A naturally occurring substance, salt is a combination of the two elements sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl), hence the scientific name sodium chloride (NaCl). This crystalline mineral is often found in the salty waters of the ocean and in rock salt deposits deep in caves. Pink Himalayan salt is a rare type of rock salt that comes from salt mines located thousands of feet below the Himalayan Mountains. Unlike regular table salt, pink Himalayan salt does not consist of pure NaCl. It is only 94-98% NaCl, and the rest of it is made up of other elements that are highly beneficial for your body. It also undergoes less processing than regular table salt, which allows it to keep most of its mineral content intact.
According to an article that appeared in the Bulletin of the Geological Society of Greece, some of these minerals include iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium and sulfur. A full-spectrum salt, pink Himalayan salt can contain up to 84 different trace minerals and elements. Furthermore, it gets its distinctive pink color from the small amounts of iron oxide present in it.