Epsom Salt is probably the one of the most versatile products out there in the marketplace and it’s cheap too. You know how wonderful it feels to soak in a hot or warm bath with a couple of cups of Epsom Salt. But did you ever stop to wonder why and does it have any other uses?
I did and starting doing some research. I found out that the benefits are not just folklore. Numerous studies have been done to demonstrate the wide-ranging benefits of magnesium and sulfate, the two main ingredients of Epsom Salt.
Do you know why it is call Epsom Salt? One of the earliest discoveries of magnesium sulfate (the scientific name) occurred in Epsom, England. Somewhere around Shakespeare’s time. So that explains the first half of the name. The second part “salt” is more than likely the fact that it closely resembles rock salt or unrefined salt.
Before I give you tips on the uses of this great product, I would first like to reprint an article from the Epsom Salt Council.
I found it very interesting and very informative. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Since we are all getting older (at least I am) it is nice to know that something as simple as soaking in a bath can be beneficial for some other reason that getting you clean.
BETTER HEALTH THROUGH SOAKING
Magnesium can be ingested as a nutritional supplement, but studies show that a wide variety of factors – the presence of specific foods or drugs, certain medical conditions, even the individual chemistry of a person’s stomach acid – can interfere with their effectiveness. But all of the subjects in a recent study experienced increased magnesium levels from soaking in a bath enriched with magnesium sulfate crystals, commonly known as Epsom Salt.
Researchers and physicians report that raising your magnesium levels may:
Improve heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
- Improve the body’s ability to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
- Flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
- Improve nerve function by regulating electrolytes. Also, calcium is the necessary main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
- Relieve stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation.
While increasing your magnesium levels, Epsom Salt also delivers sulfates, which are extremely difficult to get through food, but which readily absorb through the skin. Sulfates serve a wide variety of functions in the body, playing a vital role in the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Sulfates also stimulate the pancreas to generate enzymes and are believed to help detoxify the body’s residue of medicines and environmental contaminants.
WONDERFUL WAYS TO USE EPSOM SALT
Face Cleanser – Mix a half-teaspoon of Epsom Salt with your regular cleansing cream. Massage into skin and rinse with cool water.
Homemade Skin Mask – Apply the mask to damp skin
- Normal to oily skin – Mix I Tbs cognac, 1 egg, ¼ cup nonfat dry milk, juice of 1 lemon, ½ tsp Epsom Salt.
- Normal to dry skin – Mix ¼ cup grated carrot, 1½ tsp mayonnaise, ½ tsp Epsom Salt.
Skin Exfoliation – Massage handfuls of Epsom Salt over the whole body, or just the places you need to remove dry skin. Step in the shower and rinse off.
Remove Blackheads – Mix 1 tsp Epsom Salt and 3 drops of iodine in ½ cup boiling water. When cooled enough to stick your finger into, apply it to the blackhead with a cotton ball. Repeat 3-4 times, reheating if necessary. Gently remove the blackhead and clean area with an alcohol based astringent.
Foot Soak – Add ½ cup to a pan of warm water to help those tired and aching feet. Also removes odors and softens the hard skin.
Help Ease Sprains and Bruises – Soaking in a warm bath will help reduce the swelling.
Remove Splinters – Soak the area in Epsom Salt and warm water, it will draw out the splinter.
Remove Excess Oil From Hair – Add 9 Tbs Epsom Salt to ½ cup oily hair shampoo. Apply 1 Tbs of the liquid to hair while dry. Shampoo up with warm water, rinse with cool water. Pour lemon juice or cider vinegar through hair as final rinse.
Hair Volumizer – Combine equal parts of deep conditioner and Epsom Salt. Warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave for about 20 min. Rinse.
Clean Bathroom Tiles – Mix equal parts Epsom Salt and dish detergent. Start scrubbing.
Frost Windows For Christmas – Make your windows look frosty even if you live in a sunny climate. Mix Epsom Salt with stale beer until the salt stops dissolving. Apply to windows with a sponge. For a more realistic look, sweep the sponge in an arc at the bottom corners. When dry, you will have frosted looking windows.
Regenerate A Car Battery – Is the battery in your car getting old? Car getting hard to start? Dissolve about an ounce of Epsom Salt in warm water and add it to each battery cell.
Greener Grass – Add 2 Tbs of Epsom Salt to 1 gallon of water (3.7 liters). Spray onto your lawn and follow with plain water. The added magnesium and iron will green up your grass.
Fertilize Roses, Tomatoes and Other Plants – With a spray fertilizer attachment for your hose, put in about ½ cup Epsom Salt and spray your plants. Adding the magnesium sulfate will make you plants much healthier.
Getting Rid of Raccoons – A few Tbs of Epsom Salt around your trash or garbage cans will deter the critters. They do not like the taste. Repeat after it rains.
Deter the Slugs – Sprinkle some Epsom Salt around your garden and the slugs will go away. The Epsom Salt is good for the garden. Remember to repeat after the rain.