On a trip to Israel last year, one of my favorite places to visit was the Dead Sea.

The Dead Sea is located in the southern region of Israel, at the mouth of the Jordan River. It is bordered by Jordan and Palestine as well as Israel. As we drove down the coast of the Dead Sea, our tour guide shared amazing facts about the location we were headed to. The lake (yes, I know the name says sea - it’s actually a lake) is the lowest elevation on earth - so low that there’s an extra ozone layer! Yay for added protection against UV rays.

At almost 34% salinity, the Dead Sea is saltier than any ocean out there (or any ex). Because of the salt content, it is nearly impossible for anything to live in the Dead Sea. Fish and plants cannot survive the salinity - a win for anyone who doesn’t like swimming with the fishes.

With such a high salt content, it is nearly impossible to swim in the sea. Now floating, that comes naturally. You don’t have to get very far into the sea before you feel yourself being floated away from the shore. Lost in the sensation of floating without trying, when I was finally ready to stand up, I had to wrestle my legs down - plenty of rolling and flapping around.

Now for all you beauty hackers, you might want to do some research on Dead Sea Mud. The mud forms at the edges of the lake and inherits many health benefits from all of the minerals that collect there. It, too, is a natural exfoliator. In fact, at our stop at the Dead Sea I watched many smart men gather the mud into containers, bags, and even bottles to bring home to their wives.

The sites in the Dead Sea area don’t stop with just the lake itself. On the other side of the highway that runs along the lake, is a nature reserve known as Ein Gedi. Ein Gedi is filled with natural springs and waterfalls that roll through the rocky hills. That was a good climb and a nice reprieve in the midst of the desert.