Epsom salts are best known as bath salts, but they offer such a wide range of uses. Soothing sore muscles, benefiting our health, improving the garden, household cleaning, enhancing beauty and much more. They were first discovered in the 17th century when they were distilled from the water of a spring at Epsom, in Surrey, England.
Epsom salt is different from traditional salt in that it’s a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate, and is known as magnesium sulfate. It’s composed of tiny, colourless crystals that look like table salt, but it’s actually a completely different thing, as table salt is made up of sodium chloride. Magnesium sulfate is a mineral that many of us are lacking in, see my previous posts on magnesium here and here.
Epsom salt can be an important part of improving our health. It’s also a natural anti-inflammatory and exfoliant.
Below are some of its fab uses. I tend to mix it with my magnesium salts in my bath.
Dry lips
Try giving your lips a deeper treatment using Epsom salt. Combine a few tablespoons of salt with a teaspoon of petroleum jelly, apply the solution to the lips, and gently rub it in. The solution helps remove dead and/or dry skin and will leave your lips looking fuller and healthier. How cool are these tins to make your own lip balms?
Sleep
Because of its ability to soothe skin and relax muscles, Epsom salt can also contribute to a good night’s rest. Help sleep by soaking in a warm Epsom salt bath before bed.
Sunburn relief
Epsom salt’s anti-inflammatory properties make it a great tool for helping relieve mild sunburn irritation. Take an empty spray bottle, mix two tablespoons of Epsom with one cup of water and spray on the affected area.
Insect bites
To help relieve common insect bites, just mix two tablespoons of Epsom salt with one cup of water, dip a cotton washcloth in the solution, and apply to the affected area.
Wash pots and pans
Pour a small amount of Epsom salts into those really-dirty dishes before you scrub them. The abrasive texture of the salt crystals will help to remove stuck-on food more easily without damaging your kitchenware.
Hair volumising
Adding Epsom salt to conditioner helps you to rid your hair of excess oil, which can weigh hair down and leave it looking flat. Create your own homemade volumizer by combining equal parts Epsom salt and conditioner. Apply and leave in for 20 minutes before rinsing. Repeat the treatment weekly.
Soothing sore muscles
Epsom salt can help to relieve sore muscles after workouts. Create a muscle-relaxing “paste” by dissolving a teaspoon of Epsom salt into a cup of hot water and cooling the solution in the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Make sure to clean the skin of the affected area and dry off before applying.
Pedicure
Treat your feet to an at home Epsom salt pedicure. Mix one half of a cup of Epsom salt with warm water and soak. Remove nail polish, cut and file toenails and then soak again for five minutes. Epsom salt’s natural exfoliating properties will help soften rough and callused skin.
Soak
Making Epsom salt body-soaks a regular part of your routine can help keep you feeling rejuvenated and your skin hydrated and healthy. Add two cups of Epsom salt to a bathtub of hot water and soak for 20 minutes. Treat yourself to a soak three times weekly for best results.
Treat toenail fungus
Soak your affected toes in hot water mixed with a handful of Epsom salt three times a day.
Exfoliate
After a shower, gently massage wet skin with handfuls of Epsom salt. The salt’s coarse texture and rich nutrients help to cleanse and get rid of dead skin cells, leaving your skin silky smooth.
Remove splinters
Soak affected skin area in an Epsom salt bath to draw out the splinter.
Ice plunge
Athletes are known for having ice baths after workouts to decrease inflammation. For an effective cold-water plunge, add Epsom salt. Its natural anti-inflammatory properties can help keep muscles healthy after training.
Athlete’s foot
Soak feet in an Epsom salt bath to help relieve the symptoms of athlete’s foot.
Deter garden pests
While Epsom salt won’t dehydrate slugs and snails like table salt, they can still be used to deter pests. Hydrated magnesium sulfate crystals are sharp and when sprinkled around plants, they can scratch and irritate the bodies and feet of unwanted critters. However if it rains it will melt and be washed away, again beneficial to your garden.
Garden nutrition
Many commercial fertilisers add magnesium to help plant roots take up vital nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur.) For those using all organic materials to feed their gardens, adding Epsom salt to soil will improve absorption naturally, eliminating the need for processed chemical fertilisers.
Seriously there are so many more uses, but these are the ones I love.
Shelley x
P.s; The information on here hasn’t been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration or any other medical body. I’m not aiming to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. Information is shared for educational purposes only from my mummy haze of beating tiredness. You must consult your doctor before acting on any content on this website, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication, or have a medical condition.
