Salt panning
For centuries, the salt pans in the northern Adriatic Sea area long had a significant impact on the economy of the countries and city-states in this area. They were the subject of political disputes and wars as salt was considered a precious raw material and strategic merchandise due to its usefulness, and was important for the preservation of food and the production of gunpowder. In the past, there were a number of smaller and larger salt pans in the Gulf of Trieste and Istria (e.g. in Milje, Koper, Izola, Lucija), however, today only the Sečovlje and Strunjan salt pans remain. They were not only characterized by political and economic interests, but also by the whims of nature which sometimes made salt production impossible for longer periods, however, sometimes it offered an over-abundance.
In the abundance of different kinds of high-quality salts, Piran salt is one of the most prominent as it is cultivated according to the method of more than 700 years ago. The Sečovlje salt pans are the northernmost still functioning salt pans in the Mediterranean area and one of the few salt pans in the world where salt is produced after several centuries-old processes originating from at least the 14th century. Their speciality is that the salt pan workers cultivate petola at the bottom of the crystallization ponds. This is a biosediment which prevents the sea mud merging with the salt and gives the salt numerous microelements and minerals necessary for the human organism. It is cultivated completely through natural crystallization using their bare hands, and the tools and procedures of their ancestors.
Salt panning distinctively shaped the cultural landscape, i.e. areas that are the work of human hands.
Salt-Pan Mud: The Black Gold of the Sečovlje Salt Pans.
9. 6. 2026
Salt-pan mud from the Sečovlje Salt Pans is a natural marine peloid, valued for its unique properties and used at Thalasso Spa Lepa Vida as part of skin care and relaxation rituals.
In the salt pans,
not every story begins in the whiteness of salt.
Some stories remain hidden a little longer. They mature slowly, shaped by the sea, brine, and time, until they become part of a tradition passed down from one generation to the next.
One such story is salt-pan mud.
This dark clay, enriched with brine, has been part of life in the salt pans for centuries. Its beneficial properties were already recognised by the Benedictine monks, who were among the first in this area to make use of the sea’s and the salt pans’ natural resources for well-being and care.
Today, salt-pan mud is often associated with skin care and thalassotherapy, yet its story within the salt pans is far older. For centuries, it has been an integral part of the environment in which salt is formed and an important companion to the traditional salt-making process that has been preserved here to this day.
Over time, salt-pan mud became an important element of thalassotherapy and remains so today, finding its place in modern wellness rituals and skincare products.
It matures within the unique environment of the Sečovlje Salt Pans, where, under the influence of brine, it gradually develops the characteristics that classify it as a marine peloid.
A Gift
Crafted by Time
The maturation process is what sets salt-pan peloid apart from ordinary marine mud. As it remains in contact with brine – the mineral-rich mother water of the salt pans – a variety of natural processes take place, gradually shaping its composition and unique character.
A peloid is a naturally matured mud composed of mineral and organic substances combined with mineral, seawater, or saline water. Owing to its distinctive properties, it is widely used in thalassotherapy, spa treatments, and cosmetic applications.
When the Salt Pans Touch the Skin.
Rarely do we have the opportunity to experience a natural ingredient in the very environment where it is created.
At Thalasso Spa Lepa Vida, salt-pan mud does not come from distant deposits, nor is it subjected to industrial processing.
It originates in the very environment that visitors encounter as they walk through the salt pans. Between the salt crystallisation ponds, under the influence of the sun, the wind, and the brine, it matures slowly, developing the unique qualities for which it is so highly valued today.
When a balneotherapist applies it to the skin,
the story of the salt pans becomes, for a moment, a deeply personal experience.
Warm salt-pan mud embraces the body, the sea air brings a feeling of lightness, and the demands of everyday life gently fade into the slower rhythm of nature and the salt pans.
A salt-pan mud wrap is more than a skin-care treatment. It is an invitation to pause for a moment and reconnect with a place that has followed its own rhythm for centuries
A Ritual
Born in the Salt Pans.
At Thalasso Spa Lepa Vida, salt-pan mud is an integral part of a variety of skincare and relaxation rituals.
Some guests choose a mud wrap for the face, neck, and décolleté. Others prefer partial or full-body applications. Some seek a moment of relaxation, while others simply wish to enjoy time for themselves.
What they all share is something simple yet meaningful – contact with a natural substance that has been formed here for centuries.
The warm mud wrap gently envelops the skin, offering a welcome pause from the rhythm of everyday life. Thanks to its ability to retain heat, the mud cools slowly, creating a lasting sensation of comfort and relaxation. Its warmth and mineral-rich composition help nurture the skin, leaving it feeling softer and smoother after the treatment.
