Redmond Re-Lyte Review: Best Salt, Not-Clean Flavors

The Best Salt in the Category — With a Catch

Redmond Re-Lyte has a genuine differentiator that no other mainstream electrolyte brand can match: every serving contains Redmond Real Salt — an unrefined ancient sea salt mined from a deposit in Redmond, Utah that's been preserved underground for millions of years. Real Salt contains 60+ naturally occurring trace minerals and hasn't been chemically processed or bleached.

The electrolyte doses are strong: 810mg sodium, 400mg potassium (the highest potassium among powder products), and 50mg magnesium. The unflavored version is clean. But here's the catch: Redmond's flavored products use "natural flavors" — the same lab-produced compounds we penalize across the category.

Why Real Salt Matters

Not all sodium is created equal. Most electrolyte products use refined sodium chloride — industrial table salt stripped of everything except Na and Cl. Redmond Real Salt is unrefined, retaining the complete mineral matrix of the ancient sea bed it came from:

• 60+ trace minerals including iron, manganese, zinc, iodine, and calcium
• Distinctive pink color from natural mineral content (not added coloring)
• No chemical processing, bleaching, or anti-caking agents
• Mined from a single source in Redmond, Utah — full supply chain transparency

This is the sodium source every electrolyte brand should use. Redmond has been mining this deposit since 1958, and the salt is available as a standalone product (Real Salt) that's popular in health-conscious kitchens. The fact that they built an electrolyte product around it is their strongest selling point.

The Natural Flavors Problem

Redmond's transparency around their salt source makes their use of "natural flavors" in flavored products more disappointing. The brand is clearly capable of ingredient transparency — they tell you exactly where their salt comes from, how it's mined, and what trace minerals it contains. Yet they default to undisclosed "natural flavors" for taste.

Redmond addresses this on their FAQ, explaining that dehydrating fruit causes flavor breakdown, so they use "natural flavors from other natural sources." This is transparent about the why but not the what — the specific compounds in their flavor blends remain undisclosed.

The unflavored version avoids this entirely: Real Salt, coconut water powder, citric acid, and nothing else. If you buy Re-Lyte, buy unflavored.

Electrolyte Profile

• Sodium: 810 mg (from Real Salt — mineral-rich, 60+ trace minerals)
• Potassium: 400 mg (highest among powders in our comparison)
• Magnesium: 50 mg (lower than we'd like, but adequate as part of a complete diet)
• Chloride: 1,280 mg
• Calcium: 60 mg
• Plus 60+ trace minerals naturally present in Real Salt

The sodium and potassium doses are clinically meaningful — strong enough for athletic use and keto supplementation. The 400mg potassium is particularly impressive; most products offer 150-200mg. Magnesium at 50mg is the weakness — consider a separate magnesium supplement if this is your primary electrolyte product.

Taste & Usability

The unflavored version tastes like what it is — salty mineral water. It's not unpleasant (Real Salt has a more rounded, less sharp flavor than refined table salt), but it's not something you'd sip for enjoyment. Best added to a flavored beverage.

The flavored versions (Mango, Lemon Lime, Mixed Berry, etc.) are well-regarded for taste — but they contain natural flavors, so we can't recommend them under our editorial criteria.

Value

At $0.83-$1.20 per serving (depending on format), Re-Lyte is mid-priced. For unflavored, you're paying a fair price for Real Salt + meaningful electrolyte doses. The salt source genuinely justifies a premium over commodity-NaCl products. But at this price point, the flavored versions should use real ingredients for flavoring — not lab-produced compounds.

The Verdict

Redmond Re-Lyte has the best sodium source in the electrolyte category and strong electrolyte doses. If they reformulated their flavored products to use real ingredients instead of natural flavors, Re-Lyte would be our top powder recommendation. As it stands, we recommend the unflavored version specifically — where Real Salt's mineral complexity can shine without being undermined by undisclosed flavor compounds.