Dead Sea: Do’s and Don’ts

While floating in the Dead Sea is an experience worth having, you should know that it isn’t your standard beach vacation. I’d like to share what I learned so that when you’re planning your trip to the Dead Sea (in either Israel or Jordan), the list below can help you have the best experience at the lowest point on Earth:

Don’t:

1. Shave for at least 48 hours before taking a dip. The high concentration of salt and other minerals may cause irritation.
   
   
2. Enter if you have any cuts or open wounds. If you were unlucky to avoid them before your trip to the Dead Sea, cover them properly with waterproof bandages before you enter.
   
   
3. Try to dive, splash or swim, especially with your face down in the water. Firstly, the natural buoyancy makes it hard to swim as you would normally do otherwise and secondly, it’s not worth it.
   
   
4. Put your head underwater. If you’re like me who doesn’t listen and has to try, then at the very least keep your eyes and mouth closed while you do it. Trust me, you do not want that salt in your eyes and you definitely do not want to taste the salty water. It is not a nice feeling.
   
   
5. Stay in the water for more than 10 minutes. If you want, you can get out, rinse yourself before going back in but each time, do not stay for more than 10 minutes.

Now that I’ve made you feel like you shouldn’t be getting in the Dead Sea at all, let’s talk about why you should.

Do:

1. Take your time getting used to being in water before you start floating. Spend a few minutes in the shallow water before you go deeper.
   
   
2. Float (on your back) in the Dead Sea. As you slowly make your way in, away from the shore, the natural buoyancy will lift you right up – no hands required.
   
   
3. Take the free mud spa treatment. The Dead Sea mud is rich in minerals like sodium, potassium, and magnesium and is really good for the skin. It has other healing properties too. Do yourself a favor and rub that mud all over your body (yes, face too), let it dry for about 5-10 minutes, then rinse it off. You’ll feel amazing afterwards. If you’re at a hotel or resort, the mud is usually available in buckets, along the shore. If not, you can dig it up from the seabed.
   
   
4. Rinse yourself completely after you get out. You do not want that salt to be rubbing against your skin afterwards.
   
   
5. Take pictures before getting in and after getting out. You definitely want to capture the moments and cherish them later, having checked off another item from your bucket list.

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