Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulphate, is a chemical that helps plants absorb essential nutrients more efficiently when dissolved in water and applied to the soil. It can be used to grow houseplants, roses, shrubs, lawns, trees, and gardens by providing vital nutrients like magnesium and sulfur. However, it is not a fertilizer or plant food, but when used correctly, it can promote healthy plants and improve soil.
The biggest risk of using scented Epsom salt on plants is that too much salt can damage the plant’s roots and leaves. It is important to consult a doctor before soaking in Epsom salt if a person has a skin condition, as it may worsen symptoms. Ultra Epsom Salt does not accumulate in the soil or harm plants when used, making it safe and effective during any stage of the plant’s life. It can be ingested with medicinal benefits and applied to the skin for skin benefits.
If left unattended, Epsom salt can build up in pipes and possibly clog them. It is best used in the bath rather than in the garden, as spraying Epsom salt solutions on plant leaves can cause leaf scorch. Epsom salts are best used in the bath, not in the garden, as they can cause leaf scorch.
One common use of Epsom salt is adding it to a warm bath to help soothe muscle pain, soreness, or discomfort. To use Epsom salt, dissolve 2-5 TBS of plain Epsom Salt in water and mix with water. Soak in a bath of Epsom salts first to increase the osmotic pressure of the skin, which will draw splinters to the surface.
📹 Do Epsom Salt Baths Do Anything?
You come home from an intense workout, muscles aching, and lower yourself into a warm epsom salt bath from some sweet relief.
Can you clean a shower with Epsom salt?
Epsom salts can be used to clean tile grout, brighten laundry, and scrub hubcaps. Mix Epsom salts with liquid dish soap to form a paste, then apply it to grout lines or dirty tiles. Work in small sections and let the paste sit for 5-10 minutes to break down grime and bacteria. Rinse the area with warm water and wipe clean with a cloth. Add a half cup of Epsom salt to laundry to brighten whites and colors. Scrub hubcaps with a damp sponge or brush, using just enough salts to cover the dirt lightly without piling it on.
When should you not soak in Epsom salt?
Epsom salt baths are generally considered to pose minimal risks; however, they should be avoided in the presence of open wounds, skin infections, or burns. The recommended dosage is between one and two cups, as indicated on the packaging. It is recommended that individuals with kidney issues or diarrhea refrain from consuming Epsom salt and water solutions, as they can be dangerous.
Is Epsom salt safe to bathe in?
Epsom salts are generally regarded as safe (GRAS) and have been demonstrated to offer a range of benefits when incorporated into warm baths. Nevertheless, it is advisable to seek the guidance of a healthcare professional in order to ascertain the suitability of Epsom salt baths for your particular circumstances. Moreover, it should be noted that the browser in use may not support cookies or may have JavaScript disabled or blocked.
Is there a difference between Epsom salt and Garden Epsom salt?
Epsom salt, a natural mineral, contains magnesium and sulfate minerals. It is manufactured and packaged in various ways, but chemically, it is the same. Different “grades” of Epsom salt are used for different applications, including human use and agriculture. Packages with a “drug facts” box or labeled “USP” meet FDA and US Pharmacopeia regulatory standards and are safe for human use. The Epsom Salt Council recommends only Epsom salt with the USP designation.
The scientific name of Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate, was discovered in Shakespeare’s day in Epsom, England. The term “salt” may refer to the compound’s specific chemical structure, but it is widely reported to soften skin and rinse away completely. The exact cause of this softening effect is still unknown, but the results have been reported for hundreds of years.
Can I rub Epsom salt on my skin in the shower?
Exfoliation in the shower can be beneficial, especially before washing the skin. Using shower products on exfoliated skin can enhance the effectiveness of natural oils or moisturizers. To begin, take a small palm full of your favorite epsom salt soak and gently rub it on damp skin in soft circular motions. Rinse away any residual salt and skin cells. Alternatively, you can exfoliate in the bath, taking a palm full of the soak and rubbing it onto the skin. Rinse off the residue before getting out of the tub.
Does it matter what type of Epsom salt you use?
Epsom salt, a natural mineral, contains magnesium and sulfate minerals. It is manufactured and packaged in various ways, but chemically, it is the same. Different “grades” of Epsom salt are used for different applications, including human use and agriculture. Packages with a “drug facts” box or labeled “USP” meet FDA and US Pharmacopeia regulatory standards and are safe for human use. The Epsom Salt Council recommends only Epsom salt with the USP designation.
The scientific name of Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate, was discovered in Shakespeare’s day in Epsom, England. The term “salt” may refer to the compound’s specific chemical structure, but it is widely reported to soften skin and rinse away completely. The exact cause of this softening effect is still unknown, but the results have been reported for hundreds of years.
What happens if you don’t wash off Epsom salt?
If you don’t rinse off after an epsom salt bath, it may limit magnesium absorption and relaxation benefits. If your skin tolerates it, you can skip rinsing and pat dry instead. The decision to rinse off depends on your personal preferences, skin type, and desired outcome. Experiment with both options to find what works best for you. The choice to shower after an epsom bath is up to you, based on your desired relaxation and rejuvenation.
Why do I feel weird after an Epsom salt bath?
Epsom salts are a safe bath additive, but they can cause skin irritation, especially if containing essential oils or other ingredients. It is not recommended for those with allergies, infections, open wounds, or severe burns. Epsom salt should be used as directed to avoid nausea, diarrhea, or abdominal cramping due to excessive magnesium. An Epsom salt bath can relieve pain, relax muscles, and provide stress relief.
To use, dissolve 300-600 grams of Epsom salt in the bathtub and sit for 10-20 minutes. Rinse after to remove excess salt. Other bath soaks, such as colloidal oatmeal or bubble baths, can also be beneficial.
