Two kinds of mineral water, two mechanisms
The distinction is chemistry versus temperature. Hot springs get their name from heat. The Dead Sea gets its reputation from concentration.
Thermal springs draw dissolved minerals from the rock they pass through, so their content shifts by location. Sulfur springs release hydrogen sulfide. Silica springs deposit dissolved silica. The bar for qualifying is low: groundwater counts as mineral water at 1 gram of dissolved solids per kilogram, and as thermal water above 20 degrees Celsius (Porowski, Springer Environmental Geology, 2019).
The Dead Sea is a different order of magnitude. It is a magnesium-rich hypersaline lake at roughly 430 meters below sea level, the lowest exposed land on Earth, and its dominant salts are magnesium, calcium, potassium, and bromide. Seawater is dominated by sodium. For more on that composition, see the guide to Dead Sea salinity.
The Dead Sea holds about 34.2% dissolved salts, roughly ten times the mineral content of ocean water, in a magnesium-rich chemistry that no geothermal hot spring reproduces. Proksch and colleagues (International Journal of Dermatology, 2005) credited magnesium specifically for the skin barrier improvements they measured after 15 minute forearm immersion in a 5% Dead Sea salt solution.
What the skin research shows for each
Here the evidence separates the two. In the Proksch study, volunteers with atopic dry skin bathed one forearm in the 5% Dead Sea salt solution and the other in tap water. The salt-treated arm showed improved barrier function, better hydration, and less roughness and redness.
For psoriasis, Dead Sea climatotherapy has been studied for decades. Harari and colleagues (International Journal of Dermatology, 2007) followed 64 German patients through a four-week course and reported that 75.9% reached PASI 75, a three-quarter reduction in severity, after one month, with a median remission of 23.1 weeks. That study followed a single group with no control arm, so the figures describe what happened to one cohort. Our Dead Sea psoriasis treatment and Dead Sea eczema treatment pages cover those protocols in detail.
In a study by Harari and colleagues (International Journal of Dermatology, 2007), 75.9% of 64 psoriasis patients reached PASI 75, a three-quarter improvement in severity, after one month of Dead Sea climatotherapy, with a median remission of 23.1 weeks. The eight thermal-spring trials reviewed by Protano and colleagues (2024) report no comparable PASI 75 or remission figures.
On the hot spring side, sulfur is the active character. A narrative review by Chen and colleagues (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025) describes sulfur as keratolytic, antifungal, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory, and lists acne, seborrheic dermatitis, and rosacea among its uses. The same review cites an in vitro study in which hydrogen sulfide dampened inflammatory signaling in cultured human keratinocytes. That is laboratory work on cells in culture, one step removed from what happens to a person soaking in a sulfur spring. A systematic review by Protano and colleagues (International Journal of Biometeorology, 2024) found that thermal mineral water baths improved signs and symptoms of psoriasis and eczema across the eight trials examined, though those authors describe the evidence as limited in number and often low in quality.
Comparison at a glance
Dead Sea figures use DeadSea.com’s standard reference values. The hot spring column describes the general category, which varies widely by site.
| Factor | Dead Sea | Thermal hot springs |
|---|---|---|
| Mineral load | About 34.2% dissolved salts (very high) | Light to moderate; varies widely by site |
| Dominant minerals | Magnesium, calcium, potassium, bromide | Sulfur, silica, calcium, bicarbonate (varies) |
| Water temperature | Ambient, varies by season | Geothermally heated; Tai et al. (2024) cite 40 C as the limit advised for older bathers |
| Published evidence | Psoriasis, atopic dry skin | Psoriasis and eczema signs (Protano 2024); osteoarthritis pain (Verhagen 2007) |
| Buoyancy | Extreme; you float without effort | Ordinary water buoyancy |
| Typical session | 15 to 20 minutes | Longer soaks are common; 10 minutes or less advised for older bathers |
| Access | Israel and Jordan shores only | Every inhabited continent |
Springs near the Dead Sea
There is warm thermomineral water on both shores. On the Israeli side, the Hamei Zohar area near Neve Zohar has springs used for spa bathing, a short walk from the cold hypersaline lake. Opening times there shift with the season, so check the operator’s own page before you drive down.
In Jordan, the Ma’in hot springs sit 35 kilometers southwest of Madaba on the road to the Dead Sea, at 264 meters below sea level per Royal Jordanian’s destination guide, fed by more than 100 hot and cold springs whose mineral water cascades down the mountainside. For a fuller picture of the two shores, see Israel vs Jordan for the Dead Sea.
Safety: concentration versus heat load
Concentration is the Dead Sea’s hazard. The water stings cuts and eyes, and prolonged immersion can irritate skin, which is why 15 to 20 minutes is the standard limit and a fresh-water rinse afterward is standard practice. See how long to soak in the Dead Sea for the timing detail.
Hot springs carry a heat load instead.
Tai and colleagues (Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 2024) measured 1,479 older adults during hot-water bathing and found each 1 degree Celsius rise in skin temperature associated with a 2.41 mmHg increase in systolic blood pressure and a 2.99 bpm increase in pulse rate. A Japanese expert committee cited in that study recommends 10 minutes or less at 40 degrees Celsius or cooler.
Those are changes that can stress the cardiovascular system. Anyone with heart disease, high blood pressure, or a history of fainting should treat very hot water with real caution, and our heat safety guidance applies on both shores.
