Last week I had a doozie of a headache! It actually lasted 2 days and NOTHING I did would get rid of it. The only thing that came CLOSE was a blend of essential oils. But even that couldn’t conquer this monster migraine!
My son Erik came over to visit on the evening of day two of my headache dilemma and when he heard about my persistent pain he asked if I was taking any magnesium supplements. He said he’d recently read that taking magnesium may help prevent migraine headaches or at least shorten their duration. Apparently people who have migraines tend to have lower levels of magnesium.
Related: 9 Simple and Effective Home Remedies for Headaches
This got me thinking about a post I did last May about how important magnesium is to our overall health! It turns out that 80 percent of the U.S. population suffers from magnesium deficiency causing all kinds of health issues. Unfortunately, taking a magnesium supplement isn’t necessarily the answer because it is not easily absorbed through the digestive tract.
Which finally (sorry it took so long!) brings this blog post to the title of this post….the humble epsom salt bath!
Known scientifically as hydrated magnesium sulfate, epsom salt is rich in magnesium which just so happens to be easily absorbed through the skin.
Before I wrote about the remarkable benefits of magnesium, I believed the writing on the front of the bag of epsom salt that says it’s a LAXATIVE and a SOAKING AID. Prior to that post I’d only used epsom salt for soaking my tired, sore feet.
Since that time I have used epsom salts for skin exfoliation (see my recipe for Lavender Coconut Oil Scrub HERE), as a garden fertilizer, and in the occasional bath, but it wasn’t until my monster headache of last week that I started realizing the preventive benefit of regular soaks in the salt.
Now every time I decide to take a nice, hot bath, without fail, I add a cup of epsom salt to get my boost of magnesium and hopefully avoid horrendous headaches in the future! So far, so good!
Here are a few OTHER benefits of The Humble Epsom Salt Bath:
Detox
An epsom salt soak increases sulfate levels in the body as well as magnesium. Sulfate is needed for proper liver detox, which is so important in our ever toxic world!
More Ideas You'll Love
Muscle Pain and Body Aches
This is probably what epsom salt is BEST known for…but I found it interesting to know WHY. The magnesium that is absorbed into the skin from the “salt” interferes with receptors in the brain that register pain. So the next time you have body aches from the flu…try an epsom salt bath!
Sunburn
A cool bath with 2 cups of epsom salt reduces pain and has mild anti-inflammatory properties.
Autism Symptoms
Children with autism may have decreased levels of phenol sulfotransferase, or PST. Magnesium sulfate may help to increase sulfate in the bloodstream and to moderate PST levels. Soaking in epsom salts may provide relaxation and promote calmer behavior, and the magnesium sulfate from epsom salt is absorbed through the skin during a bath.
Mood Lifter
Taking epsom salt baths helps your body detoxify and absorb the magnesium, which is very helpful for depression and anxiety.
To make my epsom salt soaks even better, I like to kick them up a notch by adding essential oils.
Fill your bathtub, add 1 – 2 cups of epsom salt, and then add 6 – 7 drops of your favorite essential oil.
Here are a few suggestions:
Lavender for relaxation and a good night’s sleep
Rosemary to soothe tired and aching muscles
More Ideas You'll Love
Bergamot to chase away the blues
Peppermint for a pick-me-up
I hope that some of this information is helpful….especially to my fellow headache sufferers. Now go take a bath!
What is your favorite way to use epsom salts?