Can I use a whole bag of Epsom salt in a bath?
Epsom salts are a popular relaxation remedy, but they don’t need to be used in every bath. A recommended amount is 200g per bath, mixed into the water while the bath is running until the salts have fully dissolved. This can be used for up to five baths from a 1kg bag. Different sources suggest different amounts, but experimenting with different amounts can help find the best fit for muscle recovery and relaxation. Epsom salts should be used in warm and hot baths, not cold ice baths after exercise to relieve inflammation.
How to use Epsom salt to bathe?
Epsom salt is a popular bathing remedy, typically involving adding 2 cups of Epsom salt to a standard-sized bathtub and soaking for at least 15 minutes. It can be dissolved under running water for quicker dissolution. While hot baths can be relaxing, there is no evidence supporting their benefits. Epsom salt can also be used as a beauty product for skin and hair, as an exfoliant, by dampening and massaging it into the skin.
Can you use garden Epsom salts in the bath?
Epsom salts are a naturally occurring micronutrient that is found in soil and aids plants in the absorption of nutrients. Additionally, they are employed by humans for the alleviation of muscle discomfort and the treatment of assorted ailments, with some dissolved in water and ingested as a beverage.
📹 Do Epsom Salt Baths Really Work? | #ScienceSaturday
As relaxing and soothing as Epsom Salt baths are, what does science have to say? Thomas DeLauer (aka. Mr. Mineral) digs in …
I think it’s worth reminding people of what the placebo effect is exactly: it’s not confirmation bias where you think you’re feeling better but you’re not actually. Instead, it’s when your body actually and measurably fixes some problem you have (sore muscles, in this case) because of something you’re thinking about. If you do a study on someone who has taken a bath with salts (and is told so) vs. someone who has taken a bath without salts (and is told so), there will be an objectively measurable difference. But if you do the same study without telling them if the bath has salts (and they can’t tell for themselves by smell or something), then there won’t be any such measurable difference. It’s worth noting that even if you know it’s a placebo, but you think that placebos work (because they do!), they still have an effect.
Epsom salts in the bath have really helped my 72 year old husband’s skin. His eczema scales have diminished on his legs, forehead and scalp, his toenail fungus is improving (also with podiatrist care) and his seborrheic crusty growths on his back and his skin tags are easier to remove. So every bath includes the epsom salts!
I was advised by a doctor to soak my foot in warm water with Epsom salt in it to help cut back the infection, and soaking the foot in warm water with Epsom salt in it did cut back the pain in my foot significantly more than just warm water did. I really don’t think this was the placebo effect because I didn’t expect it to help, but it did. I wasn’t planning to add Epsom salt to the water but my mom did it without my knowledge and I was amazed by how much more the water with Epsom salt cut the pain from the infection.
Idk… the first time I used epsom salt, I didn’t think it would work at all, but the relief was significant. I had never heard of epsom salt being used for anything other than a laxative, and when it was suggested to me, I was VERY skeptical. But it helped a lot. I’d love to find out more about it for sure!
A good percentage of this I do believe is not entirely correct….if you have more evidence of negative research towards this I would love to read more. Your skin is extraordinarily absorbent, especially after soaking in hot water for a few minutes. Hence things such as Voltarian gell. With the number of doctors and experts that preach of the mental and physical benefits of soaking in Epsom salt….I feel their opinion is more credible.
Soaking in a hot bath can definitely help ease pain. A bath tub full of over saturated salt water stays hot longer than fresh water. Not magic but allows you to sit in hot water longer before the water starts to cool. Also I have no clue the science why but if you have calluses on your feet it really helps heal them quick.
The antifungal properties of epsom salt due to the sulpher content is widely accepted. The magnesium may or may not contribute to the effectiveness due to a synergistic effect. The placebo effect has been shown to work even when the subject is aware that the placebo has been administered and are aware that it should not have an effect. In any case more research should be done. That epsom salts have been used sucessfully for relief is in and of itself a good indicater that something is going on. It would be irresponsible to dismiss the effectiveness because of research that indicates the mechanism suspected to cause the effect is not what was thought. Trying to find out the real reason why it does appear to work could lead to discoveries that might be otherwise beneficial. Science isn’t always correct. Current research may just be concentrating on the wrong thing.
I’ve been taking epsom salt baths for years and it always relaxes me, my muscles and joints (I know anecdotal). Could it be that it increases buoyancy allowing you to reduce tension and maximize the effects of the hot water? I swear it’s very effective and pretty reliable. The only variable is how much tension I have bf the soak.
This really seems like a “we don’t know, the science needs done” issue rather then saying “it’s false because the science needs done.” The first few times I used Epsom salt I was not expecting it to help, so the placebo effect should have made it seem no better then a regular soak or bath but instead I was surprised by how much it helped & what Epsom salts could do against, e.g. an infected chigger bite, so I absolutely dismiss & dispute placebo effect as an explanation; what science has been done to show epsom salt benefits are placebo? Doses of 500mg or more of ‘magnesium’ (I really dispise when chemicals are ignorantly conflated with the element alone) is known to have a muscle relaxing effect. There are differences between salt water & unsalted water that could make for different effects on the body especially in different states, conditions & deficiencies. We know by doing science, we can’t claim to know something is false simple because the science hasn’t been done. This is another example of people wanting to know something but $cience having no incentive it seems to me.
Not having scientific data doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I put a cup in hot bath nearly every night for Fibromyalgia pain. Nights I forget, the bath still feels nice and helps a little but it feels better for longer when I use the epsom salts. Try it for yourself, it’s still one of the few things that is relatively cheap. If you do, use a significant amount, like half cup for a foot soak, cup or more for the bath, stir it around so it dissolves and soak for 20 minutes.
