Benefits of Epsom salt bath

You come home after a long day and your feet feel really exhausted. Elevating your feet can help, but you get effective and versatile care when you take the time to sit down for a proper foot bath. The bath actually has other benefits as well.

Epsom salts have been used for hundreds of years to relieve all kinds of pains and skin problems. It is one of the simplest and most natural treatment methods.

What is Epsom salt?

Despite its name, Epsom salts are not the same as those you use in cooking. Epsom salt is also known as bitter salt, which is a very descriptive name. Epsom salt consists of 100% magnesium sulfate (magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen). The name "Epsom" comes from England, where these salts are found in natural springs.

Uses of Epsom salt

Magnesium relaxes muscles and reduces muscle pain. That is why Epsom salt is an excellent bath salt. It works equally well in full-body baths as in foot baths. In the latter, the effect is to relax tired or workout-sore feet, reduce swelling, and neutralize odors. For a foot bath, dissolve 1 dl of Epsom salt in a basin of hot water. Let it absorb and the water cool to a suitable temperature. Tip: add a drop of essential oil to the bathwater to enhance the beneficial effect of the bath.

In addition to baths, Epsom salt is used for skincare, exfoliation, and care of hair and scalp. Epsom salt is known for its skin-softening and moisturizing effects, as well as its ability to relieve bruises.

Special uses

Epsom salt is not an all-powerful magic product, but for such a simple and natural product, it has relatively many benefits. In addition to those mentioned above, it is often favored as a supportive treatment for various inflammatory diseases, as Epsom salt tends to significantly relieve symptoms in many cases. Good results have also been achieved in improving sleep quality and stress management.

Inflammations

It has been claimed that an Epsom salt bath can reduce the body's overall inflammatory state. Occasional studies have shown that magnesium use can relieve, among other things, heart symptoms and may have positive effects in the treatment of inflammatory diseases. It is therefore easy to understand that externally used Epsom salt can have effects supporting the treatment of skin-related inflammations.

Fibromyalgia

It is not entirely clear what causes this disorder. However, its symptoms are very clear: widespread pain, sleep disturbances, fatigue, and memory problems. A warm Epsom salt bath can relieve pain, and its muscle-relaxing and stress-relieving effects promote better sleep.

General skin health

Epsom salt moisturizes the skin and makes it soft. Improving the skin's moisture balance helps in the treatment of eczema and psoriasis, for example. The exfoliating properties of Epsom salt aid in treating the skin flaking caused by psoriasis and relieve skin itching.

Detoxification

Detoxification means removing toxins or harmful substances from the body. An Epsom salt bath can literally "detox" your body by drawing harmful substances to the surface, as magnesium tends to do. It cleanses the skin by removing many different harmful substances. The skin is the body's largest organ, and its toxin load can be considerable at worst.

Other things worth trying

Epsom salt baths are believed to be beneficial in treating countless various major and minor ailments. Although there is no scientific evidence for this, users have experienced the salt helping with a variety of problems. Positive experiences have been reported, for example, as support in the treatment of arthritis, pain and redness caused by sunburns, ingrown toenails, and constipation.