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25 Amazing Uses for Epsom Salt
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Most people are well aware of our body’s need for calcium and iron, but how many of us know that our bodies also need plenty of magnesium? Magnesium is the second most abundant element in the body and plays a part in regulating more than 325 enzymes. Magnesium is responsible for many functions in the body such as muscle control, energy production, and the removal of toxins from the body.
Most Americans are terribly deficient in magnesium. We used to obtain magnesium from our foods, but soils have been depleted to the point where there is little magnesium left for the plants to absorb. This magnesium deficiency has led to America’s high rates of osteoporosis, joint pain, heart disease, stroke, chronic fatigue, and many other health problems. Who knew magnesium did so much?! Find out warning signs of magnesium deficiency.
Another important factor in our decreased levels of magnesium is our focus on calcium. There is so much emphasis on getting enough calcium that we have forgotten that calcium actually depletes magnesium. It’s quite the dilemma, since calcium functions at its best when there are sufficient magnesium levels. This means that when you down that calcium supplement and you don’t have enough magnesium, you deplete a bit of both. Researchers note that most people have a ratio of calcium to magnesium that is 5 to 1. The ideal ratio should be 2 to 1.
Unfortunately, taking an oral magnesium supplement isn’t the answer. Our bodies do not absorb magnesium easily through the digestive tract. Magnesium is best absorbed through the skin.
This brings us to Epsom salt. You might have thought of Epsom salt as something your mother uses to soak her feet after a hard day, but this healing salt is simply loaded with magnesium! Makes sense, since Epsom salt is technically hydrated magnesium sulfate! By soaking in a bath with Epsom salt, your body can absorb all the magnesium is so desperately needs!
But wait, that’s not all! Epsom salt has so many other uses, it’s hard to list them all here, but we are going to show you the top 25 ways you can use Epsom salt. Are you ready to get your magnesium on?!
1. Magnesium Bath Soak
Of course, as we just mentioned, soaking in a tub with one cup (or more) of Epsom salt for a minimum of 20 minutes is a fantastic way to get your magnesium on! Do this a minimum of twice per week so that your body can get all the magnesium it wants.
2. Fantastic Face Cleanser
Add a pinch or two of Epsom salt to your usual cleanser (yes, you can add it to your face cleansing oil) for an extra magnesium boost that will gently exfoliate at the same time.
3. A Wowser for House Plants
Your house plants love magnesium too! Add a couple tablespoons of Epsom salt to your water, mix well, and then water as usual. In a matter of weeks, your plants will have friends and family saying “Wow! What are you feeding them?!”
4. Painless Splinter Removal
Next time you or your kids get a splinter, remove it the painless and easy way by making a concentrated Epsom salt mixture and soaking the splinter in it for a few minutes.
5. Hair Volume
If you love your hair to have that “beach” look, it’s easy to do yourself. Combine a tablespoon of Epsom salt in a cup of hot water and mix well. Spritz on your dry hair until damp and run your fingers through it. Jennifer Aniston will have nothing on you!
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6. Super Smooth Skin
Want a really super shower scrub that will not only give your body a bit of a magnesium rush but will exfoliate and give you the smoothest skin ever? You don’t need a spa treatment, you just need to mix a ½ cup of Epsom salt in about ¼ cup of olive oil or almond oil, and then scrub your skin in the shower. Rinse well and be amazed!
7. Send the Kids to Dreamland
You can get your kids to fall sleep quickly and easily by adding a cup of Epsom salt to their nightly bath. They will drift off to dreamland faster than you can say “Night Night!”
8. Garden Enhancer
Want bigger vegetables and more flowers? Before you plant your seeds or seedlings, add a couple of bags of Epsom salt to the soil and work it in good, to help replenish lost magnesium in the soil. Don’t worry, this isn’t really “salt” so it won’t hurt your plants one bit. Read more tips for your gardening.
9. Laxative
When you have occasional bouts of constipation, Epsom salt makes a gentle, yet completely natural laxative. Dissolve one teaspoon into a large glass of water.
10. Stops Itchy Skin
Mixing a tablespoon of Epsom salt in about a half cup of water will stop the itch from bug bites or stings. This also works great on sunburn skin, to help soothe and cool down the heat!
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11. Stop Headache Pain
When you get one of those nagging headaches, soak in a tub with an added cup or two of Epsom salts. After 20 minutes or so in the tub, your headache should make a quick exit. This method even stops many migraine headaches.