I wonder if it is an osmotic effect. If you soak an ingrown toenail in regular water, the osmotic pressure from salts that are normally in the body (in the toe) might draw the water inwards, and this might lead to more pressure in the toe from excess absorbed water. If you soak an ingrown toenail in highly concentrated salt solutions (especially divalent ions) this might lead to a small amount of water being drawn out from the toe. This might relieve internal pressure from local fluid buildup in the inflamed tissue that may be adding to the pain. People always told me to soak ingrown toenails in hot water but this always seemed to make things hurt more. One time I tried a very concentrated epsom salt solution though, on a whim, and it seemed to help with the pain. I rationalized this with the osmosis possibility. Such a hypothesis would need to be tested by more rigorous experiments though. Don’t know. Maybe it has already been done and so it may be complete garbage.
The guy is speaking as though it is a disclaimer. Epson Salt works and I Bn take it at the beginning and end of the week and it has allowed me to recover to complete HIIT Exercises effectively each week. So if someone says it’s a placebo, they either don’t do it or are in such excellent shape they don’t need to recover.
Hold on… was the question on if epsom salt baths do anything only in relation to soothing aches, pains and sore muscles? Since my childhood and from time to time to this day I take epsom salt baths in order to alleviate any flared up eczema rashes I get, but especially when my prescribed steroid creams couldn’t suppress my insane need to scratch the itchiness that comes with eczema.
Couple discrepancies: Skin isn’t a complete barrier either, particular creams, solutions and many other compounds that make contact can act as a reactor. Furthermore, claiming a placebo seems to be an ad-hoc reason to dismiss the accounts that have been reported. It’s clear that magnesium has interior benefits, and external benefits could involve lower the joint pain and much more. I feel this discussion attempts to answer a question that wasn’t well researched. Scientific method/medical research and biology aren’t always in agreement with one another; thus results and case studies will not always be consistent. It’s a little shameful that I suspected a fallacious rebuttal from Scishow; not that they’re always incorrect, but this episode wasn’t it. Seemed like a rush rebuttal with a lackluster rhetoric. I’d hope he’d gone into the anti-bacterial behavior of MgSO4 and NaCl by comparison to at least give visual comparison.
Just a reminder lack of evidence is not evidence of lack. Right now there’s strong antidotal evidence of efficacy, and one non-published study. Transdermal medication deliver is common. And they tend to use lipid based deliver. A conservative statement would be currently there is no clear evidence of efficacy, and early data indicates it’s worth further study in more rigorously controlled settings. But there is not enough evidence for recommendation of epsom salts baths or transdermal epsom salt delivery.
This article’s argument is basically, “the magnesium from Epsom salt does not enter the body, therefore, Epsom salt doesn’t do any good.” A podiatrist just recommended that my dad soak his feet in water with Epsom salt. Even if magnesium doesn’t enter the body through the skin, could there be another beneficial reason for using Epsom salt?
If you have a long enough and deep enough bath to stretch out in, you can put in enough Epsom salts to float easily. If you can keep the temperature at a constant 98 F you will feel like you are floating on nothing. Turn out the lights and you now have a sensory deprivation chamber. Float and relax for a while. A spa type hot tub works for this. Just know the salt is murder on your metal equipment.
Oh what a timely article! I’ve been wondering how much Epsom salts really work for the sort of overuse injuries I get from dance class. I used them last year, figuring that if nothing else, it wouldn’t hurt anything. Turns out what really helped my feet heal was a month off! First class of the new season is tonight. Maybe I’ll stick to just warm water soaks and foot rubs this year.
I used Epsom Salt for foot bath. Surprisingly it works wonders. I became full faster, having eaten only half my usual meal, drink less as well. Some skin condition shows recovery too. I had autoimmune Langerhans Cells Histiocytosis, which I suspected to be from mercury toxicity. I got extreme thirst and became a bit moody. Read up and the three nutrients mercury depleted are Selenium, Zinc & Magnesium. The symptoms are spot on. Probably getting magnesium through the skin. Whatever it is, it works for me.
Magnesium is optimally absorbed into the body via the skin. Learned that at uni, biomed. And as someone who went on to develop fibromyalgia, Epsom salt baths are a lifeline, easing pain and helping with sleep. I also have HS and it helps speed up hearing along with antibiotics. I buy it by the sack and use 500g to a kilo per bath and soak for at least 20mins. That’s what it takes to get optimal benefits.
In the opening comments, you mentioned hang nails, and later mentioned that epsom salts might be softening to the skin, but you didn’t follow up on either point, addressing only the lack of evidence for easing sore muscles. If Epsom salts do in fact soften skin, (externally,) then it’s reasonable to see how they might help with external conditions like hang- or ingrown nails. I have also heard it suggested that Epsom soaking can help in the removal of splinters, another possibly reasonable, external application.
I was thinking by filling the bath with Epsom salt your skin won’t dry out. In a regular bath the body will lose water to balance the salt content. With an Epsom salt bath the water will remain in your body because there is already a high salt content in the water. These are very different salts. Does my 30 work?
Huh, I always thought it had something to do with the fact that its just more salient than regular water, but no one has a done a study on the skin cells of the foot and its water levels. It seems like this article might just be for some schmuck who wants to prove his or her significant other wrong about something than actually showing the scientific results for what we know about epsom salt. I mean, you guys didnt even go over the evidence shown of balneotherapy and how that can help properly redistribute blood pressure, so I cant really expect you to take epsom salt seriously enough to discuss it but…well whatever. Maybe some young science student will do this and we can finally actually talk about it instead of creating a article like this where its mostly just “we dont know”. Cool though, thanks for wasting my time on this earth
I like epsom salt not for my muscles, but for my skin. It makes my skin feel nicer than if I were just bathing in plain water. If I want something to help my muscles, I’ll just soak in veeery warm water and then use Absorbine later. And take ibuprofen if I happen to have inflammation. But yeah lol I never believed epsom did anything for my muscles. I never noticed a difference there – only for my skin.
