When most people think of salt, they picture a white shaker on the dinner table, simple, ordinary, maybe even something to avoid. But for Samantha Skyring, CEO and founder of Oryx Desert Salt, salt is anything but ordinary. It’s life-giving, deeply spiritual, and a key to human vitality.In the latest episode of “A Healthy Point of View” podcast, Sam Tejada, CEO and founder of Liquivida®, sat down with Samantha to talk about her remarkable journey from South Africa to the shelves of Whole Foods, and how something as small as salt can reconnect us to health, nature, and purpose.
This Desert Salt Could Be the Secret to Better Sleep & Energy | Samantha Skyring | Ep. 91
From the Desert to the Dining Table
Samantha’s path to becoming a salt entrepreneur wasn’t planned; it was born out of a mix of chance, courage, and conviction. Before founding Oryx Desert Salt, she led an eclectic life, from interior refurbishing private jets to running an NGO that used drumming to unite thousands of children across South Africa.
“I’ve always had this element of wanting to make a difference,” she told Sam. But her true calling appeared when she supported a former partner’s idea to export salt. Years later, as a single mother, she returned to South Africa and decided to continue what they started, building a brand from her dining room table.
She named it after a creature she encountered during a five-month journey through the Namib Desert: the oryx, a majestic gazelle that symbolizes strength, endurance, and grace. “I had close encounters with oryx in the wild,” she said. “When it came time to create the brand, I knew that was the logo; it represented resilience and the spirit of the desert.”
Fifteen years later, that spirit has grown into a global company. Oryx Desert Salt is now sold in 20 countries and stocked in Whole Foods, World Market, Amazon, and Shopify, with the mission of becoming the next household name in natural salt.
Why Salt Quality Matters
Salt, as Samantha explains, is not just a flavor; it’s a function. It’s the third most essential element for the body after oxygen and water, and yet most of us never think about its quality or source.
Modern table salt, she explained, is highly processed and stripped of its natural minerals. “Around 1910, during the food convenience era, salt was altered to prevent clumping. But in doing that, we removed its intrinsic value to the body.”
To keep it from absorbing moisture, manufacturers add anti-caking agents like aluminum silicate and potassium carbonate chemicals which prevent water absorption but also block the body’s ability to stay hydrated.
In contrast, Oryx Desert Salt retains its minerals and trace elements in the natural ratios found in the human body. “If you put our salt on a plate, it absorbs moisture because that’s what real salt does,” Samantha said. “Table salt doesn’t.”
Her mission is clear: to help people understand that natural salt supports hydration, cellular health, and energy. Even biohacking experts like Dave Asprey agree that adding a pinch of mineral-rich salt to water turns it into a natural electrolyte that helps the body truly hydrate.
Salt, Hydration, and Healing
For Samantha, the proof isn’t just in the science, it’s in the stories. Over 15 years, she’s heard countless testimonials from people who switched to Oryx Desert Salt and noticed changes:
- Athletes who no longer cramp during endurance training.
- New mothers who found breastfeeding easier.
- Insomniacs who finally sleep through the night after taking a teaspoon of salt with honey before bed.
“Our bodies are unique,” she said. “We can’t all live by one blanket recommendation for salt intake. It depends on our activity, our muscle-to-fat ratio, and our lifestyle.”
She also noted that the myth that salt causes high blood pressure is largely outdated. “It’s not that salt is bad for you,” she said. “It’s the type of salt and the rest of your lifestyle that matters.”
Even cardiologists, like Sam’s business partner Dr. Davis, are helping to dispel the misconception. Sodium, after all, is essential for heart function, and the real danger might not be salt at all, but sugar.
From a Living Desert to Your Plate
The source of Oryx Desert Salt is nothing short of awe-inspiring. It’s drawn from a 55-million-ton underground salt lake deep beneath the Kalahari Desert in northern South Africa, a region untouched by human pollution and one of the purest places on Earth.
“This aquifer is replenished by subterranean rivers that flow through rock strata 280 million years old,” Samantha explained. “When we pump it up to the surface, the salt water crystallizes naturally in just four weeks under the sun, the desert wind, and the full moon.”
The salt still contains 1% natural moisture, a sign of its vitality and mineral integrity. Unlike sea salt, it’s never exposed to ocean pollution or industrial contaminants. And unlike Himalayan pink salt, now dynamited from non-renewable mines in Pakistan, Oryx Desert Salt is sustainable and self-replenishing.
It’s also a product that gives back. Samantha’s company donates a portion of sales to the First Peoples of the Kalahari and supports Project Biome, which promotes regenerative farming in South Africa. “Every sale in America makes a difference back home,” she said.
A Salt for Every Table
Oryx Desert Salt isn’t just pure, it’s practical. The brand offers refillable grinders with ceramic mechanisms that last for years, as well as travel-size shakers for on-the-go use. “One chef told me she only replaced her grinder after seven years,” Samantha said with a laugh.
At Whole Foods, Oryx Desert Salt is priced similarly to Himalayan salt, making it accessible to health-conscious consumers who want quality without excess cost. And through the company’s wholesale options on Shopify, even families or small communities can order in bulk and share the product at wholesale rates.
Living the Wellness Philosophy
Beyond salt, Samantha embodies the holistic mindset she promotes. Her daily non-negotiables include meditation, breathwork, lemon water with mineralized salt, and weekly sunrise hikes up the mountains of Cape Town.
“Breath is free,” she said. “It’s our most powerful tool. And when I’m stressed, which happens often when you’re running a company, I use my breath to come back to balance.”
Her philosophy aligns perfectly with Sam Tejada’s mission to Make America Healthy Again (MAHA), a movement that emphasizes self-awareness, conscious consumption, and returning to real food. “Maybe only ten percent of what’s in the supermarket is real food,” she noted. “We need to read labels, make mindful choices, and reconnect with nature.”
Lessons in Salt, Soul, and Trust
Toward the end of the podcast, Sam invited Samantha to pull a question card, one that asked about her biggest regret. Her answer revealed the heart of who she is: a woman who’s transformed hardship into purpose.
She spoke about a painful past relationship that pushed her to find her strength, and ultimately led to the creation of Oryx Desert Salt. “If that hadn’t happened, I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing today,” she said. “It taught me to trust my soul.”
That trust extends to her son as well. When he struggled in school, she made the courageous decision to let him follow his own path. “I had to honor him for having conviction,” she said. “His soul, like mine, knows what it’s here to do.”
The Final Grain
As Sam wrapped up the episode, he summed up the message perfectly:
“You have to understand what you’re putting in your body. It might taste good, but it could also be poison. Choose wisely.”
Samantha’s story isn’t just about salt. It’s about purity, sustainability, consciousness, and courage, lessons that go far beyond the kitchen.
Whether it’s through meditation, breathwork, or simply choosing a cleaner, mineral-rich salt, the heart of her message is simple:
Trust your body, trust nature, and trust your soul.
Learn more about Oryx Desert Salt at oryxdesertsalt.com, or find the brand in Whole Foods, World Market, Amazon, and Shopify.
Follow Samantha on LinkedIn or Instagram (@oryxdesertsalt) to join her journey in redefining what it means to live — and eat — consciously.