Epsom salts: Detox while soaking in the bath

Epsom salts

I recently lugged home this 3kg bag of Epsom salts from The Garden Pharmacy in Covent Garden (where it costs £6 for this huge bag). I've been buying Epsom salts for several years to use as a detoxing soak.

If you haven't tried bathing in Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) before, I reallyrecommend it. There are loads of uses and reputed benefits of Epsom salts, but I mainly use it in the bath for the following benefits:
  • The water is softened
  • My skin is soothed
  • My skin feels noticeably amazingly soft and silky afterward
  • Magnesium sulphate supposedly draws out toxins and water retention
  • The magnesium can supposedly be absorbed through the skin to increase serotonin (happy hormones) to reduce stress and to help me sleep
I add about two cups of Epsom salts to a warm bath and it instantly makes the water feel silky. Two cups sounds like a lot, but it really is such cheap stuff anyway. I'll try to soak for at least 20 minutes to give the Epsom salts a chance to soften my skin and to be absorbed.

Epsom salts in hand

There will always be people who dispute the health claims of bathing in Epsom salts, but I personally notice real results from using it. Sometimes I get out of the bath and almost faint from being too relaxed. One time, I climbed out of the bath, dried myself off and managed to dizzily stagger to the foot of my bed where I fell asleep lying down on my back with my feet still on the floor. I slept so well that night though (once I'd got into bed properly).

I also often find that I continue to sweat buckets from all over my body and face for ages after a Epsom salt bath... and it's definitely not from the heat of the water. It's like my body is forcing out all the built-up toxins and water retention that I've accumulated over time. And I do actually feel less bloated and a little more svelte after all that sweating!
The skin softening is pretty miraculous too... Even if you don't notice any of the above effects after an Epsom salt bath, I can guarantee that your skin will at least feel amazingly soft and stroke-able!

You'll find Epsom salts in some pharmacies... usually you'll need to ask for it over the counter. I once found a couple of boxes of magnesium sulphate on the shelves at Boots, where the boxes were plainly labelled in large text "FOR TREATMENT OF CONSTIPATION". I felt a bit embarrassed with two of those big boxes in my basket. I must have looked really constipated. If you're wondering about what it can do for constipation, apparently it can be taken orally in small doses to help things move along. Anyway, that was years ago so I'm not sure if you can still get it from Boots.


Source: http://www.beautyscribbler.com