Health and Relaxation
Epsom salt is high in magnesium, and it has amazing healing properties when its dissolved into water and you give yourself a good soak. Here are a few restorative ways you can use Epsom salt to start feeling better! Please note that a few of these are internal uses. They are safe for most people, but some people do experience side effects, so check with a doctor before you swallow Epsom salts dissolved in water.
1. Take a nice relaxing bath after a hard days work.
2. Relieve muscle sprains and other muscle aches.
3. Scrub your feet.
4. Relieve sore feet.
5. Alleviate a headache.
6. End constipation.
7. Detox your body.
8. Get rid of a hangover.
9. Reduce the appearance of bruises.
Making a cold compress with Epsom salts and water can help you to reduce the appearance of bruises. Use two tablespoons and apply the compress to the bruised skin.
10. Recover from jet lag.
11. Ward off insomnia.
12. Prevent injury and speed healing.
If you are going to be doing something athletic, or even just expect a day of heavy labor ahead of you, think about taking an Epsom salt bath the night before. A lot of runners do this the night before a race, because it prevents injury and also helps them to recover more quickly from any injuries they do sustain. It may also help to prevent general strain and fatigue to muscles.
13. De-stress!
14. Try it as an eye wash.
As it turns out, Epsom salts can really help with eye health too! If you have cataracts, conjunctivitis, or styes, stir Epsom salts into warm water. Be sure the salts are completely dissolved. You can use this as an eyewash, or you can apply it to a washcloth and use it as a warm compress. It should have excellent beneficial results.
15. Relieve minor skin irritations.
16. Pull out a splinter.
Trying to get out a stubborn splinter? You can make it an easier job by softening up the skin around the splinter a bit using Epsom salt. Sometimes this is enough by itself to draw the splinter out.
17. Relieve gout.
For gout relief, pour some Epsom salt into a hot bath and soak the joints which are affected. The magnesium will help to combat the inflammation, which can decrease the swelling as well as help relieve the pain.
Beauty
Epsom salts have a lot of amazing benefits for your muscles, digestive system, and overall health, but the skin-deep benefits can be just as amazing! Thats rightEpsom salt is awesome for your skin, your hair, and more.
18. Get the grease out of your hair.
19. Create a volumising mask.
20. Get rid of frizz.
Who wants frizzy hair? If you live in a particularly dry or humid climate or your hair is prone to frizz, you can manage it using Epsom salts. The same conditioner which works to add volume to your locks will also help to keep them under control. Your hair will feel so much softer and mother. Many women say this works particularly well for curls.
21. Protect hair from heat damage.
If you blow dry your hair or straighten it, you are probably drying it out, and may be damaging your ends quite a bit. Guess what? Epsom salts not only boost volume and get rid of frizz, but protect the ends of your hair from heat damage too!
22. Get rid of styling product buildup.
Having a tough time getting excess hairspray out of your hair? Mix Epsom salts and lemon juice in a 1:1 ratio and dissolve them in water. Let your mixture sit for a day before you use it. Pour it over your hair, wait for around fifteen minutes, and then rinse it out.
23. Give yourself an exfoliating facial cleanse.
24. Create a rejuvenating skin mask.
Another way you can use Epsom salts on your face is by creating your own skin mask at home. Its really easy! Puree an egg white and mix it with a teaspoon of aloe vera gel, a teaspoon of Epsom salt, a chopped, ripe tomato, half a teaspoon of vitamin B5 powder, and a couple of drops of Thyme essential oil. Put the mask on your skin and wait for fifteen minutes before you rinse it off. It can work wonders for acne!
25. As a general skin scrub for rough skin.
The exfoliating properties which work so great on your face also can work wonders for the rest of your body. Mix it with your favorite soap and some of your favorite essential oils and work it into your skin in the shower. You will be amazed how soft and smooth it is when you get out. HINT: This works particularly well for rough patches in spots like elbows and ankles!
26. Get flaky skin off your lips.
Have chapped lips? Hate that flaky skin hanging off? Who doesnt? If you try to bite or pull it off, you usually will just make matters worse. A better way to remove it is to mix a dash of Epsom salt into some petroleum jelly and rub it gently onto your lips. Wipe it off, and you should see a reduction in loose, dead skin.
