Epsom Salt

[Guest guest]

I hadn't thought of it in years until someone mentioned soaking her

toe in it. Then remembered how my mother thought it was the cure for

everything. She regularly bathed in it. Well, I had to go see what

the current feeling was and heres what I found. I did find the skin

mask with Cognac a bit strange.

Oh, epsom salt—who knew that such an uninspiring ingredient could

inspire such devotion? Read on for 13 ways to use epsom salts,

including a relaxing bath, a face scrub and a hair volumizer. It's

also a miracle cure, helping to get rid of splinters and reduce

swelling of sprains and bruises. One ingredient fits all!

SIMPLE SOLUTION: I always knew that soaking in a tub full of hot

water with a few cups of Epsom Salts was good for relaxing muscles

and drawing toxins from the body, but I could never figure out why.

And it wasn't until I spent some time at the Epsom Salt Industry

Council web site that I learned that epsom salts—made of the mineral

magnesium sulfate—are also a sedative for the nervous system.

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.

Adapted from the Epsom Salt Industry Council

Note: Check with a doctor before using if you have any health

concerns.

Relaxing and sedative bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of epsom

salt.

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.

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.

Foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a

foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of epsom salt to a large pan of warm water.

Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry.

Skin exfoliator: Massage handfuls of epsom salt over your wet skin,

starting with your feet and continuing up towards the face. Have a

bath to rinse.

Remove excess oil from hair: Epsom salt soaks up excess oil from

hair. Add 9 tablespoons of epsom salt to 1/2 cup of oily hair

shampoo. Apply one tablespoon of the liquid to your hair when it is

dry; rinse with cold water. Pour lemon juice or organic apple cider

vinegar through the hair, leave on for 5-10 minutes, and then rinse.

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.

Hair volumizer: Combine equal parts of deep conditioner and epsom

salt. Warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and

leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse.

Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of

sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups epsom salt to a warm bath, and soak.

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