Is Redmond Real Salt Good?

The Short Answer

Redmond Real Salt is Recommended. It is arguably the best all-purpose salt on the market because it solves the biggest problem with modern sea salt: microplastic contamination.

Because it is mined from an ancient, underground seabed in Utah that was sealed off millions of years ago, it is completely free of the plastic pollution found in salts harvested from current oceans (like Celtic or Maldon). It has a unique "sweet" salty flavor, contains 60+ trace minerals, and supports American workers. The only catch? It is not iodized, so you must ensure you get iodine from other foods like dairy, seafood, or seaweed.

Why This Matters

Salt is the one ingredient you likely use in every single savory meal. Switching to a cleaner salt is one of the highest-ROI changes you can make for your kitchen.

Most commercial table salts are chemically refined, bleached, and mixed with anti-caking agents like sodium aluminosilicate. On the other hand, many "natural" sea salts harvested from modern oceans are now contaminated with microplastics—tiny plastic fragments that have permeated the global water supply.

Redmond Real Salt hits the sweet spot: it is completely natural and unrefined like sea salt, but protected from pollution like mined rock salt.

What's Actually In Redmond Real Salt

Redmond Real Salt is unrefined, meaning nothing is taken out and nothing is added.

• Sodium Chloride (98%) — The base of all salt.
• Trace Minerals (2%) — Includes calcium, potassium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. These minerals create the signature pink flecks and softer flavor profile.
• No Anti-Caking Agents — It contains no dextrose (sugar) or sodium silicoaluminate. This means it may clump in humid weather—a sign of a natural product.

What to Look For

Green Flags:

• Ancient Deposit — Sourced from the Jurassic Period, meaning it pre-dates pollution.
• Pink/Red Flecks — Visual proof of mineral content (mostly iron and calcium).
• Sweet Flavor — Users consistently report a "sweeter" taste compared to the sharp, metallic bite of refined table salt or the "briny" taste of grey salts.

Red Flags:

• Low Iodine — Contains only naturally occurring iodine (~18-23mcg per serving), which is about 10% of the Daily Value. If you don't eat seafood or dairy, you need an iodine supplement. Do You Need Iodized Salt
• Trace Lead — Like all minerals mined from the earth, it contains trace amounts of lead (typically <200 ppb). This is naturally occurring in the earth's crust, not industrial contamination.

The Lead Controversy Explained

You may have seen reports (specifically from Lead Safe Mama) flagging Redmond Real Salt for containing lead. Here is the context.

All natural salts—including Himalayan and Celtic—contain trace heavy metals because these elements exist in the soil and rock layers of the earth. Redmond generally tests in the range of 100–300 parts per billion (ppb) for lead.

To put that in perspective:

• The EPA limit for lead in drinking water is 15 ppb, but you drink liters of water a day.
• You typically eat only a few grams of salt a day.
• A serving of salt (1.4g) with 200 ppb lead contributes about 0.28 micrograms of lead.
• For comparison, a serving of sweet potatoes or carrots often contains significantly more naturally occurring lead than this salt.

Verdict: unless you are on a zero-tolerance protocol for specific medical reasons, the trace levels in Redmond are considered safe and are a trade-off for avoiding the microplastics found in other salts.

The Best Options

If you are choosing a daily salt, here is how Redmond stacks up against the competition.

The Bottom Line

1. Buy Redmond Real Salt for your daily cooking and baking. It is the cleanest, most sustainable option for US consumers.

2. Don't rely on it for iodine. If you switch from iodized table salt to Redmond, add seaweed or a supplement to your diet to support your thyroid.

3. Accept the clumps. Since it lacks anti-caking agents, put a few grains of uncooked rice in your shaker to keep it flowing.

FAQ

Is Redmond Real Salt iodized?

No. It contains small amounts of natural iodine, but not enough to prevent goiter or thyroid issues if it's your only source. We recommend eating iodine-rich foods like eggs, dairy, or kelp. Do You Need Iodized Salt

Does Redmond Real Salt have microplastics?

No. This is its biggest advantage. Because it is mined from a deposit that was covered by volcanic ash millions of years ago, it has never been exposed to modern plastic pollution. Microplastics In Sea Salt

Why is there sand in my salt?

It's not sand—it's minerals. Real Salt is unrefined, so the pink and brown flecks are bits of rock and clay containing iron, calcium, and silica. They are harmless and edible, though they don't dissolve as quickly as pure sodium.

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