A few years ago I picked up a bath salt blend from a some natural grocery store. My brother saw it and had no idea that bath salts were things you mixed in the tub to relax- he only knew about the bath salts that he saw on tv that turned people in to zombies. He picked it up and said “Wait…you can buy these at the grocery store?!” and I had to explain to him the no, I was not going to turn in to a face-eating zombie, I just wanted to soak my feet.
Our foods do not contain enough vitamins and minerals that we need because the soil has been damaged by herbicides. Instead of epsom salt baths, I make a concentrated “oil” from Epsom salts and boiling water. Cool and put into a bottle. If you are deficient in magnesium, supposedly you will itch when applied. I put a goodly dose on different parts of my body for a week out of the month and the itching theory seems to be true – I itch wherever applied but as the week progresses, the itching stops. This repeats itself over and over. AND, I get shilajit “pills” for vital minerals. This is literally ancient “mud” rich in minerals from high mountain areas.
Studies are made with a limited number of people because of a restricted budjet… in the other hand you have million and millios of people using this and felling much better after. So, if you have millions of people with good results then you don’t need the ” control group” part of the study saying that x number of them experienced the placebo effect to prouve that it actually works or not. You have millions saying that it worked for them. 😕
Multiple traditional doctors have recommended I use an Epsom salt bath to help sore muscles. According to my mother, who is a nurse, it’s also a common treatment for soaking sore feet. And several of my doctors and my son’s pediatrician have recommended taking a magnesium supplement as a boost for anxiety treatment — to be taken at night since it can make you drowsy and actually help you fall asleep. I’m shocked there are NO studies to support this. I don’t go to alternative medicine docs and believe strongly in the importance of scientific, placebo controlled, double blind, replicated clinical trials – so the lack of supportive research for this common recommendation is deeply surprising. I guess if nothing else, it does seem to make the water feel softer… But really? There is no scientific support for Epsom salt soaks? No way it’s penetrating the skin barrier and expediting muscle healing? To quote Will Ferrell in Elf, “That’s shocking!”
I absolutely do feel the difference when I bathe in Epsom salt I am soaked in Epsom salt for my osteoporosis fibromyalgia and arthritis I can actually feel some kind of tingling on my skin and unfortunately when I climb up out of the tub it’s much harder than normal bathwater in a sense I feel weaker
I have no dog in this fight but ill say this. When i was in physical conditioning, my hips were killing me. My trainers had me doing various stretches for weeks but my hips and IT bands continued to hurt. Out of desperation, i tried epsom salt baths for 20 mins. After 2 days, my hips and IT band didnt hurt anymore
I guess that as I show needs to start looking into the “sci” part. There are many scientifically researched experiments showing the efficacy of magnesium sulfate and even more so magnesium chloride for many different issues. Many have been published in peer reviewed journals. Yes magnesium which is a transdermal mineral/nutrient is one mineral that most people are deficient in, though if by chance you are not, it will not be as effective.
Btw: Very attractive and toxic for pets. This common salt is used in bath products. Wipe and rinse surfaces like tiles and tubs and keep pets from licking “left behind surface salts”. Doesn’t take much to kill your pet as it accumulates in organs like the kidneys over time. Magnesium salts absorb moisture from the air and soon lose that sparkle element.
I know that some people use horomone creams that raise hormone levels quite well when absorbed through the skin but if one were to try to raise those same levels by eating certain foods, well, it just isn’t going to happen. So at least on the argument of your skin not absorbing things all that well, sure but it actually can absorb some things very well 🙂
I have some kind of muscle problem and I can say 100% that magnesium absorbed through the skin is effective. However that being said it doesn’t necessarily contradict anything in this article. I use a form of magnesium oil when I have a flare-up and I have no idea of it’s potency compared to epsom salts diluted in a bathtub. And additionally as I stated I do have some kind of deficiency. Also I know it’s not placebo because I tried pretty much everything I could to stop the pain (including 3000+mg of acetaminophen as well as prescription NSAIDS) with no luck and didn’t have much confidence in this doing anything. But the magnesium will calm my symptoms in under a minute!
First many people do have magnesium deficit today… since our food doesn’t have as much as it used to due to intensive argicutlure. Secondly I can say for sure, I feel way more tired after an epsom salt bath… so I suppose it does help in relaxing (no idea why)… which may be the cause for the benefits that are attributed to it.
The first epsom bath I took was when I was 13. I had a bunch of ingrown hairs on my legs that resulted in red dots. My Mom said epsom salt may help and made me a bath of the stuff. I didn’t feel anything while soaking, however when I went to get out of the bath….my legs were so relaxed that they felt like they were made of rubber. The feeling was so profound that I was laughing because it was so difficult to stand and use my legs. My whole body was relaxed but the biggest effect was felt in my legs. Warm baths were a normal experience for me so it wasn’t the warm water that made me feel that way.
After a fun and adventurous camping trip; you know the kind where you arrive home with cuts and scrapes from briar, unexpected tree branches, you name it, this stuff is fabulous. Yes, a warm bath does relieve the sore muscles but the interesting thing is that the Epsom salt will help clean all those little scrapes and scratches. I remember it stinging quite a bit for about 2 seconds (yes, really) then it was the most soothing feeling ever. In fact, when I got out of the tub every small wound looked less red and felt less tender. Never underestimate a good old briar vine to the face or thighs.
Epsom salts definitely have some healing properties. The salt cleanses wounds and exfoliates. Has antibacterial properties from its sulphur compound. Its been proven to help with swellings and soft tissue inflammation (indirectly reducing pain). I think it does this by drawing out fluids through the skin. That’s why its also the active ingredient in drawing ointment.
