i think that depending on the salts used, they actually help to draw out impurites/toxins from the skin. For me, salt scrubs work awesome on my oily skin, especially in the summertime. And yes, I know exactly what you mean in your description of the purpose of each and it's true. Currently I offer only an emulsified sugar scrub but I think I am going to research/experiment with some salt scrubs for the summer season.