Mineral bathing can interact with medication either way, and our page on Dead Sea treatment and medication interactions is the place to start before booking a therapeutic program.
Which one should you choose?
Match the water to the problem. For psoriasis or stubborn atopic dermatitis that needs an intensive push, the largest body of published outcome data sits with supervised Dead Sea climatotherapy programs.
For chronic joint pain, a thermal spring is the more practical option. The Cochrane review of balneotherapy for osteoarthritis by Verhagen and colleagues (2007) found silver-level evidence that mineral baths may help pain and quality of life, on trials the reviewers graded as poor in methodological quality. See Dead Sea arthritis treatment for how heat and minerals are combined there.
Both work for ordinary rest, and they feel different. The Dead Sea gives you effortless floating. A hot spring gives you warmth and a longer soak. Plenty of visitors do both, and the Dead Sea spa and wellness overview covers how to plan it.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Dead Sea better than hot springs for psoriasis?
For psoriasis, Dead Sea climatotherapy has the most extensively published outcome data of the options reviewed here. Harari and colleagues (International Journal of Dermatology, 2007) reported that 75.9% of 64 psoriasis patients reached PASI 75 after one month. Thermal mineral water baths also improved psoriasis and eczema signs in the eight trials reviewed by Protano and colleagues (2024), who describe that evidence base as limited and often low in quality.
Can a hot spring match Dead Sea mineral content?
No. The Dead Sea’s roughly 34.2% dissolved-salt concentration, dominated by magnesium, calcium, potassium, and bromide, does not occur in any geothermal spring. Thermal springs carry far lighter loads that vary with the rock the water passes through, and groundwater qualifies as mineral water at only 1 gram of dissolved solids per kilogram (Porowski, Springer, 2019). Hot springs instead offer heat and site-specific chemistry such as sulfur, which the Dead Sea does not provide.
Are hot springs or the Dead Sea better for arthritis?
Neither has been shown to beat the other. The Cochrane review of balneotherapy for osteoarthritis by Verhagen and colleagues (2007) pooled seven trials with 498 patients and reported silver-level evidence that mineral baths may help pain and quality of life compared with no treatment, while warning that the trials were of poor methodological quality. Hot springs add heat. The Dead Sea adds buoyancy that unloads painful joints during immersion. Ask a clinician which evidence applies to your condition.
How long should you stay in each?
Dead Sea sessions are kept to 15 to 20 minutes because the intense mineral concentration can irritate skin over longer exposure, and a fresh-water rinse afterward is standard. Hot spring soaks are commonly much longer, though Tai and colleagues (2024) cite a Japanese expert committee recommendation that older adults bathe for 10 minutes or less at 40 degrees Celsius or cooler. If you have a heart condition, ask your doctor before any long hot soak.
Do Dead Sea bath salts at home replicate a real visit?
Partly. Proksch and colleagues tested a specific 5% magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution on volunteers’ forearms and found improved hydration and selected barrier measures compared with tap water. A home bath cannot reproduce the regional low-altitude environment or supervised photoclimatotherapy. The Dead Sea UV spectrum is selectively attenuated, but UVA and UVB risks remain. Source: Proksch et al., 2005.
The bottom line
Choose the Dead Sea when the goal is a documented skin outcome or a float you cannot get elsewhere. Choose a hot spring when warmth, joint comfort, and proximity matter more. Whichever you pick, respect the time limits and check with a clinician if you have a health condition or take regular medication.
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare provider before beginning any balneotherapy program, particularly regarding your own medications and any heart or skin condition.
Sources
- Proksch E, Nissen HP, Bremgartner M, Urquhart C. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. International Journal of Dermatology, 2005;44(2):151-157. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15689218/
- Harari M, Novack L, Barth J, David M, Friger M, Moses SW. The percentage of patients achieving PASI 75 after 1 month and remission time after climatotherapy at the Dead Sea. International Journal of Dermatology, 2007;46(10):1087-1091. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17910722/
- Protano C, Vitali M, De Giorgi A, Marotta D, Crucianelli S, Fontana M. Balneotherapy using thermal mineral water baths and dermatological diseases: a systematic review. International Journal of Biometeorology, 2024;68(6):1005-1013. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38530467/
- Chen YJ, Tang J, Wang L, Hua W. Sulfur and its derivatives in dermatology: insights into therapeutic applications, a narrative review. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025;24(8):e70402. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12355337/
- Tai Y, Obayashi K, Okumura K, Yamagami Y, Saeki K. Blood pressure, pulse rate, and skin temperature during hot-water bathing in real-world settings among community-dwelling older adults: the HEIJO-KYO Study. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 2024;29:12. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10937243/
- Verhagen AP, Bierma-Zeinstra SMA, Boers M, Cardoso JR, Lambeck J, de Bie R, de Vet HCW. Balneotherapy for osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2007, Art. No. CD006864. https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD006864/abstract
- Porowski A. Mineral and thermal waters (glossary definitions of mineral water and thermal water). Environmental Geology, Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, 2019. https://link.springer.com/referenceworkentry/10.1007/978-1-4939-8787-0_978
- Ma’in Hot Springs, destination guide (location and elevation). Royal Jordanian. https://www.rj.com/en/explore-jordan/sustainable-ecotourism/sustainable-experiences/main-hot-springs