Epsom salts are really good at keeping your skin healthy, just like soap. It’s not soo much about absorbing it, and more about treating the surface of your skin, which can reduce bacteria, infection, etc. One of the main reasons behind bad skin is bacteria….even if you don’t have a pimple, bacteria is still there doing stuff, leaving waste behind. While soap helps, having a layer of epsom salt on your body can help ward bacteria. I always do a quick shower after a bath just to rinse, but I can definitely feel the difference in my skin after an epsom salt bath. Even if epsom salt isn’t exactly doing much, it’s still a good additive to tap water baths because tap water can be harsh on the skin as it’s full of all kinds of stuff from chlorine to heavy metals. Plus epsom salts don’t usually come alone, I for example prefer the mint eucalyptus blend type, since it gives a nice fresh aroma, all additives which could be beneficial to skin. My skin always feels better for 2 days after an epsom salt bath.
My mother, who was not on any dietary restrictions at the time, took an Epsom salt bath and nearly passed out from lowered blood pressure and also broke a blood vessel in her eye. Since it’s not supposed to affect the average joe, I’m thinking she was severely lacking in magnesium and the Epsom took affect… too well.
When we sweat, we reabsorb some of the ions from the sweat, so that what we lose is much closer to just water than the fluid is when it initially crosses the epithelium of the secretory coil at the base of a sweat gland. But only if we’re heat-acclimated. The reabsorption system shuts down if it’s not used for weeks or months. Theoretically, if you make a habit of taking hot baths with epsom salt, some magnesium should diffuse into the sweat glands and be absorbed. No way of knowing whether it’s enough to matter, without doing isotopic measurement experiments. Plasma levels of magnesium are regulated by multiple mechanisms, so they wouldn’t be expected to change significantly even if an appreciable amount does get absorbed.
Im confused by this article. Surely if your bathing in epsom salts its becaise you have a deficiency or suspect one? Its like saying vitamin b12 injections don’t work if you don’t have a deficiency…….. Well duh. Like drinking water wont quench your thirst if you don’t have a thirst. Lol Skin is very absorbent. If you soak in alcohol don’t tell me you wont get drunk and then die. I believe there are other reasons to bath in salt water. They can draw out and kill certain parasites and can help defoliate the skin. Pretty sure they can help treat fungal skin infections like athletes foot.
A couple of things: First, he refers to Epsom salts as a “Drug”. It is not a drug. Second, who are these “experts” he keeps talking about? Who are they? What are their backgrounds? Under what experience do they speak? What are these studies that say Epsom salt baths are worthless? They should change the name of this website from SciShow to SHITShow.
I have had cuts from a African thorn bush that will not heal from trying to clean up in the yard, and I used epsom salts just rubbed it on my skin, where the cuts are and there is a significant improvement, in one day. soaking small cuts, aside from other many other uses. People have to be extremely careful using it as a laxative, it can be very harmful, people have to follow instructions. Consult their physician especially if have any cardiac issues, known or unknown and the yearly check ups are very important, for many reasons. Espom salts, as too the ocean are miracle Blessing, in so many ways.
That’s not the point of Epson salt baths. The point is to dilute the water with salt so the body can float in the water. While you are floating you can relax your muscles to the fullest and let yhe warm water do its thing by promoting blood flow. More blood flowing the more nutrients your muscles get. This isn’t rocket science it’s pretty basic common sense
One thing I like about Epsom salt baths is just that the water feels different, which makes sense since it’s got a bunch of salt dissolved. Don’t know if they do anything but an occasional Epsom salt bath is nice for relaxing, and they don’t leave me covered it dyes and glitter like a bath bomb would. Also the smell of a scented Epsom salt is relaxing. I’m not gonna make any claims about oils added to salts doing anything besides smelling nice, but the scent is relaxing and coming out of the bath with skin that smells faintly of lavender is nice.
I WENT TO A REAL DOCTOR. PAIN IN MY HEELS WAS BLINDING. CALCIUM SPURS A REAL MEDICAL CONDTION. I REALLY COULD NOT WALK BAREFOOTED AT ALL. DOC SAID 2 CUPS OF EPSOM SALT 1/4 CUP OF ANY VINEGAR TUB OF WATER HOT AS YOU CAN STAND IT. SOAK YOUR FEET TILL THE WATER IS COOL. THIS REALLY WORKED A GOD SEND. P.S. I did not think this would work no placebo effect here
I tore my ACL and both menisci recently. My knee could barely bend at all because of the swelling, something I was acutely aware of when awkwardly sitting in the bath (standing was out of the question). At the end of the bath I remembered the epsom salt and put it in. With in minutes I’d gained like 45 degrees of mobility. If all that came from a placebo effect, that’s one hell of a placebo.
Ok I am deficient in many electrolytes so I know how blood testing for magnesium works. Magnesium moves between cells in the muscles etc. To the blood and back again so measuring a person’s blood levels doesn’t actually tell you anything about how much magnesium is outside the bloodstream. I am also deficient in potassium and you require magnesium in order to increase potassium levels. Due to a gi condition I cannot take magnesium by mouth without significant gi upset. I use the gel and soaks daily. When I don’t use them I end up hypokalemic. Sorry but in my personal experience it works.
