(Nov 3) IF there is one health product I would heartily endorse, it would be Dead Sea mud. My friends and I swear by the 'miracle mud', having discovered its efficacy after our second full marathon.

We had dragged ourselves back to our hotel in Prague feeling sore and heavy from the soles of our poor abused feet to the tops of our heads. Although we only half-believed the claims of Dead Sea mud, which is supposed to be an effective detoxification product and help blood circulation, we tried it anyway since we had a packet with us. Indeed, a 15-minute application later, it miraculously took away almost half of the soreness and heaviness in our limbs.

People who visited Israel used to bring back Dead Sea products as gifts, but the good news is that they are now widely available in Singapore, from mud to other beauty products.

Ahava, a leading Dead Sea product brand from Israel, has a standalone store in Centrepoint. Usante carries the Jericho range of products. And you could probably find brands using Dead Sea ingredients at drugstores as well, such as Yes to Carrots at Watsons.

The Dead Sea, which is actually a lake, has long been touted for its health-giving properties. It has the highest concentration of minerals in the world, at 32 per cent. And what this means is that its mud has extraordinary concentrations of such minerals as magnesiuim, calcium, potassium, strontium, boron and iron - much more so than ocean water. The list of benefits is quite exhaustive, but those with skin problems like psoriasis attest to them.

Top marque Ahava Dead Sea Laboratories was set up in 1988 and has a wide range of health and beauty products, besides the pure mud itself. It offers three product lines - Ahava Source, Ahava Time line and Ahava Dermud. All of them use the efficacy of minerals to slow the skin's ageing process and restore its natural moisture.

Usante health shops, at Square 2, Marina Square, AMK Hub and VivoCity, carry the Jericho range of products - everything from face masks to foot creams. And then there are body care products with added ingredients like aloe and aromatherapy oils. Soaps cost $9.90 while hair masks cost close to $30.

If you're keen to try a new and affordable range of paraben-free hair, face and body products made in Israel, Yes to Carrots is also formulated with Dead Sea mud, minerals and organic fruit and vegetables. Carrots are the main ingredient, however. They contain beta-carotene, which has anti-oxidant and anti-ageing properties. These products cost as little as $12.90 for shower gel and up to $23.90 for moisturising day cream.

If you're running the marathon in December for the first or second time, and don't have the kind of hardened body that seasoned runners have, stock up on Dead Sea bath salts and mud now. You'll find them heaven-sent after a gruelling run.