Also known as magnesium sulfate Epsom salt is a popular compound that has been used for over 400 years in different parts across the globe, to relieve skin conditions, soothe aching joints and provide relaxation and restfulness. It’s mainly composed of magnesium and sulfur. As much as it resembles ordinary table salt, it doesn’t have sodium chloride. Epsom salt is usually dissolved in warm water to form a bath or a soak, which can be used to:
Provide Stress Relief
If you are feeling tired and stressed after a long day at work, an Epsom salt foot soak is all you need. It can help to relieve anxiety and stress while improving your overall well-being. You might be probably wondering how soaking your feet in an Epsom salt bath can help with stress relief. Well, most adults are deficient in magnesium, and this can lead to increased levels of anxiety and stress. The magnesium present in Epsom salt can lower minimize the release of stress hormones while preventing them from entering the brain. Also, it can help to stabilize blood glucose levels. When blood glucose is depleted, it can lead to the release of compounds like cortisol and epinephrine, which may contribute to anxiety, depression, insomnia, and stress.
When absorbed in the body, magnesium also helps to revive and relax body muscles, which will in turn help to alleviate stress. Soaking your feet in an Epsom salt bath will help to restore and replenish magnesium levels in the blood, directly through your skin. It will help to reduce cramping, relax muscles, reduce inflammation, and restore red blood cells. For stress relief, you should soak your feet in an Epsom salt bath for 20 minutes or more, thrice per week.
Alleviate Fungal Infections
Human beings have used Epsom salt to treat foot conditions and infections for millions of years. As much as this salt might not treat or cure the infection directly, you can use it to draw the disease-causing microorganisms close to the skin surface, and then apply the necessary medication. Apart from that, Epsom salt will also soften your skin, thus helping the medication to reach the affected tissues. In short, you can use an Epsom salt foot soak to support the effectiveness of the medications that you are using. However, you should note that Epsom salt can irritate open wounds. Therefore, before using it, you should consult your physician. To alleviate fungal infections, you should soak your feet in an Epsom bath for at least 2 times per day, for around 20 minutes per session. You can also add different types of essential oils like tea tree to promote healing.
Reduce Inflammation and Pain
If your job involves spending the entire day on your feet, there is a high chance that you might experience pain in your ankles, legs, knees, feet and lower back. Soaking your feet in Epsom salt can help to reduce inflammation and pain, remove toxins from your body and reduce muscle cramping. Epsom salt foot baths offer two main ways of alleviating pain. First, you will get the relaxing and soothing sensation of dipping your feet in warm water. Second, the magnesium sulfate, which is the main compound in Epsom salt, will make your muscle cramps, aches, pains, and even sprains melt away.
When preparing the salt bath, you should pour in as much salt as possible. Ideally, you want your skin to come into contact with as much salt as possible. It’s advisable to pour in the salt into the washbasin before it’s filled up with water so that you can give it ample time to dissolve. You can also mix your Epsom salt bath with some essential oils to speed up the process. Some of the essential oils that you can add in your salt bath include ginger for reducing inflammation, peppermint for soothing sore muscles, eucalyptus for opening sinus passages, tangerine, grapefruit, and orange to improve your mood, rosemary, and spearmint for an energy boost as well as lavender for a relaxed feel.
Beat Insomnia
Getting adequate sleep at night offers numerous benefits for your health and wellbeing. In fact, a good night’s sleep is as important as exercising regularly and eating healthy. Getting enough sleep will help you to maintain a healthy weight, get sick less often, improve your mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and boost concentration and productivity. Also, good sleep can enhance your athletic performance, and improve your social interactions. Unfortunately, millions of people across the globe are suffering from insomnia and sleep deprivation. If you have been struggling with insomnia, an Epsom salt foot soak might just be the solution that you’ve been looking for. As noted earlier, Epsom salt contains minerals like sulfate and magnesium. When dissolved in warm water, these vital mineral salts will penetrate your skin, thus helping your body to relax. Soaking your feet in an Epsom salt bath for 15 to 20 minutes per day might just be what your body needs to relax and help you enjoy a good night’s sleep.
Exfoliate
Most people usually forget to give their feet the attention and care they deserve. However, if you abandon your feet for too long, calluses can develop, because of wearing uncomfortable shoes, walking and the daily pressure of your work. Therefore, it’s highly advisable to exfoliate your feet at least once or twice per month. Exfoliating removes dead skin cells from the surface of your skin, thus helping to prevent your pores from clogging. Also, exfoliating will leave your skin looking clean and feeling refreshed. Exfoliating your feet regularly will also promote the skin renewal process, leaving you with healthier, smoother skin. As you can see, exfoliating your feet regularly comes with plenty of benefits. However, you might not always have the time and the money to go for professional exfoliation. And this is where an Epsom salt foot soak comes in. Epsom salts are readily available in various stores near you. You just need to purchase the amount that you want and prepare your own foot soak. After that, you simply need to soak your feet in the bath, scrub them and then moisturize. If you do this process regularly, you will prevent the buildup of calluses, while keeping your feet healthy and happy.
Eliminate Foot Odor
Smelly feet can be quite embarrassing. It’s normally caused by wearing sweat with poor breathability. As a result, the sweat and the warmth inside the shoes will provide a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, leading to foot odor. Apart from wearing improper footwear, certain medications, poor hygiene, alcohol, drugs, stress, and hormonal changes can all contribute to unpleasant foot odors. The good news is that you can manage this condition at home, through Epsom salt foot soaks. Soaking your feet regularly in Epsom salt baths will help to fight the odor-causing bacteria while removing the dead skin that might be present on your skin. Soaking your feet in this solution for 15 minutes every day before going to sleep, will help to minimize or even eliminate this problem.
Remove Splinters
Splinters can be stubborn, annoying and painful to remove. Unfortunately, you will never see them coming. But once you get one, it will definitely make you extremely uncomfortable. One of the easiest ways of removing them is by using a pair of tweezers to pull them out. However, this method will only work if they are not deeply lodged into the skin. If the splinter is fully under the surface, removing it with a pair of tweezers will be extremely painful. Thankfully, you don’t need to visit a doctor or use sophisticated tools to remove them. You can easily get rid of them using Epsom salts. To use this method, you will first need to add a cup of Epsom salt in a tub and then stir properly, to ensure all the salts are dissolved. After that, you just need to soak the part of the body that has a splinter. The Epsom salts will help to bring the splinters closer to the surface, making less painful and easier to remove them.
Closing Remarks
Without a doubt, an Epsom salt foot soak has numerous uses and benefits. However, if you have a serious condition like diabetes or you have been experiencing chronic pain in your feet, it’s highly advisable to consult a doctor first, before using an Epsom foot soak. Also, if you experience sudden blisters, sores or unexplained pain, you should stop using the soaks immediately. But if well used, Epsom salt is usually safe and rarely presents any side effects.
0 comments