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Adding Epsom Salts to Your Health Regimen Actually Improves Your Health


The health and wellness world is always presenting you with a new health-craze bandwagon to jump on.


And why should epsom salts be any different?


Sure, they’ve been around since the 1600’s, but only within the last few decades have epsom salts really made their debut in the wellness world.


And it’s obvious why — it’s a miracle mineral.


Packed with multiple elements that most of the modern population are lacking, epsom salts provide your body with profound health benefits.2 And we’re going to show you how throughout this article!



What is epsom salt?


Epsom salt isn’t the same thing as your pink Himalayan salt — it’s a compound made of magnesium and sulfate (sulfate being a compound made of sulfur and oxygen).2


As mentioned in the intro to this article, epsom salts are a natural compound that’s been around forrrrrrever — and it was actually first found in Epsom England — hence the name.


Although it seems like the marketplace is saturated with different brands and varieties of epsom salt, there are only two types: food grade and nonfood grade. Nonfood grade epsom salts are typically found in agriculture, whereas the food grade is what you bathe in and use in contact with your body.



Benefits of epsom salt


Aside from providing you with an overwhelming sensation of relaxation, epsom salts are actually drawing toxins out of your body in the process.1


In fact, the magnesium and sulfate molecules are working together on a microscopic level to:2


  • Help sedate your nervous system (taking you out of a ‘fight-or-flight’ state)

  • Reduce swelling

  • Aid in muscle repair

  • Increase levels of serotonin in the body

  • Decrease levels of adrenaline


So whether you’ve just had a brutal workout and your legs feel detached from your body, or you’re recovering from an injury, incorporating epsom salts into your recovery practices can be dramatically helpful in speeding up your body’s recovery time.


“But how can I use epsom salts?” … you might be thinking.


Go ahead, scroll down to the next section — this is where we dive into the ways you can use epsom salts.



What’re some uses for epsom salt?


Okay, so now that you know epsom salt actually has some magnifying health benefits to it — you’re probably wondering how in the heck are you supposed to use it if you can’t eat it like regular table salt?


There are oh, so many life-changing ways you can bring epsom salts into your everyday health routine. Let’s skip the small talk and get straight to the goods — here’s a list of a few popular ways people like to use epsom salts:


Epsom salt bath

This is probably where you’ve heard the most hype about epsom salts.


When epsom salts are introduced to warm water, the magnesium and sulfate molecules that make it up actually separate from one another — making it easier for the skin to absorb each mineral individually.


Meaning this is one of the most effective ways to reap the benefits of epsom salts, and probably also the most accessible — what’s easier than getting naked and laying in a tub of warm water?


Try it yourself: fill your bath up with warm water, then add 2 cups of epsom salts. Give it a stir

before you get in, and enjoy as long as you’d like.



Float tank

Or also known as a sensory deprivation tank, this cylindrical-like pod combines body-temperature water with over 1,000 pounds of epsom salt.


It feels like you’re floating in the Dead Sea itself — which, for those of you who have never been to the Dead Sea, feels like you’re in outer space. The salt density is so high in the water that your body floats effortlessly, almost like an antigravity effect.


If you’ve never tried a float tank, or want to learn more about it, read this article.


Try it yourself: Google where you can find a float tank near you. And if you’re in the NH area, did we mention we have a float tank in-house?! All you gotta do is click here to book a session.



Foot soak

Similarly to an epsom salt bath and a float tank, a foot soak is just another way for your skin to easily absorb the minerals contained within the salt.


This is what I’d recommend for the true beginner — one who doesn’t have a lot of time in their day to accommodate an entire body soak. Using a foot soak doesn’t require you to get fully undressed and also doesn’t require you to shower after using it.


Try it yourself: First, you’ll need to find a pan or pot large enough to fit both of your feet, and deep enough to submerge them entirely underwater.


Awesome, now fill the pan up with warm water, add ½ cup of epsom salts and stir!


Once mixed with the water, place your feet in the pan and stay here as long as you’d like.



Exfoliant

Who doesn’t love a great, all natural exfoliant, amirite?


If you don’t know what an exfoliant is — it’s a type of scrub that’s designed to remove dead skin cells from the surface of the body.


Leavin’ your skin feeling reborn, and quite literally as soft as a baby’s butt.


Here’s how you can make one with epsom salt: Take a handful of the salts and begin to scrub your *wet* face with it. Yes, your face has to be wet and yes, all you need is salt. Nothing else.



Getting out a splinter

This feels like it should’ve been the advice my girl scout troop leader gave me growing up — only she didn’t. Oh well, I digress.


When you get a tiny sliver of wood stuck in your hand (or anywhere), let that piece of your body soak in warm water with epsom salt and it’ll actually begin to reduce the inflammation around the splinter in a very short amount of time — usually a few minutes.


Once the swelling has gone down, it’s really easy to push the splinter out or go at it with your tweezers. Nice visual.



Laxative

When you gotta go, you gotta go.


If you’ve ever experienced constipation, you know firsthand how uncomfortable that can feel.


When you ingest epsom salts, this increases the amount of water held in your intestines. The thought is that the more water you have in your intestines, the more hydrated your stool will be, and the easier it is to pass.3


Try it yourself: Put a teeny-tiny bit (2-3 teaspoons) of epsom salt in a glass of warm water.


Stir well & drink the concoction immediately.


It can sometimes take up to 8 hours to become effective, so make sure you’re near a bathroom after drinking it.



To wrap this up in a salt soak and call it a day…


Anyone can use epsom salts.


And there are lots of different ways that these health-optimizing minerals can be brought into your everyday life.


Tell us in the comments below how you like to use them!


And as a special gift from Sacred Moon Healing to you, when you mention this blog post when booking your float, you’ll get $15 OFF your session!

 

References




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