Epsom Salts Soak

Epsom Salts Soak

ValorasGarden_post_images_salt02Epsom Salt Soaks are my favorite thing for winter time aches and pains. Our skin is our biggest organ, so to soak in Epsom Salt, it pulls toxins out of the skin. Epsom Salt is high in Magnesium. Magnesium is for pain and relaxes muscles. I put two cups in a tub of water.

Children and adults look forward to taking baths for different reasons: Cleaning off after a hard day of labor, playing with bubbles and squeaky toys, or just relaxing with candles and soft music. But taking a bath in Epsom salt offers health benefits that have led many people for years to make soaking in the tub a regular routine.

People take Epsom salt baths for many reasons: They can help to relieve stress, soothe your muscles, soften your skin and maybe even reduce the look of wrinkles. Some recent studies have even indicated that Epsom salt baths may be soothing for children with autism.

Epsom salts are made up of the compound magnesium sulfate, and they got their name because one of the earliest discoveries of magnesium sulfate took place in Epsom, England. Magnesium and sulfate both play essential parts in the ways in which our bodies function.

Magnesium is important in that it helps keep enzyme activity regular in your body, and it helps your bodily functions to run smoothly. More than half of all Americans have a magnesium deficiency, which is believed to be a factor in all kinds of health problems. Sulfate also plays an important role in the way in which your body works: It has a role in the formation of brain tissue and joint proteins, and it can strengthen the walls of the digestive tract.

Taking an Epsom salt bath helps restore magnesium and sulfate in your system because they can be absorbed through your skin. Some doctors recommend soaking three times per week for about 12 to 15 minutes. If you’re wondering where to find Epsom salt, just check out your local grocery store, health food store or pharmacy. Bathing in mineral-rich Epsom salt water may help to hydrate and soften your skin, and you can maintain that effect if you follow up with a good moisturizer shortly after your bath. Locking in that moisture can keep your skin from getting too dry and, as a result, may help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles on your skin.

Epsom Salt Detox Bath

Magnesium sulfate, the chemical compound that makes up Epsom salt is a very versatile tool — not only can it help you with your skin care routine, some say it can also help you detoxify your body. Proponents claim that Epsom salt baths are a great way to get out lots of harmful and unnatural substances that you don’t want in your system.

Imagine your body as a party with lots of people — both those who were invited and those who weren’t. When the party’s over, usually at least some of those uninvited partygoers are still sticking around. It’s late, and you’re trying to figure out how to politely send them on their way. When you take an Epsom salt bath, those “uninvited” pollutants are told to leave your body. That message is delivered by none other than magnesium sulfate.

Magnesium helps keep your bodily functions running smoothly, including some of the pathways that lead toxins right out of your body. Sulfate helps to strengthen the walls of your digestive tract so that it’s easier to release toxins. As a compound, magnesium sulfate also raises the amount of digestive enzymes in the pancreas. The compound also helps in purifying and detoxifying your body of heavy metals [source: Epsom Salt Council]. All of these functions help to aid the body in getting rid of toxins. However, there’s not a lot of medical research documenting how much of a detoxifying effect Epsom salt may really have.

Despite the benefits, Epsom salt baths aren’t for everyone. They generally aren’t recommended for people who have conditions such as heart problems, high blood pressure or diabetes. If you aren’t sure whether an Epsom salt bath is safe for you, consult your doctor first.

Epsom salt has been a cure-all for generations: It has been used to soothe aches and pains, and more recently for softening skin, preventing wrinkles and detoxifying your body.