Why we love Epsom salt

What is Epsom Salt? Epsom salt is actually magnesium sulphate, a pure, time-tested mineral compound with dozens of uses.

HEALTH & BEAUTY:

• The magnificent magnesium

Magnesium is a clever little mineral that gets an A+ for all of its hard work, like assisting in muscle and nerve function, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and making protein, bone and DNA. It is involved in more than 325 biochemical reactions that benefit your heart and nervous system. Many people do not consume enough magnesium. Even if you do, factors such as dietary phytates and oxalates can interfere with how much your body absorbs and when you’re stressed, your magnesium levels can drop.

A soak in a hot bath with a few scoops of Epsom salt can not only raise your magnesium levels, it can wash your stress away. Adequate magnesium levels are essential for sleep and stress management, likely because magnesium helps your brain produce neurotransmitters that induce sleep and reduce stress.

Magnesium also helps your body produce melatonin, a hormone that promotes sleep. Low magnesium levels may negatively affect sleep quality and stress. Epsom salt baths can reverse these issues by allowing your body to absorb magnesium through the skin.

• Relieves aches and pains.

Epsom salt can help relieve pain and inflammation in tired joints. Are your feet a bit achy and sad? Fill a tub with warm water and Epsom salt and give them a well-deserved break. Magnesium helps to reduce inflammation and reduces pain and is a vital element of post-exertion recovery so if you love your gym workouts but are looking for a quicker recovery-time, Epsom salts baths will help to get you there.

A good soak in an Epsom salts bath will also reduce swelling from sprains and speed the healing of bruises. Epsom salt baths have also been reported to soothe symptoms of arthritis, gout and fibromyalgia.

• Beautiful, glowing skin and beautiful hair

A natural, low-priced exfoliant? Yes please. Mix a bit of Epsom salt into your favourite skin cleanser to give yourself an effective face scrub, massaging it into your skin in circular motions (and then rinsing clean). Or mix it with a body wash and use it as an exfoliating body scrub in the shower. Your skin will be softer than a kitten on a fairy floss cloud.

Dissolve a teaspoon of Epsom salts with 3 drops of iodine and blot onto blackheads to easily dislodge impurities. Epsom salts also helps to remove excess oil from hair so mix some salts into your shampoo to remove excess oils - or if its more volume you need then Combine equal parts deep conditioner and Epsom salt and warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly.

• Powerful Laxative

Magnesium is often used to treat constipation. It appears to be helpful because it draws water into your colon, which promotes bowel movements taking Epsom salt is also effective. Adults are usually advised to take 2–6 teaspoons (10–30 grams) of Epsom salt at a time, dissolved in at least 8 ounces (237 ml) of water and consumed immediately. You can expect a laxative effect in 30 minutes to 6 hours. It should however only be used occasionally as a laxative, not for long-term relief.

• Helps prevent hardening of arteries and blood clots

Epsom salt is believed to improve heart health and help prevent heart disease and strokes by improving blood circulation, protecting the elasticity of arteries, preventing blood clots, and reducing the risk of sudden heart attack deaths.

• Eliminates toxins from the body

The sulphates in Epsom salt help flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances. Your skin is a highly porous membrane and adding the right minerals to your bathwater triggers a process called reverse osmosis, which actually pulls salt out of your body, and harmful toxins along with it. For a detoxifying bath, at least once weekly add two cups of Epsom Salt to the water in a bathtub and soak for 10 minutes. An Epsom salts foot bath will also combat foot odour and soften skin.

• Makes insulin more effective

Proper magnesium and sulphate levels increase the effectiveness of insulin in the body and can help to lower the risk or severity of diabetes.

• Athlete’s foot

Soak feet in an Epsom salt bath to help relieve the symptoms of athlete’s foot.

• Remove splinters

Soak affected skin area in an Epsom salt bath to draw out the splinter.

HOME AND GARDEN:

• Essential Food for plant life Composed almost exclusively of magnesium sulfate, Epsom salt is intensely rich in these two minerals, which are both crucial to healthy plant life. These same minerals which are so beneficial for bathing and household tasks are also great for your garden, helping it reach its fullest potential and creating a lush and vibrant outdoor space. Unlike common fertilisers, Epsom salt does not build up in the soil over time, which makes it safer than using chemical soil supplements.

