Glorious mud: Dead Sea brings new life to the skin

Mud and salt are hardly glamorous in themselves, but the mix of minerals to be found at the Dead Sea has been proven to have superb qualities for revitalising and rejuvenating the skin.

Several companies in Hong Kong sell Israeli skincare products made from the mineral-rich algae and mud of the Dead Sea.

'Right now our products are available in Macau at the Wynn Resorts,' said Jeffrey Chan Chun-lam, local director for Ocean White, a skincare brand developed in Israel.

He added that they would be available from retail chains in Hong Kong over the next couple of months. On the mainland, the products are sold in salons.

'The products use algae from the Dead Sea, algae which can survive in a difficult environment and enriches the skin,' he said.

Ocean White uses what it calls the Double D formula, which is a balance of beneficial Dead Sea minerals such as magnesium, sodium, calcium and potassium - and dunaliella, a rare type of algae containing rich concentrations of beta-carotene, antioxidants and essential vitamins allowing the skin a resistance to dryness and the ability to retain high moisture levels.

Two possible recent recipients of Ocean White's rejuvenating products were US President George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, who stayed at the Jerusalem King David Hotel during their stay in Israel in January. The hotel chose Ocean White's products for their suites.