It might come as a surprise to you that Epsom, something that you usually find in the kitchen could benefit you physically and mentally. This salt is now considered to be an integral tool in integrative medicine, a healing-oriented method that takes into account all the aspects of a person’s lifestyle.

When it comes to trying alternative medicine or methods of healing, it is still recommended that you inform your doctor and you ask for their professional opinion. It could be that his integrative medicine could be taken as complementary to the current treatment.

Epsom is a natural mood stabilizer

Using Epsom for a salt bath help in improving one's mood because the salt boosts the body’s magnesium level which increases the production of serotonin or happy hormones in the brain. When our body produces more serotonin, we are relieved of whatever causes us stress, anxiety or even what makes us depressed.

Soaking in a warm bath has already been proven to be soothing. So, if you add Epsom salt plus, your favourite scent or relaxing essential oil, you’d have a bath that would help in improving your mood. Make sure though that the salt is added while the warm water is running to ensure the salt is dissolved.

Epsom is a natural muscle relaxant

When we have shoulders, back or neck pain, it is usually because our muscles in these areas are tensed. Similarly, to when we have a headache or migraine, the muscles around our skull are tight and must be loosened up to relieve us of the pain. This is where Epsom, as a natural muscle relaxant comes in.

Epsom is beneficial for foot health

Foot soak with Epsom could help in reducing pain because of gout, athlete’s foot and ingrown toenail infection. Regularly soaking foot in Epsom also aid in eliminating foot odour. Preparing an Epsom foot soak is easy. You just need a basin with warm water that is deep enough to cover both of your feet, ½ cup of Epsom and essential oil for aromatherapy which is optional if you don’t have any. You also have to moisturize your feet after every foot soak of 30 to 60 minutes twice a week.

Epsom could soothe the skin

When you take a salt bath not only would it help in stabilizing your mood, it could also soften rough and dry skin and exfoliate dead skin cells. Symptoms of skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema could also be alleviated with Epsom. A visit to a dermatologist is still recommended though before trying Epsom to relieve the skin conditions.

Epsom could draw out splinters

For physical pain caused by splinters and to remove them without using tweezers or to cause it to even be embedded in the skin deeper, soaking the skin could help with the inflammation which makes it easier for the splinter to be removed.

Using Epsom is generally safe but it is still recommended that you do further research especially for those with an existing condition since overdose (which is rare) still has some serious side effects.