Salt & mud
Sulphur
Psoriasis & Skin Conditions
Sulphur, salty water with healing mud and sunshine — traditionally used to care for stressed skin.
By the Terra Cura editorial team · Last updated: August 2026
Health notice
This article offers editorial health and travel information and is no substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Psoriasis should be managed with a dermatologist — coordinate any cure, and any sun exposure, with your doctor beforehand.
What is it?
Psoriasis is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory skin condition in which skin cells are produced far too quickly. Instead of maturing over about a month, they reach the surface in a few days and pile up as the familiar scaly, reddened, sometimes itchy plaques — most often on the elbows, knees, scalp and lower back. It runs in flare-ups, is not contagious, and can weigh heavily on quality of life. Other chronic skin complaints follow a similar relapsing pattern.
Balneological treatments with sulphur, salt, healing mud and measured sunlight have long been used as a supportive measure to calm the skin and lengthen the quiet periods between flare-ups.
How Romania's spas help
Traditionally recommended are:
- Sulphur-rich springs — traditionally used for chronic skin complaints
- Salty water — cares for and relieves the skin
- Sapropelic healing mud — applied to affected areas of skin
- Sunlight (helio-therapy) — measured sunbathing by the lake
How the natural remedy is thought to work
Two ingredients do most of the work, and they work together. First, ultraviolet light: natural sunlight slows the runaway multiplication of skin cells that drives psoriasis and calms the local immune response — the same principle behind medical light therapy (phototherapy). Second, salt water: bathing in mineral- and salt-rich water softens and lifts scale, hydrates the skin barrier and appears to make the skin more responsive to the light that follows. Sapropelic mud packs add minerals and gentle exfoliation, while sulphurous springs are traditionally used for their soothing, keratolytic (scale-loosening) effect. This is why the classic skin cure pairs a salt lake with sunshine, taken in careful, gradually increasing doses.
Important: ultraviolet light is a double-edged remedy. In measured amounts it can clear plaques; in excess it ages the skin and raises the long-term risk of skin cancer. Sunbathing during a cure should always be gradual, timed and, ideally, supervised.
What does the evidence say?
The best-studied version of salt-and-sun therapy is Dead Sea climatotherapy. Systematic reviews and cohort studies report that a two-to-four-week programme of mineral bathing plus measured natural ultraviolet light produces substantial short-term clearing of psoriasis for many patients, with large reductions in the standard severity score (PASI) and improved quality of life. The honest caveats are just as important: the benefit is largely temporary, with symptoms typically returning over the following months; most studies assess the combined salt-plus-sun package rather than salt water on its own; and Romania's salt lakes and sulphur springs are not identical to the Dead Sea, so their results should not simply be assumed to match. Treat a cure as a helpful, drug-sparing interlude within dermatologist-led care — not a cure in the literal sense.
Sources
- Scientific Evidence of the Therapeutic Effects of Dead Sea Treatments: A Systematic Review. Seminars in Arthritis and Rheumatism (ScienceDirect). sciencedirect.com
- Effect of Dead Sea Climatotherapy on Psoriasis; A Prospective Cohort Study. PMC, National Library of Medicine. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- A Critical Evaluation of Dead Sea Therapy in the Management of Psoriasis. Journal of Dermatology & Skin Science. heraldopenaccess.us
Recommended spas
| Spa | Main remedy | Recommended cure length | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| Techirghiol | Sapropelic mud, salt lake & sun | 2–4 weeks | May–September |
| Sovata | Heliothermal salt lake & mud | 2–4 weeks | May–September |
| Băile Herculane | Sulphurous thermal springs | 2–3 weeks | Year-round |
| Amara | Salt lake & sapropelic mud | 2–3 weeks | June–September |
| Lacu Sărat | Salt lake & sapropelic mud | 2–3 weeks | June–September |
| Ocna Sibiului | Salt lakes & mud, sunbathing | 2–3 weeks | June–September |
Good to know before you go
Typical cure duration
A skin cure usually runs for two to four weeks: the skin needs time to adapt to salt and sun and to clear. Because the benefit fades over the following months, many people repeat a cure seasonally, ideally in coordination with their dermatologist.
Contraindications
Salt water and sun are not advisable on broken, weeping or infected skin, during an acute and highly inflamed flare, or while taking strongly light-sensitising medication. People with a personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers, photosensitive conditions, or who are pregnant should seek dermatological advice first. Never stop prescribed treatment for a cure without medical agreement.
What to bring
- A high-SPF sunscreen for unaffected skin, plus a hat and light cover-up
- Your usual emollients and prescribed topical treatments
- Gentle, fragrance-free skincare and swimwear
- A list of your medications and any dermatology records for the spa doctor
FAQ
Which remedies help with psoriasis?
Traditionally, sulphur springs, salty water with sapropelic healing mud as well as measured sunlight (helio-therapy) are used. This combination can calm the skin.
Which resort is best suited?
Techirghiol combines healing mud, salt lake and sun and is considered a classic for skin complaints. Băile Herculane offers sulphur springs, Sovata a heliothermal salt lake. A medical assessment before the cure is advisable.
What does the evidence say about salt-and-sun therapy for psoriasis?
The best-studied model is Dead Sea climatotherapy, which combines mineral salt bathing with measured natural ultraviolet light. Systematic reviews and cohort studies report substantial short-term clearing of psoriasis for many patients. However, the effect is largely temporary, symptoms typically return over the following months, and the studies mostly assess the combined salt-plus-sun package rather than salt water alone. Romanian salt lakes are not identical to the Dead Sea, so results should not be assumed to be the same.
Why is measured sunlight important, and what about the risks?
Ultraviolet light slows the overactive turnover of skin cells in psoriasis, which is why bright, sunny lakeside settings are traditionally used. But ultraviolet exposure also carries a real long-term risk of skin ageing and skin cancer, so sunbathing must be gradual, timed and supervised. People on light-sensitising medication, or with a history of skin cancer, should be especially cautious and seek dermatological advice first.
How long does a skin cure last, and how often can it be repeated?
A classic skin cure runs for two to four weeks, since the skin needs time to adapt to salt and sun and to clear. Because the benefit fades over the following months, many people repeat a cure seasonally, ideally in coordination with their dermatologist.
When is a salt, sulphur or sun cure not advisable?
Avoid salt water and sun on broken, weeping or infected skin, during an acute, highly inflamed flare, and if you take strongly light-sensitising medication. People with a personal history of melanoma or other skin cancers, photosensitive conditions, or who are pregnant should seek dermatological advice before a cure. A doctor should always confirm suitability.
What should I bring for a psoriasis cure?
A high-SPF sunscreen for unaffected skin, a hat and light cover-up, your usual emollients and prescribed topical treatments, gentle fragrance-free skincare, swimwear, and a list of your medications with any dermatology records for the spa doctor.
Find the right spa
Discover Romania's resorts and have the right treatments put together for your skin.
View all spas