207: Why Table Salt Isn’t Real Salt (And the Desert Salt That Is) with Samantha Skyring
TL;DR In this episode, we talk to Samantha Skyring, founder of Oryx Desert Salt. She grew up in South Africa, built and sold an aviation refurbishment business by 21, ran a kayaking expedition company on Lake Malawi, and eventually sold her house to buy 34 tons of Kalahari Desert salt with no business plan, just conviction. Today Oryx Desert Salt is stocked in Whole Foods, Amazon, and retailers across South Africa, and its ceramic "refill, not landfill" grinders have saved over 1.2 million bottles from landfill in a single year. During This Episode How Samantha's early jobs, a family business, and a Lake Malawi kayaking expedition shaped her entrepreneurial instincts A close encounter with a wild oryx in the Namib Desert, and how it became the seed and the logo of her salt brand The moment she sold her house to buy 34 tons of Kalahari Desert salt Why most table salt is stripped, bleached, and mixed with anti-caking agents (and sometimes sugar) How ocean pollution, microplastics, and pharmaceutical residue are showing up in sea salt Inside the 300 million year old Kalahari aquifer and the four week, sun dried, lunar cycle crystallization process Why Oryx uses ceramic grinders instead of plastic, and how "refill, not landfill" saved 1.2 million+ bottles from landfill last year The real science on sodium: hydration, heart health, sleep, energy, and how much salt you actually need Packing salt on a borrowed dining table after leaving an abusive relationship, and the early wins that kept her going How gratitude, conviction, and networking helped Oryx Desert Salt land in Whole Foods and go global Her advice for anyone building a mission-driven, sustainable business Timestamps to relevant points within the episode, use this format: [00:00]-Intro [00:00] - Intro (hook, free course announcement, welcome, and guest introduction) [02:39] - Samantha's origin story [04:49] - Lake Malawi kayaking expedition [05:41] - London and the 13-year relationship ending [06:50] - The Namib Desert oryx encounter [09:00] - Selling her house for 34 tons of salt [11:34] - Why table salt isn't real salt [12:53] - Ocean pollution in sea salt [14:35] - Inside the Kalahari aquifer [15:28] - Four-week crystallization process [16:21] - Water memory research [18:45] - Ceramic vs. plastic grinders [19:38] - Refill, not landfill [20:44] - Choosing impact over "good business sense" [23:21] - The travel shaker story [26:35] - Busting salt myths [29:35] - Why the body needs salt [30:29] - Salt, energy, and brain function [32:29] - How much salt you need [33:58] - Salt and sleep [35:11] - Packing salt on a dining table [36:32] - Early wins with top chefs [39:23] - The 10 rand note and the billboard [42:41] - Going global [44:49] - Networking into Whole Foods [46:23] - Advice to her younger self [48:53] - September announcement [49:50] - How to support sustainable businesses [52:49] - Her most important Mama Earth decision [56:04] - Final Five [58:24] - Closing thoughts and CTA Links from the episodes: Oryx Desert Salt, available via madeinrsa.com (ships worldwide from South Africa in 3 days via DHL) Oryx Desert Salt at Whole Foods and Amazon (USA) Oryx Desert Salt Shopify site Odyssey Magazine (South Africa) "The Salt Fix" by Dr. James DiNicolantonio Sarah Gottfried's Hormone Reset Diet Veda Austin's water memory research (New Zealand) Dr. Masaru Emoto's water crystal research Where can people find our guest? LinkedIn, Samantha's primary platform for sharing her entrepreneurial journey madeinrsa.com, for worldwide Oryx Desert Salt orders Whole Foods and Amazon (USA) Checkers, Food Lover's Market, Woolworths, Pick n Pay, and Spar (South Africa) Key Takeaways: Not all salt is created equal. Much of what's sold as table salt is stripped of minerals, heated, sometimes bleached, and often contains anti-caking agents or sugar Most sea salt today has been found to contain microplastics and pharmaceutical residue because of ocean pollution Oryx Desert Salt comes from a 300 million year old aquifer under the Kalahari Desert and crystallizes naturally over a four week lunar cycle Ceramic grinders and a "refill, not landfill" model saved over 1.2 million bottles and grinder heads from landfill last year Sodium is essential for heart function, hydration, brain function, and sleep. Real world needs may be higher than the standard low sodium advice many people hear Building a mission-driven business often means choosing long-term impact over the safest short-term business decision Conviction, networking, and gratitude played as big a role in Oryx's growth as any formal business plan Support sustainable brands by reading ingredient labels, choosing simplicity, and being mindful of where your products come from FAQ Why is table salt considered "not real salt"? Table salt is typically stripped of its natural minerals, heated (and sometimes bleached), and treated with anti-caking or free flow chemicals so it pours easily. Some brands even add sugar to offset the taste of those chemicals, which is why Samantha Skyring calls it a fake, industrial product rather than true salt. Is sea salt safe to consume? Not always. Because ocean pollution has increased, research cited in the episode found that 90 to 95 percent of tested sea salt contains microplastics, and it can also carry residue from sewage dumping and medications such as contraceptives, antidepressants, and statins. What makes Kalahari Desert salt different? Oryx Desert Salt is drawn from a pristine underground aquifer beneath the Kalahari Desert, replenished by ancient rock strata around 300 million years old. It is never touched by humans until it is pumped to the surface, and it crystallizes naturally in about four weeks during a lunar cycle, without ocean pollution or industrial processing. How much salt should you eat per day? Samantha Skyring notes that while the standard recommended daily allowance is often cited around 2.5 grams, many people's actual needs are closer to 7.5 to 10 grams, especially if they sweat heavily, exercise, or are pregnant. She recommends listening to your body's cravings rather than defaulting to a strict low sodium rule. Can salt help you sleep better? Anecdotally, yes. In the episode, Samantha shares stories of people who improved sleep by taking a small amount of good quality salt (often mixed with honey) before bed, since sodium plays a role in the body's nervous system and relaxation response. What is Oryx Desert Salt's refill program? Oryx Desert Salt uses ceramic (not plastic) grinding mechanisms that are built to be refilled rather than thrown away, under the tagline "refill, not landfill." The company reports this system saved over 1.2 million bottles and grinder heads from landfill in the past year alone. Where can I buy Oryx Desert Salt? Oryx Desert Salt is available through madeinrsa.com for worldwide shipping, at Whole Foods and Amazon in the United States, and at major retailers across South Africa including Checkers, Food Lover's Market, Woolworths, Pick n Pay, and Spar. Who is Samantha Skyring? Samantha Skyring is a South African entrepreneur and the founder of Oryx Desert Salt. Before launching the brand, she ran an aviation refurbishment business, operated a kayaking expedition company on Lake Malawi, and eventually sold her house to fund the purchase of 34 tons of Kalahari Desert salt, which became the foundation of her now globally distributed sustainable salt company.
