More and more parents research natural and low invasive ways to boost their children’s health, prevent illness or cure symptoms. I am a fan of traditional medicine, but I think in some cases it’s an overkill and as a society we have developed a worrying tendency of suppressing symptoms to function instead of healing. In our family, we have tried to replace medication with natural remedies wherever possible. Take a common fever-less flu: here in Finland, doctors don’t even prescribe anything for children. As an adult, you may opt for nasal sprays, aspirin, or similar. Truth is, you just have to wait it out and rest. Medication suppressing symptoms can be invasive and even deprive the body of the space fo naturally heal. In some cases, they can lead to long-lasting negative consequences. I want to teach my children there is a wide spectrum of possibilities to help their bodies heal and how to be respectful of their physical needs.

One new opportunity for natural prevention and treatment opened few months ago in Espoo. Csilla, an expat mom from Hungary, started the first children-friendly salt room in Finland, as well as a shop of natural quality products for children’s care.

Saltyfun’s online shop

Saltyfun acts as distributor of quality products for children’s skincare and well-being. We were given some HerbArting creams and soaps to test, and we did for about a month. The products are natural and scent-free. They have a delicate smell. My youngest (3 years old) has coloured and extremely delicate skin. Every winter, we are forced to be very consistent with his skincare regime (high-maintenance Indian prince). Missing on one day results in immediate dryness, especially on his face. I have learned that not all creams are adequate in protecting and nourishing his skin. HerbArting products worked great! My favourite was the weather protection cream, which I applied every morning before daycare. Despite him playing outside only hours later, the cream protected his skin all day. I didn’t even have to re-apply it when I picked him up. At bedtime, I nourished his skin with the face cream, which has a thick consistency (reminds me of a nappy change cream and leaves some white trace). Thanks to those, his face skin never looked dry!

The shower cream felt really gentle. Its consistency feels like a cream, not a soap. It doesn’t foam and doesn’t leave the child’s skin dry afterwards. The body lotion has a more liquid consistency and is quickly absorbed. While my son prefers oil as it’s warmer on contact, my daughter enjoyed using the lotion for her hands. This past winter, her hands’ skin got quite dry despite thick winter gloves and this cream seemed to help. She would apply it every night and by morning any redness was gone. I was very happy with these skincare products, they get a loud YAY from me.

About salt therapy

I have to admit, when Csilla contacted me it was the first time I ever heard of a salt room. Halotherapy (“salt therapy”) is a form of alternative medicine that dates as back as the 12th century. There are several types of salt-based treatments and Saltyfun uses salt air inhalation. There’s a large anecdotal evidence that salty air can help prevent or reduce symptoms in breathe-related sickness – common cold or cough, sinuses, … – but also and help with skin issues like eczema or psoriasis. Despite how long back this well-being practice dates, there is still a lack of global consensus in the scientific community about its efficacy. Only a handful of good quality studies were carried out and a list of research publications on the practice can be found here. Salt has known anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, and liquid-absorbing properties. Some doctors have speculated that getting salt into the airways may thin mucus and facilitate breathing. Salt inhalation is recommended for children older than 6 months and discouraged if one has certain medical conditions, which you can check here. Saltyfun uses a CE-certificated device to spray salt into the air. Until science catches up, we are left with trying and seeing for ourselves.

Our visit to Saltyfun

Csilla explained that salt rooms for children are very popular in Hungary, so much that some daycares have one. While some salt rooms for adults are available in Finland already (for example here or here), Csilla opened the very first for children. An excellent example of an expat importing good ideas to Finland!

Saltyfun is a small and colourful facility located near Iso Omena, Espoo. The place is studied to accommodate every family’s need. Toys are to be found already in the waiting room, where visitors can hang their clothes, leave their shoes, and store their valuables in lockers. The salt room welcomes up to 5 people at a time. There’s a huge sandbox full of pink salt and a huge collection of toys and activities. We stayed for 45 minutes and I had to drag my kids out at the end!

Salt was regularly sprayed in the air, creating a thin fog visible only in some corners. I slightly felt the breathing air was different, but it didn’t affect me. The kids were distracted by playing with toys and barely seemed to notice. They climbed on the slide, played with the pink salt like it was sand, and had fun with the toy kitchen. I was impressed with the toys, that were of excellent quality. My husband and I played table football, purely for testing purposes. Children’s songs were played in the sound system and Csilla made sure they were Italian songs, what a nice touch! My oldest also sat at the small table and got lost into drawing for a while.

While I cannot comment on the efficacy – we only went to one session and benefit shows with regular attendance – I can share the place is fantastic for small children. I can see how mom friends could book sessions together, split the costs and make it a nice playdate.

Wanna try?

If I got you curious, Saltyfun has a great promotion that grants one free session per child. You can book your visit in the webstore. If you have questions, for example how many sessions you should plan or how regular you should attend, Saltyfun has a great FAQ section. You can find Saltyfun also on Instagram and Facebook.