i’m skeptical of this—i have piriformis syndrome, where the piriformis muscle in my glutes becomes inflamed and compresses my sciatic nerve, which is excruciating and prevents me from walking. i have had to adjust the way i sleep, walk, and exercise in order to protect my nerve. for years i was unable to run, or even walk long distances, because afterwards my muscles would inflame, squeeze the nerve, and i’d be pretty much bedridden for days. i recently tried going for a run (because i’m apparently a masochist🤣) and took an epsom salt bath afterwards… no pain!!!! it has been YEARS of not being able to run. which has massively sucked bc running is one of my passions. i think i’ve finally found the solution😭🤍
The solution for how soaking in epsom salts doesn’t cause your body to absorb it? Clearly, it is drink it (PSA: don’t actually drink epsom salts. While highly purified epsom salts will be mostly harmless in small quantities, it is a laxative. High quantities of any laxative can have… “explosive” side effects… In addition, since epsom salts are rarely sold to be consumed, they are rarely food-grade)
I come to Sci Show for data, your musings on science aren’t REALLY worth my time. 2 things you did Not include in your rumination: the skin is a Semi-Permeable Membrane, which is why transdermal patches for nicotine, birth control, and pain meds work; and the fact that MANY people are deficient in magnesium. Given these facts, and the included fact that there is no downside to a 20 minute soak, it seems that this segment should be labeled an OPINION.
Say what you will, but we have used epsom salts for eons. And there is nothing better. From the U.K. to Canada, this treasure has been passed on. As we’ve aged, we keep on ticking. Can walk for hours, dance…. Being a great believer in science, this time I must say, I do NOT concur. But nice presentation. ! ;-))
I had psoriasis over my legs,back,tried hesps of expensive creams, someone mentioned have a bath each day with epdoms salts. By a few days the scaly scabs began disappearing, i know its teue, my skin was new like a babies. We moved and only had shower,my psoriasis is slowly coming back. Im putting a bath in our new place. 😊
Sorry, I KNOW how my body feels after soaking my feet in Epsom salt and warm water, or taking a bath soak. I don’t need a control study to prove anything to me, I can feel my b4 and after each use of those magnificent salts – THANKS EPSOM Why would he say that the skin does not absorb? So much for control studies.
I guess like anything it is hard to get definitive proof for/against something without a lot of scientific evidence but one has to wonder if it does do something. Maybe it is merely helping the skin relax due to the higher magnesium levels? I know your skin is decent at blocking things out but i would suspect over time soaking in a tub your skin would be more likely to soak in some minerals?
This is not a very thorough answer. In Ginevra Lipton’s (M.D., Tufts) book “The Fibro Manual” she outlines the benefits of Magnesium supplements. Specifically, they; a.) in high doses, increase Gamma-aminobutyric acid, which helps you sleep through the night (Held, 2002) and has been demonstrated to reduce restless leg symptoms and nighttime muscle cramps. She also notes that some forms of magnesium, especially magnesium oxide are not well absorbed by the intestines so the necessary dosage for a beneficial effect (300-900mg) can also cause digestive issues with its laxative effects (ibid). She notes that Fibromyalgia patients (well over two million people and many more undiagnosed due to its tricky presentation) are almost universally magnesium deficient and it stands to reason that people with high stress levels may also have minor difficiencies. She says, “We absorb magnesium better through our skin than through our intestines, so a transdermal application is an effective way to trigger relaxation… (transdermal magnesium) guides the body into deeper sleep and acts as a natural relaxant to tight muscles,” “(it) is the relaxation mineral: it has calming affects on the brain, nerves, and muscles”. She suggests creams, oils, lotions (less magnesium, but easier on the skin) or a bath with “as much epsom salt as you can get to dissolve”. There is no reason to assume that she is wrong or being deceitful or sloppy as she is in good standing with her degree granting University (of very high esteem), as well as a former assoc.
I don’t think it’s placebo.. I have MS and get really bad leg spasms, I take hot baths frequently to soothe my legs- hot water helps regardless of salt; that is true. But I wanted to know if it was worth paying money for Epsom salts so I kind of did a ‘personal experiment’ on myself to see if there was any merit and because I would alternate between regular baths and salt water baths so often, I swear there’s a huge difference when I take an epsom salt bath. Scientifically proven? No but enough to know that I prefer the salt because of the sense of relaxation in my legs following the salt baths that didn’t necessarily happen with regular. Like I said heat works regardless- but there was something ‘extra relaxing’ to my muscles with salt. The key is using enough salt And does it matter if it’s a specific generic salt/sodium or magnesium sodium 🤷🏻♀️ I’m not sure. The benefit to epsom salt is that it is cheaper route to use in a bath because I need so much of it, they don’t sell table salt cheaply enough so I’d have to use half the bag if I were to test it lol Something to consider: The ocean has healing power- I know this from being a child with cuts and scrapes and going into the beach’s salt water. The healing process on any wounds I had had seemed to speed up after going to the beach. I think salt in general is a great thing to use externally, or even orally- to swish around in your mouth and gargle with warm water. Another experience: I had my tonsils removed a few years back, but before surgery I was getting sick every few months with tonsillitis – I could feel the tonsillitis coming on, like swelling and pain in the back of my throat, And if I wasn’t being lazy,I would sometimes gargle with salt and warm water in the back of my throat- and more often then not, I never ended up getting sick despite feeling it coming.
I tried some bath salts called bod they were on offer at the time. I tried it and I hadn’t lost weight in weeks. I tried it and lost 2lbs! I dunno if it’s the same but its suppose to draw toxins and water bloating etc problem is everywhere i look bod is sold out or over £10 a bag! Expensive bath! I was searching Epsom bath salts to see if it would do the same thing but I’m guessing not now lol
My cat had an anal gland infection that didn’t respond to treatment. The vet wanted to put him under anesthesia and open it up. $900. I had already spent $600 on the treatments that didn’t work. I couldn’t afford it so the vet recommended euthanasia. I couldn’t accept that. I found something where someone suggested epsom salt hot packs 4-5 times a day for 5-10 minutes. After 2 days he was cured but I kept going for a week. I almost euthanized my cat when a $1 bag of epsom salt cured him.
