What Are Tissue Salts — And Why Are They in Your Skincare?

If you've read the label on any Pūraka product, you'll have noticed something most skincare brands don't mention: homeopathic tissue salts. They're in every formula we make. And yet most people — even those who've been passionate about natural skincare for years — have never heard of them.

This is the post where we explain exactly what they are, where they come from, and why Melissa chose to build an entire skincare range around them.

The ingredient that sets Pūraka apart

Every skincare brand claims to be different. Most aren't. They use the same base ingredients, the same marketing language, and the same formulas dressed up in different packaging.

Pūraka is different for one specific reason: tissue salts.

No other skincare brand incorporates homeopathic tissue salts into their formulations. Not one. This isn't a marketing claim — it's simply true. Melissa searched, and found nothing. So she built it herself.

Who was Dr Schuessler, and where did tissue salts come from?

Tissue salts were developed in the 19th century by Dr. Wilhelm Heinrich Schuessler, a German physician and homeopath. Through his research into the mineral composition of the human body, Schuessler identified 12 essential minerals that he believed were fundamental to the healthy functioning of every cell in the body.

He called them tissue salts — or Schuessler salts — and proposed that when the body is deficient in any of these minerals, illness, imbalance, or deterioration follows. Restore the mineral balance, and the body can repair itself.

His work has been used in homeopathic and naturopathic practice for over 150 years. Melissa encountered it early in her training and has worked with tissue salts throughout her 20 years in practice.

The 12 tissue salts

The 12 tissue salts identified by Schuessler are:

1. Calc Fluor — elasticity, enamel, connective tissue
2. Calc Phos — cell renewal, bone and teeth health
3. Calc Sulph — blood purification, skin healing
4. Ferr Phos — oxygen transport, inflammation support
5. Kali Mur — mucous membrane support, detoxification 
6. Kali Phos — nerve nourishment, energy Kali 
7. Sulph — skin and hair health, oxygen delivery
8. Mag Phos — muscle function, nerve health
9. Nat Mur — fluid balance, cellular hydration
10. Nat Phos — acid balance, digestive support
11. Nat Sulph — liver support, fluid elimination
12. Silicea — connective tissue strength, skin clarity

Each salt is prepared homeopathically — meaning it is diluted and potentised to make it bioavailable at a cellular level — rather than taken as a crude mineral supplement.

Which tissue salts did Melissa select for Pūraka — and why?

Melissa didn't use all 12 in every product. She selected specific tissue salts based on their known affinity with skin health, and matched them to the needs of each formula.

The salts most relevant to skin function include:

Calc Fluor

Associated with the maintenance of elastic fibres in connective tissue. Melissa selected this for its role in supporting skin elasticity and firmness — relevant across the entire Pūraka range, which is formulated for women experiencing the skin changes that come with age.

Kali Sulph

Known for its relationship with the skin and scalp, and its role in oxygen delivery to skin cells. Melissa uses this to support a healthy complexion and even skin tone — hence the brightening effect referenced in several Pūraka products.

Nat Mur

Perhaps the most important tissue salt for skincare. Nat Mur governs fluid balance throughout the body — including in the skin. It supports the skin's ability to retain and regulate moisture, making it central to Pūraka's hydration formulas.

Silicea

Associated with connective tissue strength, skin clarity, and the structural integrity of hair and nails. Melissa includes this for its role in supporting skin texture and resilience over time.

What does this mean for your skin?

Tissue salts work differently from conventional skincare actives. They don't sit on the surface of the skin and create a temporary effect. They work at a cellular level — supporting the skin's own processes of hydration, repair, and renewal.

This is consistent with Melissa's entire philosophy as a homeopath and naturopath. Rather than imposing a result on the skin, Pūraka products work with the skin — giving it what it needs to function well, and trusting it to do the rest.

The result, across the range, is skincare that feels genuinely effective rather than superficially impressive. Skin that improves over time, rather than just looking temporarily better after application.

Why Pūraka is the only skincare range that uses them

The honest answer is that incorporating tissue salts into skincare formulations requires a level of knowledge that most formulators simply don't have. It requires an understanding of homeopathic principles, an appreciation of how tissue salts interact with the skin, and the clinical experience to select the right salts for each product.

Melissa has all three. Twenty years of homeopathic practice, a BSc (Hons) in Homeopathy from the Centre for Homeopathic Education, and a Diploma in Naturopathy from the Centre of Naturopathic Medicine. She didn't add tissue salts to Pūraka because it was an interesting marketing angle. She added them because she knew they worked — and because no one else was doing it.

Every product. Every formula. Nothing by accident.

Tissue salts are present in every single Pūraka product — from the Active Day Cream to the Brightening Soothing Hand Cream. They are not an afterthought or a label claim. They are the foundation of what makes Pūraka different.

If you'd like to experience them for yourself, the best place to start is the Active Day Cream or the Hydrating Super Serum — the two products Melissa recommends most often to people new to the range.

Shop the Pūraka range →

Written by Melissa Foreman — Homeopath, Naturopath, and Founder of Pūraka Skincare. BSc (Hons) Homeopathy, Diploma in Naturopathy. Member of the Society of Homeopaths.