Tears are salty because they are made from water from our body that contains electrolytes (salt ions).

Why arent my tears salty?

The amount of salt in our body fluids (like tears, sweat, and saliva) is about the same as the amount of salt in our blood — just under 1%, or about two teaspoons of salt per litre. So our tears are much less salty than sea turtles' tears, although still a little bit salty.

Can your tears be too salty?

Dry eye can be caused by a salt imbalance in your tears. As eyes become dry, they lose water and become too salty, creating hyperosmolarity. And, just like when you throw salt on a wound, they sting and burn.