27. Dislodge blackheads.
28. Make a moisturizing hand wash.
Around the Home and Garden
Epsom uses dont stop at the bathroom! There are a number of ways you can use these amazingly helpful salts around the house, both indoors and outdoors. Here are some popular applications, as well as a few you may not have heard of!
29. Get burnt food residue off your dishes.
Have food caked onto the bottom of your baking dish? Cant get your frying pan clean? Wish you had some way to get those Tupperware containers clean again? One of the best ways to get rid of caked-on food, especially burnt food, is with Epsom salts! Just add a quarter tablespoon or so to your warm water, scrub, and rinse. The burnt or caked-on food should come right off, just like the dead skin when you exfoliate in the bathroom!
30. Get grime off of bathroom and kitchen tiles.
Are your tiles starting to look a little scummy? To get them clean and shiny and new-looking again, mix dish soap with Epsom salts in a 1:1 ratio. Scrub away, and you should see a beautiful clean look when you are through.
31. Give your car batteries a boost.
Have a car battery that still has a bit of life in it, but you cant seem to find it? You may be able to recondition your battery simply by making a paste with an ounce of Epsom salt dissolved into warm water. Try applying it to the battery cells. You may be surprisedyour vehicle just may start. Its certainly less expensive than a tow!
32. Put fake frost on your windows.
Live in a warm climate, but want that frosted-window look for the holiday season? Add a little festive cheer with Epsom salts! Just mix a half a cup of boiling water with a cup of Epsom salt and three tablespoons of dish soap. Grab a clean sponge and start dabbing it onto your windows. Once the mixture dries, the salt will created a frosty look on your windows. If you do a good job, it will be quite realistic.
33. Say goodbye to pesky raccoons.
34. Get your grass green (and your shrubs, and your trees).
35. Apply as soil prep before you plant your seeds.
Before you plant seeds in your garden, add a little Epsom salt to the soil. This will assist with seed germination and will increase the strength of seedling cell walls. Use approximately 1 cup of Epsom salt per 100 square feet of tilled soil. Alternately, you can just add a couple tablespoons to each hole. Your seedlings will be hardy and more likely to survive and grow into strong plants.
36. Replace your fertilizer.
37. Keep leaves from curling.
Did you know that leaves curling on plants often points toward a magnesium deficiency? Adding some Epsom to the soil can help to rebuild the plants magnesium stores. You also might try applying some straight to the leaves (dissolve it in water first). Hopefully your sick plant will start feeling better soon.
38. Make your roses bloom big.
If you have small roses and your next door neighbor has big, beautiful blooms, and you are both growing the same species, you know the climate can hardly be to blame. One way you can make your own roses grow beautifully is to add Epsom salt to their soil. Next time you plant new roses, add Epsom salt. You can add more when you see new growth and when your flowers are blooming. You should start seeing more blossoms, and the blooms should be a lot bigger too.
39. Help plants weather the shock of being transplanted.
Transplanting is a traumatic event for a plant, and may lead to sickness or even death in severe cases. Sometimes you have no choice, though. One way you can help your plants to adjust is by adding a little Epsom salt to the soil once they are in their new plants or environments. The extra dose of magnesium will really make a difference, and may even save a weak plant from dying.
40. Grow tastier produce.
One of the most well-known benefits of Epsom salts in the garden is for growing yummier produce. This includes both sweet and savory fruits as well as nuts. Tomatoes and peppers in particular can benefit greatly from Epsom salts. Heavy fruits like these are prone to magnesium deficiency and may need twice as much Epsom salt as other types of fruits. As you might guess, that same rule applies to a lot more than just peppers and tomatoes. Adding salts to the soil will not only result in larger, juicier, more flavorful fruit, but more of it.
Now you know just how handy Epsom salts really are! While they are great in your bath (and have a variety of uses even there), they are also wonderful for other health and beauty applications, and have many uses around the home, particularly out in the garden. The power of Epsom salt comes mostly from the high concentration of magnesium that it contains. Magnesium is great for you and for your plants, so go and get some! Know any other cool uses for Epsom salts that we didnt share here? Tell us all about it in the comments below!
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