Critics' pick

JUST A PINCH Shaking salt on your dinner is one thing, but breathing it? That’s the idea behind salt lamps—crystalline structures made of natural salt deposits that are said to generate healthy, negative ions and create cleaner air. “An ion-rich room dramatically increases your energy, alertness and well being,” says Isabella Samovsky, owner of Skokie’s Solay Wellness, where the lamps are sold. Samovsky opened up shop selling salt-based products after years of operating the biggest online retailer of salt lamps (www.natural-salt-lamps.com). We tried one in our bedroom for a week and noticed the air felt crisper, but were even more enamored with their funky shapes and dim, rosy glow. The lamps aren’t the only reason to shop at Solay—they just completed a massage room with a salt-brick floor. After an hour of kneading, we were sold: Salt isn’t just for your fries anymore. 8051 N Ridgeway Ave, Skokie (312-224-2710). Lamps, $60–$100; massage, $70 for 60 minutes.—Liz Plosser