Is Ocean Water Healing?
A Surfer’s Very Salty Take
I didn't graduate with a marine biology degree, but I loaded up on marine biology electives all through school in San Diego — enough that a lot of my professors doubled as actual Scripps researchers. So I've been obsessed with the ocean in an annoyingly nerdy, semi-credentialed way for most of my life. Add that I’m a water Cancer & Scorpio… so I need the water. But it wasn't until the pandemic that I actually understood it in my body. When beaches were doing their whole "closed for your safety" bit, I was in the water almost every single day anyway — if the state beaches were closed the federal ones were open… so quietly, defiantly, & therapeutically, I dunked in. And somewhere around week three of that routine, I stopped thinking of it as exercise and started noticing it was doing something else entirely.
That's the thing about ocean water as part of a wellness routine — everyone's chasing the same feeling right now, whether it's for their skin, their stress levels, or just a general sense of "I need to be near something bigger than my inbox." There's a real, growing curiosity about the connection between ocean water, the minerals it's carrying, and what salt water exposure is actually doing to the body. So let's get into it — the science, my own very salt-crusted experience, and the parts that are genuinely healing versus the parts that are just a nice vibe.
Is Ocean Water Healing?
Short answer: yes, with real receipts, but no, it's not magic. When people say ocean water is "healing," they're usually describing a cluster of things at once — smoother, calmer skin after a swim, a mind that finally stops doom-scrolling itself, a body that just feels less clenched. When you swim in the ocean, it puts you in a mineral-rich environment with a rhythmic, predictable soundtrack and usually some sunlight and movement thrown in, and THAT is the combination which is tied to genuine, measurable health benefits.
Spending time in the ocean has :
A calming effect on the nervous system
Supports skin health
Gives circulation and mood a gentle assist.
Salt water is loaded with magnesium, calcium, potassium, and other minerals that interact with your skin barrier, and there's decent evidence that they help soothe irritated skin.
How Does Ocean Water Heal?
Here's where the marine biology brain takes over. Let's break down the ACTUAL mechanisms, not just the vibes…
Mineral Absorption Through the Skin
Ocean water carries magnesium, calcium, potassium, zinc, and sodium, and your skin absorbs a portion of that mineral cocktail every time you're submerged. Magnesium and calcium in particular are thought to support your skin's barrier function, which tracks with something I notice constantly — my skin looks calmer and less angry after an ocean swim than after basically any product I've ever paid too much money for.
The Meditative Rhythm - You Can't Overthink
This is the part I felt before I could explain it. There's something about the rhythmic movement of swimming in open water — stroke, breath, wave, repeat — that drops you into an almost meditative state. You can't scroll, you can't ruminate, you can only be exactly where you are. During my daily pandemic swims, I noticed that the days I got in the water were the only days my brain actually went quiet.
I'm not the only one who's felt this. A friend of mine works with veterans managing PTSD, and she takes them surfing. She's told me, over and over, that when they paddle back in, a lot of them say that riding a wave — being forced to be completely present in that one exact second, because you genuinely cannot think about anything else while you're doing it — was the first real relief they'd felt in years. Researchers have found that rhythmic, predictable sound and movement nudges the brain out of hyper-alert stress states and into calmer ones. The wave doesn't care what's on your to-do list. For a few seconds, neither can you.
Negatively Charged Sea Air
The classic and unmistakable benefit of sea air. The crashing surf releases negatively charged particles into the air at levels way higher than you'll find inland. Some research links exposure to these particles with improved mood and reduced stress symptoms, which might explain why just walking along the shore — before you've even gotten wet — can feel clarifying.
Movement and Sunlight
Swimming is a genuinely great full-body, low-impact workout, and pairing that movement with fresh air and sun exposure supports circulation, vitamin D, and general health benefits that have nothing to do with the water itself. Spending time in the ocean rarely happens in a vacuum — it comes bundled with movement, daylight, and a forced break from your phone, and all of that stacks.
What Are The Benefits Of Ocean Water?
The specific, evidence-backed stuff, benefit by benefit:..
Supports Skin Health
Salt naturally sloughs away dead skin cells, so swimming in the ocean works like a gentle, built-in exfoliant. Add the trace minerals and you get skin that's brighter and smoother, which is part of why so many people notice fewer breakouts and less excess oil after regular ocean time.
May Ease Certain Skin Conditions
Magnesium-rich salt water has anti inflammatory properties that some studies connect to real comfort improvements for people with skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis. The minerals seem to support hydration and calm inflammation in the skin's outer layers, which is why saltwater bathing has been a supportive approach for irritated skin for a very long time.
