Several women in Israel’s Dead Sea are not just making mud pies; they’re trying to rejuvenate their skin by slathering the mineral-rich muck on their bodies and faces.

Dead Sea mud, high in salt content, can alleviate some skin conditions, including psoriasis, says Washington dermatologist Tina Alster. It can also combat some kinds of acne, Alster adds, because its magnesium decreases inflammation; embedded grains of sand exfoliate the skin; and the mud draws out dirt and oil from pores.

The benefits for healthy skin are less clear – even if the mud is loaded, as one Israeli maker of skin care products claims, with calcium, potassium, strontium, boron and iron. “That’s all been kind of conjecture,” Alster says.

Dead Sea skin treatments come with a price. If you’ve nicked yourself, expect a nasty sting from the salt.