I get the scarcity of reliable evidence makes this a hard to believe, but I have to say there is no way this is a placebo effect. I was born with a clubfoot, and had corrective surgery at 9 months old. It has always caused some level of pain, mostly when I wake up, and after any significant physical activity such as running. When I was 13 a doctor found the starting signs of arthritis in it, and confused the x-ray for a broken ankle lol. I’m 25 now, and every day is a struggle with it. Working through near constant pain from various causes, including the effects my foot has had on my knees, hips, and back. But I recently tried soaking in Epsom salt for the first time, wondering how it was supposed to work, if at all. But to my surprise the effects are night and day. For the first time in YEARS I got out of bed without limping. Even after working an 8 hour shift I felt almost no pain in my joints. Maybe I have a deficiency like this article mentioned, but I could never deny the effects of just ONE Epsom salt bath. Granted I’m pretty sure I used way too much and soaked for too long as well lmao.
Funny, my Dermatologist said your skin DOES absorb magnesium quite well and that’s why she recommended magnesium lotion to help relax the body and ease soreness. So who am I going to listen to, the boy on the YouTube website or the doctor who’s making sure I don’t get secondary skin cancer? I’ll go with the latter, thanks.
I’ll give you my unscientific answer: I do absorb magnesium through my skin. I don’t absorb magnesium from food so I use Epsom salt on my skin to get magnesium. If I slack, I get severe bone pain, muscle pains and spasms. When I use it, the pains disappear. Without magnesium your body cannot absorb calcium. You should’ve done more research.
Hmmm just thinking. People in the comments talk about a bath drying their skin but one with Epsom Salts keep skin moisturised. Maybe it changes the pH of some water in baths. And the ingrown toenail possibly has an infection so salted water is going to help that. Like most ‘helpful hints’ they work better if there’s a problem. Magnesium tablets work better for lack of magnesium than Epsom Salts, but a hot bath helps the body relax, epsom salts or no. However, saying it’s not scientifically proven, well, all that says is no one thinks it’s worthy of a pHd. Use of it still has merit, if you find it has merit.
FYI epsom salts are used by dancers to kill the bacteria and dry out the skin on their feet. So idk about them being relaxing for muscles, but that’s an example of athletes just knowing that salt makes your skin dry/tough and helps w/blisters… the good feeling comes from the heat (the salt just adds a burning feeling…) 😀
Well, my gynecologist told me to bathe in epsom salt baths to prevent yeast infections. And your vag does come into direct contact with the bath water, which your article didn’t consider (weird blind spot… unless your research team doesn’t have any vagina-bearing individuals in it, I guess). So, I think I’ll listen to my doctor, thanks.
It is entirely believable that the epsom salt baths I use for my plantar fascitis is helping me enjoy the benefits of the placebo effect. As long as my feet quit hurting, I’m good. Maybe science will find there is genuine benefit, maybe science won’t fine any real benefit. If it ever declares epsom salt useless as a sore muscle soak, I hope it’s after I’m dead and gone.
May be that many people know that our cells carry 3 parts of magnesium 2 (of calcium not supplemented not in lactos, ) potassium sal and water. Our skin is permeable and it Allows many good plants’ beneficial substances to go into the body. Just do not put anything on the head that you do not really been instructed to use and no chemicals that claim make hair grow like mino… because it afectos the behavior badly. Other things is that there are many cosmetics that claim great results in beauty, but in reality not many are that effective for wrinkles. and because preservativos and other harmful chemicals .
1:26 Everything from here on out is weird. Magnesium deficiency is very common. And from where do you draw the conclusion that magnesium from food is better than through environmental exposure anyway? Even the claim that nuts and leafy vegetables are good sources of magnesium in the first place is speculative, as toxins in exactly those food groups are very well known to inhibit absorption of minerals including magnesium. While it is true we did not know empirically that transdermal magnesium was effective, that never validated the assumption that it is ineffective. In hindsight, it’s extremely embarrassing for a science website as popular as SciShow to jump to such conclusions, and validate uncritical thinking, even if the preventative intention was good.
No evidence showing that salt gets into your body when you soak in it? LOL! Yet not harmful, more LOL! I can tell you a secret, a walk on the beach through, walking in the ocean cured my athletes foot for years; I did this a lot because I lived near the beach and I played sports for years and your socks get really mushy… and since I didn’t have enough money to have 2 or 3 pairs of athletic shoes I found this to work really well.
What about Magnesium Chloride spray? Put it directly on the skin, magnesium soaks in while the chloride salt remains on the skin. So I’ve been told. I notice a difference. Can irritate sensitive or dry skin. Also I got like 6 lbs of MgCl salt off the internet. Got it from a fish tank supply store. Would take baths after long week of service industry stuff, nothing else has ever had such an impact on me.
I have been ‘floxed’ (toxic poisining from fluoroquinolone antibotics) I am experiencing rapid decline in function of tendons (chronic tendinitis, arthritis etc) and am also worried about early onset Parkinsons disease. I was recommended to use epsom bath salts to draw out toxins. Thanks for preventing me from wasting my time (and getting hopes up for nothiing) now I am resigning myself to the fact that I have damage to Mitochondria DNA that will regenerate when damaged further and there is nothing I can do about it.
Um..I think the pp saying epsom salt r good for ur body mean the kind u can really put in ur body aka eat but yes that’s a lot to cover seeing as there r a lot of them plus they do VERY different things depending on the kind they r…as for the bath grade ones DON’T eat them!..lol silly pp need to say what they really mean/ask the right questions or at the very least get it right. Still a good article though ty ^_^ <3 I'm sorry but I don't reply to anyone and trolls ja great u win good for u lol!
