbara area and vast expertise blended with her passion for real estate and architecture, provided us with the very highest level of professionalism and personalized services. Cristal exhibited a rare combination of excellent communications, attention to detail, creativity and patience.”

- Richard and Catherine Frinier

“Cristal really breaks the mold. She knows every nook and cranny of this real estate market, understands value, and follows up on everything, all the time. She was incredibly patient with our two year quest to find the perfect house. Every house hunting trip from across the country was well planned, and our time was never wasted. On top of her professionalism and expertise, she is delightful to spend time with. We are thrilled with the home we purchased, and grateful to Cristal for so wisely advising us through this process, right through to the close and beyond.”

- Laurie Siegel

“We met Cristal first in the course of renting a winter home (for three years), then buying a house using her as our agent. She was amazingly good at listening to our wants and showing us homes that fit our needs. Her mastery of the paperwork was perfect. Most importantly, there was never a situation where we doubted her straightforwardness or integrity. If we do another real estate transaction in Montecito (which I doubt, we’re happy with what we purchased), without question we’d use Cristal again.”

- Ken Saffir

“Susan and I just want to thank you for your efforts in the sale of our home. You are really quite amazing. Your competence, persistence, optimism and humor made the entire process effortless. Every problem that arose, you somehow fixed; any obstacle, you overcame. We have bought and sold many homes. It has never been such a painless and enjoyable process!”

- Michael & Susan Marquart

“A little something about “our” realtor, Cristal Clarke. My wife and I came to Santa Barbara about fifteen years ago looking for a seasonal home from which to enjoy the weather and amenities of the central coast. Being in the real estate business myself I was familiar with agents and brokers so entered the market with open eyes. We “flipped” a few houses in the early years, dealing with various agents and finally ended up in Montecito. That’s when good fortune put us together with Cristal. To say we were impressed is to put it mildly. Cristal really knows the market. She is familiar with the area, its history and trends. When we have questions about a particular property she either has the answers immediately or gets back to us by phone or email. There is no waiting or wondering with Cristal. She is an agent who is “on top of it.” Her recommendations as to price points, contractors, inspectors and title agents have proven to be exceptional, showing great insight and the highest professional standards. We consider ourselves exceedingly fortunate to say that Cristal Clarke is our realtor and would recommend her services to any serious buyer or seller.”

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