Use Epsom Salt to Improve Your Skin and Health

Commonly it's known as Epsom Salt, but its scientific name is magnesium sulfate heptahydrate. It's made up of about ten percent magnesium and thirteen percent sulfur. This mineral, which resembles clear crystals, was originally discovered in Epsom, England centuries ago. Since that time, Epsom Salt has been used on humans, animals, and even on plants.

Epsom salt in skin care is used as a treatment to relax, exfoliate and soften skin on the body (do not use on the face or neck). It is good for relaxing muscles and drawing toxins from the body. When magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more.

Here are 10 ways how you can use Epsom salt:
1. Foot Soak
If you suffer from tired, aching feet; rough, dry skin on your feet; or smelly feet, then Epsom Salt can come to your rescue! Dissolve a half cup of this mineral into two quarts of very warm water. Pour the water into a foot-soaking pan and soak your bare feet for fifteen to twenty minutes, once or twice a day. Then, rinse your feet off with clean tap water and dry them thoroughly.

2. Skin Exfoliator
Have you ever used store-bought exfoliators to help remove dead skin cells? Soften rough patches of skin? Or help tone up and stimulate the blood flow to your skin? Many products you buy contain oatmeal or grains of salt or sand, and these ingredients are the roughness you feel when you apply the product.
The best way to use Epsom Salt as a skin exfoliator is to hop in the shower and wet your body down. Then, pour some of this mineral into your hands and gently massage it across your skin. Keep it away from your eyes, nose and mouth, but massage your neck to your feet. Then, rinse the Epsom Salt off thoroughly.

3. Face Exfoliator
Just because you should skip your face when you're exfoliating your body doesn't mean you can't use Epsom Salt on your face too. It's just easier to clean your face with this mineral outside of the shower. Improve the face cleaner you currently use by adding a little Epsom Salt to a dollop of it. Gently massage the mixture across your forehead, cheeks, chin and neck. Then, thoroughly rinse your face with cool tap water and pat dry with a towel.

4. Body Soak/Stress Reducer
How many of us don't enjoy a long soak in the tub? Pour in a couple cups of Epsom Salt, and you can easily improve your mental health while you help your skin health too! Magnesium sulfate is a natural muscle relaxer. It also helps draw toxins from the skin to improve your health.

5. Sprain and Bruise Reliever
If you or a family member needs relief from a sprained ankle or wrist, reach for the Epsom Salt and help relieve their pain and inflammation. Dissolve a couple cups of this mineral into a foot-soaking pan half full of very warm water. Then, soak the affected joint in the mixture for twenty to thirty minutes a couple times a day until the ankle or wrist feels better.

6. Hair Cleanser and Clarifier
Use a lot of hair spray, mousse and gel on your hair, or wash it every day, and pretty soon your hair can suffer from a buildup of products. But, don't worry, you can use Epsom Salt to improve the health of your hair too!
You'll need a fourth of a cup of pure lemon juice, a fourth of a cup of Epsom Salt, and one quart of non-chlorinated water- rain water works the best. Mix the ingredients together and use it the next time before you wash your hair. Pour some (or all, if you have long hair) of the Epsom Salt solution onto your hair. Make sure to get all your hair wet, all the way from the roots to the ends. Leave the solution on your hair for fifteen minutes. Then, wash your hair as you normally do.
An added bonus to using this cleanser/clarifier is that it will remove excess oil from your hair too!

7. Face cleaner: To clean your face at night, mix a half-teaspoon of epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.

8. Homemade skin mask: Apply the mask to damp skin. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of non-fat dry milk, the juice of 1 lemon, and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt. For normal to dry skin, mix 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt.

9. Remove hairspray: Combine 1 gallon of water, 1 cup of lemon juice, and 1 cup epsom salt. Combine, cover and let set for 24 hours. The next day, pour the mixture into your dry hair and let it sit for 20 minutes. Then shampoo as normal.

10. Splinter remover: Soak in epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.

Health benefits of Epsom salt:
Magnesium
* Ease stress and improves sleep and concentration
* Help muscles and nerves function properly
* Regulate activity of 325+ enzymes
* Help prevent artery hardening and blood clots
* Make insulin more effective
* Reduce inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps
* Improve oxygen use
Sulfates
* Flush toxins
* Improve absorption of nutrients
* Help form joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins
* Help prevent or ease migraine headaches

Experts recommend soaking with Epsom Salt at least three times a week to look better, feel better and have more energy. As you soak, the natural action of Epsom Salt helps soften the rough, dry patches of your skin too.