Sea salt is kind of pretentious because it’s better than all other salts. If salts were fonts, sea salt would be Helvetica and table salt would be Old English (can you say douchebag?). There isn’t much of a difference, but sea salt is a more natural substance that comes from the sea (duh) rather than the ground, with minimal processing before it hits store shelves. It is made of bigger chunks, meaning it tastes better (and you can use less) and is great for non-food uses, such as cleaning and beauty. Not only do I sprinkle sea salt on baked goods, but I’ve also used it to clean my oven and added it to a homemade body scrub.

Here are my top 20 uses for sea salt.

1. Calm psoriasis and skin inflammation in a sea salt bath or body scrub.
2. After a workout, add to a warm bath to soothe muscles and aches.
3. Add to a facial or skin scrub to slough away dead skin and improve its tone.
4. Sprinkle on baked goods (brownie bites or any other chocolate dessert are a fave) for a light contrast of sweet and salty flavors.
5. Sprinkle on thick meat filets to enhance the flavor and absorption of your marinade.
6. Sprinkle on sliced cucumbers for a fresh, crunchy summer snack. Then dip them in ranch dressing, duh!
7. Add to water when making hardboiled eggs to make them easier to peel (although I prefer the oven method, this still works great).
8. Mix with cinnamon for an easy, natural oven cleaning scrub.
9. Mix with soda water for a refrigerator cleaner.
10. Mix with turpentine for a bathroom and shower cleaner.
11. Relieve a sore throat by gargling sea salt with warm water.
12. Heal fresh body piercings with a warm water and sea salt solution.
13. Fade bruises by soaking a washcloth in a sea salt and warm water solution and applying it to the bruise for a minute or two.
14. Remove blood, red wine, and perspiration stains on clothes by scrubbing with sea salt and hot water.
15. Whiten your clothes by boiling them in water, baking soda, and sea salt for an hour. Follow up by washing them as normal.
16. Brighten your teeth by brushing them with one part sea salt and 2 parts baking soda.
17. Alleviate the pain of a bug bite or sting by soaking it in a warm water and sea salt solution.
18. Rinse your sinus cavities with sea salt and warm water in a Neti Pot.
19. Add one eighth of a teaspoon of a sea salt to a glass of water on really hot days to decrease dehydration.
20. Volumize your hair by mixing one part hair conditioner with one part sea salt, coating your strands with it, leaving it on for 20 minutes, and rinsing.