Epsom salts come from the rich mineral waters of Epsom, England, and have been used for many things over the years, especially for relieving body aches and muscle strains.
It’s not just folklore. Science supports the wealth of benefits Epsom salts offer for your skin’s health and healing.
The Wonders of Epsom Salts
Research has shown how well Epsom salts work as a natural stress reliever — stress being one of the most frequent causes of skin blemishes. Everything we put on our skin is absorbed into our body, and eventually, into our bloodstream. Stress depletes your body of the vital mineral magnesium, which is what Epsom salts are made of. So, when you place magnesium on your skin, that mineral is reabsorbed and helps relieve stress and acne.
Magnesium also promotes the production of serotonin, a chemical in the brain that is thought to be linked to depression. Having a proper balance of the mineral can elevate your mood and increase a feeling of calm.
Used all over the body as a cleanser, Epsom salts also remove dead skin cells and promote healthy circulation, which keeps your skin healthy.
Epsom Salt Body Scrub and Body Soak Recipes (The Basic Formulas)
Basic formulas are meant to be experimented with. I provide the basic formulas here so that you can give your creativity free reign.
Body salt scrub formula. In a small bowl (preferably not metal, as metals can interact with minerals), mix about ¼ cup of extra virgin olive oil with 1 cup Epsom salts. If you place the salts in first and slowly stir in the oil, you will be able to have a thick, grainy paste. Make sure that you don’t add too much oil or the mixture will become runny and unmanageable. It should feel like a coarse balm. For best results, rub the exfoliating scrub on wet skin to cleanse, soften, destress and detox. Rinse well, avoiding your eyes.
Body soak salt formula. This mixture can be made in a bowl (not metal) and stored in tightly sealed jars, ready for adding to the tub, or you can carefully mix them right into the jar. Carefully blend 3 cups Epsom salts and ½ cup sea salt. To this, slowly add 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Adding a drop at a time, you can stir the oil into the salts without the oil making the mixture wet and clumpy. For a pretty (and useful) presentation, store in clear glass jars with wooden spoon slots, complete with spoon. Add a few spoonfuls directly under running water while the tub is filling.
Additional Ingredients and Substitutions
While the formulas above will result in 100 percent ready-to-use skin care products, they do lack that little something that only you can add to it — creativity.
Here are some quick ideas for additional ingredients and substitutions:
• Add some scent. Do a little research on which essential oils (not synthetic scents, which can irritate your skin) contain aromatherapy properties that will best suit your needs. One favorite is lavender because it is so calming. To add the scent, use just a couple drops at a time in the body soak formula.
• Freshen it up. When creating your salt scrub, try adding a little zest of orange, grapefruit or cucumber. The soft, clean scent will linger and give you a bit of energy.
• Really exfoliate. You can create a heavy duty exfoliant by replacing part of the Epsom salts in either formula with finely ground almond shells.
• Make it moisturizing. If you have very dry skin, the oils in these Epsom salt recipes won’t be enough to really soften your skin. Try adding a small amount of rolled oats to the recipe, and compensate for the moisture loss with a tad bit more oil.
• Trade your oils. You aren’t stuck with extra virgin olive oil, though it is one of the most popular skin oils because it is so easily absorbed and contains so few chemicals. However, you can use any “cooking” oil from vegetable to sunflower to almond.
This article is not a substitute for professional medical care. If you believe you have a health problem, consult a licensed health care provider.
