Epsom Salt
Posted by terrepruitt on November 30, 2010
After my Nia class this week, my students told me soak my toe in an epsom salt bath. I had actually been told about them before. They have been around forever. Ya know one of those things that used to be used in simpler times when there wasn’t something fancy to take its place. It is a natural mineral, magnesium sulfate.
I had originally been told about them for sore muscles. In fact a lot of bath salt products on the market contain magnesium sulfate. The instructions on the container state to use two cups of the salts in a tub of water and soak. The mineral is absorbed into the skin and it helps reduce inflammation and soreness. This can help with sprains and strains and muscles that have been exercised. A soak in water with epsom salts can also help relive itching of some illnesses or issues.
Epsom salt is thought to help relax the body as well as the mind and draw toxins out of the body. Soaking one’s feet can help both neutralize foot order and make the skin soft. Soaking in water with salts in it can help soften the skin, but the salts themselves can also be used as an exfoliator. Rubbing the skin while wet then rinsing throughly. Also the salts can be used to help with acne and breakouts.
Now that I actually have a container of them I might start using them more often to soak my feet and exfoliate them. How about you? Have you used them before?
Just as a note: Table salt is sodium chloride it is different substance than magnesium sulfate.
Terre Pruitt's Blog 
SuziCate said
Thanks for this posst. About a week ago, I asked my hubby why people always advised an Epsom bath when you were sore…he didn’t know the answer. Guess we were both too lazy to google it.
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terrepruitt said
Isn’t it funny that so many people know to do it, but we don’t know why? I also think it is cool that something so inexpensive and basic can do so many wonderful things.
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Melisa said
Terre–I am so glad for this reminder. I went to Nia for the first time in 3 weeks yesterday and managed to pull a calf muscle so I’ve been hobbling around today. A nice long soak sounds so good!
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terrepruitt said
Oh Melisa, I am sorry that you strained your calf muscle. That is a bummer!
When I strain a muscle I usually enlist the help of my hubby to massage it out. It hurts but that is what I find works best for me. But now that I have some salts I might try that too.
I hope your leg feels better fast!
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melisa said
It was still hurting this morning but I went to class anyway and I’m so glad I did. We did a brand new routine (R one?) And it was fantastic. I had so much fun and my leg feels fine now 🙂
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terrepruitt said
I am so glad that you went anyway and you were able to work through it and not hurt it more. Sometimes it is a challenge to know which to do . . . . rest or work through it.
I have been hearing a lot of great stuff about R1 and just saw something posted about it. I am glad you liked it!
I am glad your leg is better. Thanks for letting me know!
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Jill Campana said
YES! I’ve used Epsom Salts for years for muscle relaxation — nice hot bath of Epsom Salts. It is also used as a laxtive for constipation — yep, you can drink it. There are, of course, specific quantities which you can find either on the box of Epsom Salts or by Googling.
Amazing the kinds of more natural things we have on hand and people still take drugs instead. I’m goin’ natural…no drugs for me. With natural substances like Perque (Quercetin), essential oils, Epsom Salts and…oh yeah…FOOD (greens, meat, etc) and of course Nia, our bodies are given a chance to self-heal without the use of drugs.
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terrepruitt said
Yes, the box and all the information on the internet said it could be used to help relieve constipation, but I didn’t want to get into that. I was trying to keep the post short and the information I was seeing had different instructions (as you said, “specific quantities”). I am not really good at keeping things short so sometimes I leave info out in order to do so.
It is amazing that we have so much natural stuff to take. I really think we could significantly reduce our drug/medicine intake if people would just embrace the natural. But then the drug companies wouldn’t care for that much because they would lose a lot of money. I think money has a lot to do with it.
I am trying to stay with the natural substances too, but so much of our food is FAR from natural . . . . but . . . . I do what I can.
Also, self healing takes time and society is not patient so it is easy to pop a pill and keep going then to stop and give our bodies the rest they need.
Thank you so much for reading and commenting! XOXO
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terrepruitt said
Jill – I wanted to add: I also like having my readers add their knowledge to the blog so thank you for bringing up the additional use for Epsom Salts.
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