Dead Sea Lotion
The Dead Sea area is unique for its combination of natural resources that are unparalleled anywhere else on earth. They include sun rays that are weakened due to the longer path they have to travel to reach the Dead Sea shores, which are 415 m below sea level, and the dispersion of the sun rays on their
way by a misty cloud overhanging the sea most of the year. The
attenuation is in inverse relation to the length of the ray; as a
result, the shorter ultraviolet B rays are attenuated to greater
extent than the longer UVA rays (12% and 3.8% on average
respectively). end of the UVB scale. In addition to the unique composi-
tion of sun rays, the low altitude of the area results in a high
atmospheric pressure, which is approximately 5%
higher than at sea level. As a result the partial oxygen tension
at the Dead Sea is about 7–8 mmHg higher than at zero altitude;
this has important therapeutic implications for patients with
hypoxic heart and lung diseases, as will be specified below. The
water in this lake, as compared to seawater, contains an unusual
composition and unusually high concentrations of cations, e.g., magnesium, sodium, calcium, and anions such as phosphorus, bromide and chloride. These raise the density of the water to about 1.237 kg/L, causing people bathing in the lake to float on rather than swim in the water. Certain minerals in the water have been shown to penetrate the skin, which may contribute to its healing effect [3]. Nanotechnological techniques are presently being explored to improve the penetration of therapeutic agents through the skin.