12. Improve Heart Health
Believe it or not, soaking in that tub filled with hot water and Epsom salt will also help your heart! The absorption of magnesium will not only prevent hardening of the arteries, it also lowers blood pressure, reduces blood clots, and reduces irregular heartbeats.
13. Flush Toxins
Soaking in Epsom salts will also help your body to naturally remove dangerous toxins, as well as heavy metals, from the cells in your body. What a pleasant way to help your body detox!
14. Fabulous Foot Scrub
Get your daily dose of magnesium, and fabulous looking feet, by first soaking your feet in some warm water and Epsom salt, then scrubbing them with a mixture of Epsom salt and olive oil. Feels divine and keeps your feet looking fine!
15. Tile and Grout Cleaner
Mix up equal parts of Epsom salt and dish soap for a super easy way to clean grout and tile without scratching. Rinse well afterwards and enjoy the shine!
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16. Super Hair Rinse
If you want hair that is thicker and has more volume, this will do the trick. Combine equal parts of your regular hair conditioner and Epsom salt. After shampooing, apply the conditioner to your hair and leave on for 10 to 20 minutes. Rinse well, and then allow your hair to air dry.
17. Relieve Sore Muscles and Cramps
Submerge yourself in a warm bath with a cup or two of Epsom salts for relief from sore muscles and cramping. Your body will absorb the magnesium, which reduces inflammation and pain.
18. Regulate Blood Sugar
Bet you never imagined that Epsom salts could help your body control your blood sugar! You can soak in a bath on a regular basis or consume a tablespoon mixed in water every day to help regulate blood sugar levels, lower your overall risk of developing diabetes and improve energy levels at the same time!
19. Ease Gout
You can add Epsom salt to your bath or just make a foot soak, but either way, soaking the part of the body that has been affected by gout will help to alleviate the pain and inflammation. Repeat as often as needed.
SEE ALSO: Top Luxurious Ways to Boost Your Magnesium Levels
20. Remove Blackheads
Who doesn’t hate those ugly blackheads? Let Epsom salt remove them for you! First, exfoliate your face to remove any dead skin. Then, mix one teaspoon of Epsom salt and 4 drops of iodine into half a cup of hot water. Be sure the salt is dissolved. Once the mixture is cool enough to apply to your face, massage it into the area gently, and then allow it to dry completely. Rinse your face with warm water and those ugly blackheads will be history!
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21. Remove Styling Product Build Up
Sometimes all those styling products we use on our hair, such as gels, and hairsprays tend to build up and shampooing doesn’t always seem to remove them completely. Try this: Mix a half cup of Epsom salt and half a cup of lemon juice in a half a gallon of water. Allow to sit overnight. Stir well, then after your next shampoo, rinse your hair with this mixture. Let it soak in for 10 to 15 minutes, and rinse well.
22. Removes Soap Build Up
Have you ever noticed that sometimes your washer…well… needs washing! Many laundry detergents will leave a buildup of soap scum inside your washer over time. To keep your washer clean, running more efficiently, and remove all the gunk, you can use this easy method. Fill an empty washing machine with hot water. Add one cup of Epsom salt and a quart of white vinegar. Allow the machine to “wash” for a minute or so, and then turn it off. Allow the mixture to soak for an hour or longer. Then allow the washer to complete its cycle. Talk about a super clean washing machine!
23. Make Pot and Pan Clean Up a Breeze
Well, OK, you will still have to wash them, but you can make cleaning those really ugly pots and pans with baked on foods a whole lot easier with Epsom salt. Simple sprinkle some Epsom salt over those dishes before you begin to scrub. The abrasiveness of the crystals will help remove that baked on food without scratching. You can even soak those dirty dishes in a sink of hot water with a half a cup of Epsom salt for 20 or 30 minutes ahead of time to help make cleaning them even easier.
24. Ease Stress
When you soak in a tub filled with Epsom salt and hot water, you will find that the magnesium goes to work almost immediately. The magnesium ions will be quickly absorbed and begin to relive stress in the body by encouraging the production of serotonin and lowering the effects of adrenaline. Adrenaline is believed to drain magnesium from our bodies, so you can reduce those affects and replenish magnesium levels with an Epsom salt bath soak.
25. No More Slugs
If you have a problem with slugs and snails in your garden, simply sprinkle a line of Epsom salt around your prized plants and those annoying little suckers will make a slime trail in the other direction.
What are you waiting for? Now that you know all the great things you can do with Epsom salts, go stock up so that you can start getting all of these benefits tonight! Doesn’t a hot bath sound good right now? Don’t forget to add the Epsom salts!
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