I’ve mentioned how in another “life” I used to sell Young Living Essential Oils. One of the ways that I would introduce people to these oils was to teach them how to make things themselves using essential oils. One of the items I’d teach people how to make was a sugar scrub.
Now, sugar scrubs are awesome, but as I learned more about the health benefits of salt – and specifically Epsom salts, I knew that sugar scrubs were so “yesterday,” and salt scrubs are the wave of the future! Okay, that sounds hokey, and perhaps it was a little, but the benefits of Epsom salts are NOT hokey. They are amazing!
On their own, just a regular salt scrub exfoliates and increases circulation. It is also a wonderful way to get stains off your hands if you’ve or your spouse has been working with grease or on cars or if you’ve been out in the garden. That being said Magnesium Sulfate – or Epsom salts have so many more benefits! Let’s look at some.
1.) Epsom salts relax sore muscles.
Talk about something that should be in every house looking to be more self-sufficient and prepared. If you are doing things yourself, you’re going to be sore from time to time. Epsom salts – even when used in a salt scrub will help your sore muscles.
2.) Epsom salts detox your body.
In this day and age, we use so many products that add to our body’s toxic load. Do you use toothpaste? Is it one that only contains natural ingredients – like the one I showed you to make here? Do you use deodorant? Most of them contain harmful substances including aluminum. Epsom salts help draw the toxins out of your body. If our country falls on hard times and we’re using the cheapest versions of personal care products that we can get our hands on, then we need a way to detox our bodies even more.
3.) Epsom Salts can help your body handle stress.
Stress? Who has stress? (extremely sarcastically) Not me! And this is when things are relatively ‘easy.’ What are we going to do when things are difficult? Epsom salts can actually help your body handle stress more appropriately. According to SaltWorks, “The magnesium helps to produce serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of calm and relaxation.”
4.) Epsom Salts can help your body improve blood sugar issues.
According to Dr. Axe, “Regular intake of Epsom salts can help regulate blood sugar, lowering the risk of diabetes, and improving daily energy levels.” Both my parents have diabetes. Do you know someone with diabetes? I think most of us do. If something as inexpensive and abundant as Epsom salts can help my family and I regulate our blood sugar issues, that is amazing now. How much more would it be if times get tough?
I don’t know about you, but Epsom salts sound like a powerhouse to me? How about you? Well probably the simplest way to use Epsom salts is either in a bath if you want to take time to have a bath, or you can make something as simple as an Epsom salt scrub as a way to help your body soak up some of the magnesium in the scrub.
Epsom Salt Scrub Recipe
1 1/2 C Epsom Salt
1/2 C coconut oil (melted)
20 drops Lavender EO (optional, but luxurious)
Directions:
1.) Gather and measure your ingredients
2.) Add the essential oil (if you’re using it) into the Epsom salt.
3.) Add the coconut oil to the Epsom salt mixture.
4.) Stir and store.
Have you ever made a sugar or a salt scrub before? Did you realize it was really that easy? What would be your favorite scent of essential oil to use in your scrub?
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How About You?
Have you ever used salt scrubs before? Do you feel like they helped you at all? Do you have another recipe that you’d like to share? Please do down below in the comments so that we can all be better prepared.
Together let’s Love, Learn, Practice, and Overcome!
The only thing I have used epsom salt for is to ward off blossom end rot for tomato plants. Good information. I’ll try this soon. Thanks.
Everything I have ever read about Epsom/magnesium salts externally has the person soaking a part or all of the body in water with dissolved salts or, in the case of magnesium “oil”, which just Mg salts dissolved in water, spraying it on the body. I think the water is necessary for making the salt absorbable through the skin. Even Dr. Axe’s article, which you linked above, only mentions ingestion and soaking. Do you have any information showing that rubbing the salt will result in adequate absorption for the health effects above? I’d like to learn more about it.
Caryn,
You can purchase magnesium lotion which absorbs in through the skin. Sometimes this is even better because what you take in through your mouth is not always bio-available. So you should still have great health benefits with this.
I love Epsom salts. I don’t have any significant health issues and I deal well with stress, and I’m pretty sure that one of the reasons why is because once a week, I take a wonderfully relaxing and healing bubble bath with two cups of Epsom salts poured in. It’s heaven. I like your idea of an Epsom salt scrub too. Maybe I’ll use that for the shower.
I love this recipe. I plan to make it and store some of it away. Thank you. I have used sugar scrubs in the past either lemon juice in it. Real lemon juice from lemons not the bottled crap. It was a good use for my face to eliminate the dead skin cells. Thanks so much for your useful tips.