• The magnificent magnesium Magnesium is beneficial to plants from very early on, right when the seed begins to develop. Magnesium assists with the process of seed germination, helping to strengthen the plant cell walls so the plant can receive essential nutrients. Magnesium also plays a crucial role in photosynthesis by assisting with the creation of chlorophyll, used by plants to convert sunlight into food. In addition, it also allows the plant to soak up phosphorus and nitrogen, which serve as vital fertiliser components for the soil. Believed to bring more flowers and fruit to your garden, magnesium can increase the bounty, as well as the beauty of your space.

• Sulphate Sulphate, a mineral form of sulphur found in nature, is an equally important nutrient for plant life. Sulphate is essential to the health and longevity of plants, and aides in the production of chlorophyll. It joins with the soil to make key nutrients more effective for plants, including nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Sulphate works in conjunction with magnesium to create a blend of minerals, nourishment and health for your garden.

For potted plants: 2 teaspoons dissolved in water - water once a month

New plants: Prepare 100 square feet with 1 cup of Epsom salts worked into the soil before planting to help seeds to germinate and ensure healthy growth.

Existing plants: Adding an Epsom salt solution to houseplants that have been potted for a long time is especially useful, due to the buildup of natural salt, which can accumulate in the soil and clog the root cells of the plant. Epsom Salt can help to clear up this accumulation of natural salts in the pot, and can help improve in the plant's health and vibrancy. It is also useful for a newly potted plant, as it will more easily receive the proper nutrients and have a healthy start in life.

Vegetables: Epsom salt can help you refresh and revitalise an established garden—or create a healthy beginning for a new one. Epsom Salt does not accumulate in the soil or harm any plants when used, so it can be used safely and effectively during any stage of the plant’s life. It will also increase the yield of new or established plants - especially tomatoes and peppers and is a great deterrent for slugs and other bugs.

Flowers: Like with vegetables, flowers - especially Roses - will thrive with the addition of Epsom salts which will help to increase bloom yields and encourage healthy growth. Soak new roses in an Epsom salts solution before planting and add half a cup of Epsom salts at the base of established rose bushes to encourage growth.

Shrubs: Epsom salt can improve the blooms of flowering and green shrubs, especially evergreens, azaleas and rhododendrons. Work in one tablespoon of Epsom Salt per nine square feet of bush into the soil, over the root zone, which allows the shrubs to absorb the nutritional benefits. Repeat this every two to four weeks for optimal results.

Lawn Care: Epsom salt is particularly useful for preventing a yellowing lawn and creating lusher, softer, greener grass. It can be applied using a tank sprayer, a lawn spreader, or by using a hose and spray attachment. In good rain, you can sprinkle a good quantity of Epsom salt directly onto the lawn before a good rain or sprinkle on and water in.

Trees: Working Epsom salts into the soil around the root area before the change of season is a fabulous way to prepare trees for new growth or to keep them healthy during dormancy. Trees truly flourish when treated to a good dose of Epsom salts and flowering trees will bloom abundantly. Fruit trees will increase their yields - especially older trees that may have become magnesium deficient over years.

• Insecticide spray & sprinkle

For a natural, non-chemical spray for your lawn and garden that will not harm your animals, an Epsom salts solution will get rid of plant pests and not harm any members of the family. Sprinkle liberally on or near interior entry points to prevent slugs.

• Household cleaner

Mix Epsom salts and baby oil and keep by the sink for an effective hand-wash.

Clean detergent build-up on washing machines: Add Epsom salts to your “detergent” tray and run a normal wash/rinse cycle (warm) to clean your machine of build-up.

Clean bathroom tiles: Mix equal parts Epsom salt and liquid dish detergent and use as a scrub on bathroom tile.

The wonders of Epsom salt have been well known for hundreds of years and, unlike other salts, has beneficial properties that can soothe the body, mind, and soul. Try it....