These salts have slight differences in taste and big differences in geography.

Real Salt and Himalayan salts have a lot in common. Both are harvested from ancient salt deposits that were created long before there were any modern pollutants. And geologically, the Himalayan deposit is very similar to the Real Salt deposit, since they both contain a full spectrum of minerals. Both Himalayan salts and Real Salt are considered crystal salts too.

There is, however, a slight difference in flavor between the two. Real Salt is a tad sweeter, while Himalayan is a bit earthier. The biggest difference between Real Salt and Himalayan salt, though, is geography—Real Salt is mined in Utah and Himalayan salt is mined in Pakistan. That means, if you live in the U.S. (or anywhere in North America, for that matter), Real Salt is the more sustainable option since it means fewer miles from mine to table.

Sodium keeps your cells properly hydrated and supports healthy nerve and muscle function.

All Re-Lyte products contain the essential electrolyte sodium, which performs some pretty important jobs for your body. It helps keep the amount of water inside and outside your cells balanced. It also supports healthy nerve and muscle function.

Sodium is the electrolyte you lose most in your sweat, so it’s important to replenish it regularly if you’re active. If you don’t, you could experience symptoms like headaches, muscle cramping, nausea, diarrhea, and confusion. Extremely low sodium levels could even trigger serious things like coma and death.

Almost all of the sodium in Re-Lyte products comes from our unrefined, ancient sea salt Real Salt (a little comes from coconut water powder too). We may be a little (or a lot) biased, but we think Redmond Real Salt is the healthiest source of sodium around. It's pure and unprocessed. It's mined in Utah. And it contains 60+ healthy trace minerals that can support your hydration and overall wellness.

There is no one “correct” ratio for everyone because what a person needs depends on many factors and every person’s individual needs are different.

We’ve received a lot of questions lately related to the sodium:potassium ratio in Re-Lyte and whether it “should” have more sodium or a lot more potassium. Electrolyte drinks and powders on the market vary widely. We’re aware of formulas that range from 5:1 sodium to potassium to 100:1 potassium to sodium. 

The various reasons can be really confusing and what is best for a particular person depends on many factors. You and your doctor are in the best position to know what is right for you and sometimes it takes a little trial and error to figure that out. That said, here’s a summary of our take:  

• A lot of unprocessed foods have potassium. You can get much of the potassium you need from eating a natural diet, but many if not most people do need a little more. 

• If you’re not eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), you likely need more sodium because you’re not eating high-salt, processed foods.  

• On average, about 93% of sodium intake is excreted in urine (this can be higher or lower, based on various factors). 

• The sodium:potassium ratio in sweat varies based on the person, fitness level, environment, exercise intensity, activity level, and other factors. Articles, research, and studies suggest that the ratio of sodium to potassium in sweat can be anywhere from 3:1 to 15:1 (sodium to potassium).  

• HOWEVER, electrolytes aren’t just for athletes. Our bodies constantly process and need to replenish, whether we’re intentionally exercising or living a busy life of work, errands, kids, yardwork, etc.  

• Re-Lyte’s mix of 800 mg sodium to 400 mg potassium is ideal (yes, we’re biased!) for both exercise and everyday hydration because it has enough sodium to replace what you’re naturally losing, whether from an intense workout or daily activities, and extra potassium to supplement your already healthy diet. 

• Every body is different and sometimes it takes a little trial and error to find what feels best for you. We wish it were easier, but we’re glad there are lots of options for everyone to find what’s best for their situation.   

Bentonite clay can help polish and remineralize your teeth, among other benefits.

Bentonite clay is the most abundant (and important) ingredient in Earthpowder, which is why we use the best quality bentonite clay around— Redmond Clay.

Redmond Clay is pure bentonite clay we mine ourselves in Redmond, Utah. It comes from one of the most unique clay deposits discovered so far—rich in both calcium and sodium. The unique composition is one reason Redmond Clay works so well in so many ways. In fact, it was our unique bentonite clay that inspired us to create Earthpowder to begin with.

After hearing how bentonite clay could help oral health, some of us here started brushing our teeth with clay. We saw firsthand how it helped us achieve a healthier mouth, and we wanted to share this with our customers.

What exactly are the oral health benefits of bentonite clay? Here are a few of our favorites:

1. It helps polish teeth.

Bentonite clay is a mild abrasive, which means it can help scrub away surface stains and tartar. But it's not so abrasive that it damages your enamel. 

Relative Dentin Abrasion (RDA) is the standard test used to measure the safety of abrasives. The ADA set the recommended upper limit RDA at 250, and the FDA set it as 200.  In general, a rating of 0-70 is considered low abrasive, 70-140 is medium, and 140-200 is high, and 200+ is the upper recommended limit.  Earthpowder’s mean RDA is 105, which puts it safely in the middle range.  

2. It's naturally alkaline.

Bentonite clay is also naturally alkaline (with a pH of around 8.7 - 9.8), which is great for supporting a healthy mouth. The acidic foods we eat and the acids produced by certain bacteria in our mouths can lead to tooth decay. Your enamel can also only withstand a pH of 5.5 or greater before it starts to erode. So raising the pH of your mouth could help you fend off enamel erosion and tooth decay. Research also shows that many types of bacteria thrive in an acidic environment. So by keeping your mouth more alkaline, you could help limit the growth of unhealthy bacteria as well. 

3. It helps restore minerals.

Clay has natural levels of calcium and phosphorous. These minerals make up an important part of your dental enamel, but you gradually lose them due to age, diet, and other factors. Brushing with bentonite clay can help restore the minerals that play a key role in keeping your teeth strong.

4. It supports your mouth against toxins and bacteria.

Thanks to its unique chemical composition, bentonite clay has a pretty impressive ability to bind to toxins. Research shows that it reduced the toxic effect baby chicks experienced from a mold toxin called aflatoxin B1. It also reduced the number of cyanide toxins in rats. This means bentonite clay could be a powerful detoxifier of the body and potentially the mouth as well.

Bentonite clay also has a documented ability to act against certain strains of bacteria. In fact, some research shows it even acts against strains of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Since bacteria is the root of plaque, cavities, and gingivitis, this could provide a major boost to your oral health.

Want to read more about the many benefits of bentonite clay? Check out these articles:

• Article: Bentonite Clay as a Natural Remedy: A Brief Review

• Article: Evaluation of the medicinal use of clay minerals as antibacterial agents

• Article: Clinical Use of Calcium Bentonite Clay (CBC) in Dentistry and Natural Medicine

Charcoal has impressive oral health benefits, including the ability to remove surface stains.

Tons of people swear that activated charcoal is the best natural tooth whitener. And there's a good reason for that. Charcoal is mildly abrasive, which means it could help scrub away surface stains and tartar, making your teeth appear whiter. 

Activated charcoal also has other potential benefits for your mouth. It's sorptive, which means it can bind to bacteria. As you probably know, bacteria is behind a lot of common oral health issues, including bad breath, cavities, and gum infections.  So activated charcoal could be a simple, effective way to support your oral health.

But is it safe?

Some people worry that activated charcoal may be too abrasive and cause damage to their teeth. But the truth is, a fine activated charcoal powder has a very low RDA (relative dentin abrasion) value of around 70. RDA is the metric used to test dental products in terms of damage to enamel. 

To put that RDA value in context a little more, the American Dental Association says that anything more than 250 is too abrasive for daily use. And the FDA says anything more than 200 is too abrasive for daily use. So charcoal is well within those safety limits.  In fact, charcoal is actually less abrasive than most traditional toothpastes on the market.