From what I’ve read, up to 80% of American are magnesium deficient as they don’t get enough in their daily diet so epsom salt soaks would be beneficial to many people. I would never recommend it as a laxative though, it’s extremely harsh and can lead to dehydration if not used properly. I would love to see a proper study on the baths though, it’s too bad it’s so cheap no company would bother paying for it….
Applying the Placebo effect to pre-scientific cultures? The effect requires an assumption of an understanding that did not exist. So you write it off as a religious variation on the same expectation, but how do account for similar therapies for cultures that didn’t practice religion in the terms we understand? Hot mineral baths as curative are universal and go back much further than recorded history. The skin is a marvelous selective barrier, you left out the word selective. There are any number of substances, both beneficial and harmful, that pass right through the skin. My point is that this was not educational so much as presenting an implied conclusion without making the case. Bad SciShow.
Magnesium salts do not necessarily act as laxative. Magnesium chloride does not for example. Only Magnesium compounds which irritate the bowel do so, Magnesium oxide etc. I have used Magnesium chloride for ten years to lower blood pressure and control muscle cramping and sometimes have to take vitamin c as a treatment for constipation
Epsom salt helps deal with stress not heal or treat anything. There’s no health benefits except for relieving stress. I have chronic pain and I have tried epsom salt. It doesn’t do anything unless it’s sented with aromatherapy. Also, I got migraines after using it before so I quit. It’s too strong for my sensory. It also causes my skin to dry out and it cracks and peel’s for days.
If stuff you put on your skin doesn’t affect your body then why do doctors order nitrogen patches. Pain patches? In fact, quite often I have seen people who just had nitrogen patch applied ask for headaches medication related to the vasodilation side effects. One of the meds for prostate has a warning on the package that states, “Not to be handled by pregnant women due to possibly of side effects.”
I twisted my ankle when I was playing soccer and usually I need to rest it for at least a week to it to get fully mobile without hurting. But my girlfriend said I should take a bath with epsom salt and it worked like magic. I could immediately put a little weight where it would hurt. And today its not hurting at all. I don’t know the science behind it, i might have a deficiency, but in the end some CVS epsom salt did work.
Funny how this man says, ” there’s no evidence that shows that the magnesium in your epsom salt bath actually gets inside you” then he follows it up with ” well there’s one report of magnesium levels and sulfate levels going up….. did he watch his own article and see his just proved himself wrong ??? Ty for your opinion though,
You don’t always need double-blind studies, sometimes common sense or history can help make things clear. For example, you raise doubt about magnesium being absorbed through the skin in amounts beneficial for improving health. Well, you are too young to remember this and also not a woman but I am older and a woman and remember a time when women’s facial base cosmetics contained lead. Many women were poisoned and experienced high levels of poisoning in addition hormone creams have been being used by women to boost hormone levels in the body for years. The skin is totally capable of absorption to a high degree so I would think the magnesium is very beneficial in taking Epsom salt baths. In Japan where most of the oldest people in the world live they take baths in high mineral content natural hot spring baths for centuries. In fact they are what is known as a bathing culture they are much healthier than Americans all day long. The American medical industry has a lot to learn that is why doctors are called practicing physicians.
Dude this article made me underestimate how much an epsom salt bath would work on me… i took an hour soak and had headaches, muscle weakness, palpitations, tiredness… I mean i know people have had long soaks in epsom salts and were fine but maybe it just depends on the person how much it affects you. Fr you guys need to take a closer look at your so-called research because YA… the stuff works. Maybe warn people to go at it slowly instead of making them doubt they’ll do anything at all…
Best way to not feel like crap after a workout is riding a (stationary) bike for at least half an hour afterwards to get rid of the lactic, followed by some stretching. I can’t remember where I heard this from, but there’s something in coffee beans that helps too. Or maybe I just like coffee, not sure.
And just because science haven’t done enough research yet, it dosen’t mean that its not working. It just means that no one took the time to research this subject. If you feel results from epsom salt, believe in your own reality and keep doing your thing. Western science is really falling behaind on a lot of things.
Reading through some comments, I am seeing a lot of people claiming scientific evidence of some claim of this and that. About the only thing I know for certain is that it can smell nice and make your skin a bit softer. Now that could assist in relaxation in a mental aspect, which then could assist in physical relaxation of tense muscles.
If Epsom salts soften the water, they would increase the comfort of the bath, having a real psychological effect, and when we feel better in ourselves, and our stress levels reduce it does seem to increase our ability to deal with ill health. Personally though, I use washing soda for the same effect – much cheaper!
Why isn’t there a well-designed study yet? There are so many things where there either isn’t a study or there are only poorly-designed studies. The more we know about how things work the better off we are. The government needs to step in more and help fund good scientific studies. I wouldn’t say that epsom salts should be the top priority, there are more important things to study, but you never know what the results could reveal, so the more things get studied and faster, the better. With all our electronics and computers people think that scientific progress is going fast, but really it’s slow, much slower than it needs to be. Better policies would mean faster progress.
If you are dehydrated your body will absorb water in a bath or shower, the magnesium would work the same way, particularly if your muscles are low on salt from working out. People in ketosis would benefit due to the high water and salts loss through weight loss. The salt can also change the heat capacity of the water allowing the temperatures to be greater and lower.
With regard to the belief that a magnesium salt bath helps soothe aching muscles, a reasonable assumption can be made that after about 10 minutes enough dead skin is sloughed off that the salt can penetrate into the epidermis, where it can be absorbed into the blood and perhaps even stimulate the nerve cells there, causing a soothing sensation.
According to the Psoriasis advance guide on the Psoriasis website taking Epsom Salt baths will reduced itching and help the sores to heal faster, not sure if they quote any science based studies though as I am now on an injection treatment trial that is going so well I don’t need to bathe any more… PS don’t sit next to me on the bus :p