“Breathing in that Himalayan salt acts like a toothbrush for your respiratory system.”

For years, I have heard people rave about the benefits of pink Himalayan salt, especially in gourmet food magazines. Being a foodie myself, I bought a salt grinder and a bag of Himalayan salt, and I have enjoyed it ever since in various dishes. I love it for the taste, and my daughter loves it for the color (pink).

I will admit, however, the last thing I ever expected was to be walking across a floor of pink salt crystals, over to a lounge chair where I could sit and relax while breathing in salt-infused air and enjoying the beauty of being surrounded by pink salt crystal walls. That is exactly what I was doing when I went to visit Serenity Salt Spa in Montgomery.

What I didn’t know until talking to Serenity Salt Spa’s owner, Tina Kilburn, is that salt therapy – also known as halotherapy – has been used in Europe for almost 100 years in health spas; it is known for helping people with inflammation and respiratory issues in particular. Himalayan salt has upwards of 84 minerals that can be absorbed through the skin and is naturally anti-bacterial and anti-fungal, which can also help with skin issues such as eczema and psoriasis.

One of only four halotherapy spas in the greater Houston area, Serenity Salt Spa is unique in that it not only has rooms with bricks made of Himalayan salt, but one of the rooms is designed to look like a cave, with salt “rocks” as well as bricks, and a ceiling that makes you feel you are looking up at a starlit night sky. With soothing nature sounds and calming music playing in the background, soft lighting, anti-gravity chairs and soft blankets available for anyone who feels chilly in the climate-controlled (68 degrees with 45% humidity) room, I can see why this is quickly becoming a popular place for individuals, couples, and groups to come and unwind.

“I’ve got seven chairs in there (the cave), so if people want to bring their Bible study or coworkers, they can come as a group. Women like to come and enjoy each other and chat. Men are usually asleep and snoring by the time their 45 minutes are up! I’ve had a mom fall asleep as well. It really helps with stress,” Kilburn said.

Kilburn, who opened the spa in March with some help from her children and her brother, grew up on the shores of Lake Erie in Michigan and lived in Florida for years, which has influenced the design of the spa.

“All my friends who know me well said, ‘Of course, Tina’s got a job where she can wear flipflops!’” she said with a laugh as we both took off our shoes before stepping into the salt cave, which has at least three inches of crushed Himalayan salt on the floor. She continued, “Some people don’t bother with the chairs. They just love to sit down in the salt.”

In addition to a no-shoes policy, Serenity also encourages people to leave their cell phones and other electronic devices outside the salt rooms.

“We have all of these positive ions from our electronics. Those positive ions are not good for us, so we want negative ions – which Himalayan salt produces – to help neutralize them,” Kilburn explained, noting their electronics policy is also about helping customers relax. “So many of us just need to put down our electronics. We depend on them so much. We want people to come here and relax–to leave the world outside for a little while.”

For people looking for the ultimate spa experience, Serenity offers add-on services such as warm detoxing foot domes made of Himalayan salt, as well as hand and foot massages by licensed massage therapist Katherine Marquez.

“Katherine, our masseuse, specializes in deep tissue massage, but also does Swedish massage and cupping,” Kilburn said, explaining there is a separate massage therapy room outside the salt rooms, but combining massage with halotherapy is an option as well. “If it’s available, you can even get a private massage in the cave. That way you’re getting the benefit of the salt therapy and a 55-minute massage.”

Not everyone goes to Serenity for a spa experience, though. Some come specifically for the medicinal benefits of halotherapy. Unlike some salt spas that are “passive” (in which people just sit surrounded by the salt bricks and crystals), Serenity uses an active system of pumping medical-grade salt through the airways into their salt rooms, which produces a more direct effect–similar to breathing in the salty air on a seashore.

“It’s great for asthma, allergies, sinuses, headaches, coughs, COPD, and post-COVID symptoms. When they come in the room, I tell people to do some deep breathing, because breathing in that Himalayan salt acts like a toothbrush for your respiratory system. It’s cleaning and getting out all the impurities and toxins. That’s why I keep tissues in the rooms,” she explained. “I’ve even had mothers bring in their children. There was one boy who had an ear infection, and his ear started draining afterwards. It’s pretty amazing.”

JaLaine Aesthetics and Wellness, which is owned by a nurse, also operates out of Serenity Salt Spa, offering customers services ranging from nutrition and stress management programs to microneedling, dermaplaning, neuromodulators, and dermafillers.

Of course, it says a lot when business owners personally use the products they sell, and Kilburn is one of those. The front lobby of the spa is filled with Himalayan salt products, from bath crystals to soap to salt lamps. Kilburn makes some of the bath products herself, pairing the salt with other medicinal herbs like lavender. She also has three salt lamps in her home.

“We are blessed to be here, and we are excited to help as many people as we can to feel better, breathe easier, and just relax. This salt spa was a thought, an idea–I ran it by my kids, prayed about it, put the plan into action with their help–and now we’re just living on prayer and trusting God,” she said.

Serenity Salt Spa is located at 107 Old River Road, Suite K, Montgomery, Texas. Appointments may be scheduled by calling 936-777-3682 or by visiting the spa’s Facebook page, Serenity Salt Spa TX. In addition to individual appointments, group discounts and memberships are available.