Promotes Relaxation and Reduces Stress
This is the one I can back up with my own data - sample size of ONE. When I swim regularly, I have a noticeably greater sense of peace and calm — and if I miss even a few days, I get genuinely frustrated. I crave that meditation, the same way you'd crave a workout or a good night's sleep once your body gets used to having it. The combination of wave sound, negatively charged air, and the sheer sensory experience of floating has a real calming effect, and it lines up with what my friend sees with the veterans she surfs with — reducing stress isn't a metaphor here, it's a felt, physical thing. If you're looking for something that will actually promote relaxation instead of just claiming to, this is it.
*Caveat… when you swim in the ocean, there are so many things to look at- on a clear day- that you end up swimming longer/farther because it’s purely entertaining!
May Support the Immune System
Ocean water contains trace elements like zinc and selenium, and some researchers believe regular exposure to mineral-rich, saline water and sea air may offer mild support to the immune system, on top of the general benefits of moving your body outside instead of sitting under fluorescent lights.
Encourages Better Sleep
Because ocean exposure supports relaxation and reduces stress, a lot of regular swimmers — myself very much included — report better sleep on the nights after a swim. It's the nervous system finally exhaling.
How to Experience the Healing Power of the Ocean Safely
The benefits are real, but a few ground rules make sure you're actually getting them.
Check Water Quality Before You Swim
Not all coastal water is created equal. Check local water quality reports, especially after heavy rain — runoff can tank water quality fast and turn your healing swim into a bad decision. After a heavy rain, that water ‘cleans’ the streets… and it goes into the ocean. Give it 48 hours to ‘blend. Also, if you see surfers out there- they probably surf everyday and have been acclimating to any changes in the water daily. Surfers are the canary in the coal mine so they notice changes in the marine ecosystems early.
Rinse Off After Swimming
Salt water is wonderful for skin health in short doses, but sitting in salt residue can be drying. I’m bad with this one…because I love the salty layer. However, DEFINITELY rinse your hair. I know brands have created ‘surf sprays’ to mimic that salty texture, but it willlll kill your hair. Rinse with fresh water post-swim and follow up with a light moisturizer. I LOVE a good leave-in conditioner, too.
Be Cautious With Open Wounds or Active Skin Conditions
Salt water can be soothing for some irritated skin, but it can also sting like nothing else on an open cut or flare up certain active skin conditions. An ER doctor on the island of Tavarua told me, after I got a reef cut, keep it clean during the day (bandaid) and let it dry out at night. But when in doubt, check with a dermatologist before making ocean swims part of your skin routine.
Protect Your Skin From the Sun
Ocean time usually means sun time, so sunscreen is non-negotiable — reapply after you've been in the water, since you're protecting the same skin you're trying to heal. I know people love to not wear sunscreen, but we did not all originate from places near the equator. And being in the ocean is a considerable amount of sun- from above, from the reflection of the water. So I use anything with full mineral coverage while I’m in the water, then go back to my Dr. Julia Hunter clean products and sunscreen after.
Don't Have Ocean Access? Consider the Alternatives
No coastline nearby doesn't mean you're out of luck. It's worth reading up on what are the benefits of a salt water pool — salt water pools offer a gentler, more accessible version of the same mineral exposure, no beach trip required.
Make It a Regular, Mindful Practice
The real benefits of ocean water come from consistency, not a once-a-summer trip. My pandemic swims taught me that directly — it wasn't the first swim that changed anything, it was the fortieth. A short, regular swim or shoreline walk, done without your phone in hand, does more for reducing stress and promoting relaxation than an occasional grand gesture ever will.
(Also, I love these goggles… you can see more as you’re swimming!)
The Bottom Line
So — is ocean water healing? As someone who spent college soaking up marine biology electives from actual Scripps researchers, and then accidentally proved the theory to myself one pandemic at a time: yes. The minerals do real work on your skin, the rhythm and sound do real work on your nervous system, and the sheer forced presence of being in open water does something no wellness app has ever managed to replicate for me. It supports skin health, may ease certain skin conditions, and delivers genuine health benefits for stress and relaxation. As a low-cost, endlessly available tool for feeling more like yourself, the healing power of salt water has earned its hype — mine included.
If you want to watch a beautiful film that puts this all into perspective, check out: SaltWaterx
And there are more characters by the water…
Ready for that beach trip? See my post, “26 Things to Do at the Beach.”
Living Stoked, Nosara Costa Rica BBQ Nights