During its maturation process, salt-pan mud absorbs a wealth of minerals from the brine. It is this close connection to the sea and the salt pans that has long made it one of the most distinctive natural elements of thalassotherapy and skincare.
Many guests describe the most memorable part of the experience as the lingering feeling of lightness, relaxation, and well-being that remains long after the treatment has ended.
Each mud wrap tells the same story. A story of a place where the sea meets the land, where the sun creates salt, and where time transforms marine mud into something truly extraordinary.
From the Spa Experience to Everyday Care
Every visit to Thalasso Spa Lepa Vida eventually comes to an end. Yet the feeling it leaves behind can linger much longer.
For this reason, salt-pan mud has also found its place within the Lepa Vida natural skincare cosmetics. Deep Clean, Detox, and Anti-Age face masks, a facial cleansing bar, solid shampoos, and the Enzyme Facial Peeling with salt-pan mud all continue its story through everyday skincare rituals.
Through these products, the unique characteristics of salt-pan mud can become part of daily self-care, bringing a touch of the salt pans into the rhythm of everyday life.
For this reason, salt-pan mud has also found its place within the Lepa Vida natural skincare cosmetics. Deep Clean, Detox, and Anti-Age face masks, a facial cleansing bar, solid shampoos, and the Enzyme Facial Peeling with salt-pan mud all continue its story through everyday skincare rituals.
Through these products, the unique characteristics of salt-pan mud can become part of daily self-care, bringing a touch of the salt pans into the rhythm of everyday life.
Interest in salt-pan mud today is not based on tradition alone. In 2024, a study conducted at the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Ljubljana examined the effects of salt-pan mud on selected skin parameters in a group of volunteers.
The results indicated improvements in skin hydration, enhanced skin barrier function, greater smoothness, and a more balanced level of sebum production. Many participants also reported a pleasant skin feel and an overall improvement in skin quality.
These findings support what people have intuitively known for centuries through their experience with salt-pan mud: that the natural resources of the salt pans can play a valuable role in modern skincare rituals.
The results indicated improvements in skin hydration, enhanced skin barrier function, greater smoothness, and a more balanced level of sebum production. Many participants also reported a pleasant skin feel and an overall improvement in skin quality.
These findings support what people have intuitively known for centuries through their experience with salt-pan mud: that the natural resources of the salt pans can play a valuable role in modern skincare rituals.
Enzyme Facial Peeling with salt-pan mud
This month, the spotlight falls on the Enzyme Face Peeling with Salt-Pan Mud. Bringing together the unique qualities of salt-pan mud and the effectiveness of enzymatic exfoliation, it reflects a contemporary approach to skincare inspired by the natural heritage of the Sečovlje Salt Pans.
It contains as much as 10% salt-pan mud from the Sečovlje Salt Pans, complemented by a carefully selected blend of fruit enzymes, kaolin, azelaic acid, Centella asiatica extract, and vitamin C. Together, these ingredients help refine and refresh the skin while supporting its natural balance.
Available with a 20% discount until the end of June.
Products from the Lepa Vida skincare collection are available at all Piranske soline retail stores, in our online shop, and at the reception of Thalasso Spa Lepa Vida.
The Black Gold
of the Sečovlje Salt Pans
Salt-pan mud is more than an ingredient, and more than a treatment.
Its story begins much earlier. In the salt pans, where for centuries it has accompanied the traditional production of salt and the lives of those who learned to follow the rhythm of the sea, the sun, and the wind.
Today, it is also part of thalassotherapy, skincare rituals, and natural cosmetics. Yet wherever we encounter it, it remains connected to the same place and the same tradition.
Still part of the Piranske soline story.
Today, it is also part of thalassotherapy, skincare rituals, and natural cosmetics. Yet wherever we encounter it, it remains connected to the same place and the same tradition.
Still part of the Piranske soline story.
About
SOLINE Pridelava soli d.o.o.
Seča 115, 6320 Portorož, Slovenija, EU
VAT Reg. No.: SI 61597856
Registration number: 1365495
Current account: 10100-0032654851
Registration at the District Court in Koper,
Reg. No. 1/05615/00.
Seča 115, 6320 Portorož, Slovenija, EU
VAT Reg. No.: SI 61597856
Registration number: 1365495
Current account: 10100-0032654851
Registration at the District Court in Koper,
Reg. No. 1/05615/00.
Lepa Vida Thalasso Spa
Sales and Marketing:
Nataša Šmon Kokošinek
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Nataša Šmon Kokošinek
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