I had a monster headache this week that lasted from early Tuesday into late Wednesday! I ate carbs, drank caffeine and sugar and took more ibuprofen and Excedrin than recommended. I wish I had seen this post two days ago!! But no worries, the next time I’m armed with this info. Thanks Jillee!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I made a sore muscle soak powder for xmas gifts (and myself of course)- epsom salt, a little baking soda and Birch essential oil. It smells heavenly and helps sore and tired muscles.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Wish I had read this yesterday! And hope I remember it for next headache!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I usually get about 4-5 migraines a year and it’s due to that lovely time of the month and hormone fluctuations. I am totally going to try this now in hopes of preventing them. If it helps me take less pain killers when a migraine comes around, all the better!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Michelle, I get those “hormone headaches” too. They’re the worst. I’ve read that they’re actually sinus migraines. I got a prescription for Allegra D and that usually knocks it right out, but Excedrin Migraine (or the generic) works well, too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.My husband suffers from gout and rubs Epsom Lotion directly on the affected joint with good results. Try rubbing the Epson Salt lotion directly on your tired, achy muscles for faster relief.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Where do you find Epsom lotion or do you make it? If you make it would you be willing to share the recipe? Thank you. :)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I found my Epsom Lotion at WalMart right next to the Epsom Salt. It works great not only for migraines (I too am a migraineur) but also for Fibromyalgia and Lupus pain of which I am daily challenged with.
Our local herb shop recommended giving our teenage girls magnesium capsules daily for menstrual cramps. It definitely has improved their PMS symptoms. We will try Epsom Salt baths as well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I don’t think it’s wise to post that an Epsom salt bath can help with Autism. A soak in a hot tub with Epsom salts can help anyone relax, Autism or not.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I try to drink a lot of coconut water and sometimes sports drinks to increase my magnesium intake for my migraines. It never even crossed my mind to use an Epsom Salt soak for the same reason. Now I can enjoy the long soaks I love so much without the guilt of removing myself from household duties.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love soaking in Epsom salt when I have sore muscles and it works so well I can barely believe it. But I have a couple of questions one being do you have to rinse off with plain water afterwards? The next is what kind of soap works in the salty water? My soap doesn’t soap up. Thank you so much. I love your site and read it every day.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks again Helen
Hi Helen,
I saw your post asking a few questions so I thought I would tell the world what I do.
First off, you do not HAVE to, however, I do tend to jump into my shower to rinse off for a few reasons:
1) I take the time to deep condition my hair–shampoo well–strip it with a clarifying shampoo & then follow with a deep conditioner such as LeKair Cholesterol (stinks but is a great & cheap product, $1.87-2.50 in the African section & is a peach color).
2) I take a palm sized pumice stone ($1-1.25) to my whole body–lightly; the dead skin just rolls up, even on my face & is able to wash away easily. I say again LIGHTLY!! {If it hurts, you are being too rough or gone over the same place too many times.} It feels great & gets rid of the “dry skin pimples” which I find to be the little bumps on my knees, elbows, shoulders, etc. that are really ingrown hairs starting. Take the layer of skin off & the hair is free & no longer causing problems.
3) After I have exfoliated with my pumice stone, I take this time to use a mask of some form on my face. I like the Queen Heleen(?) Mint Julep mask, but you could do the Neutrogena Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask as a mask, or Biore warming anti-blackhead cream cleanser & leave it on as long as you can. It all just depends on what your skin problems happen to be at the time.
So, on to the question of what soap works in the salty water. If I am in the mmod for a bubble bath, I always use baby bath/wash. Since I stopped using regular bubble bath, I no longer have “issues” in the “girl parts” caused by bubble bath–I also don’t take a bath “all the time” which was the biggest help there. Anyway, the baby bath/wash I just use the generic from wallyworld, parents choice, nighttime lavender scent. I have to use a fair bit–I don’t measure, I just pour into the stream of water.
I also read someplace, not sure if it was here or not, in the comments, about Octagon Soap (remember from a kid grandparents called a tar soap, but can’t find it now) & Kirk’s Coco Castile Soap, Original soaping in ANY kind of hard, salty, nasty, rusty water. I went on a hunt for both, but alas, could only find Kirk’s. The cheapest place to find it was at Family Dollar, $3.38 after tax for 3 bars. This stuff is amazing!! Wet fingers rubbed on bar 3-4 times gets enough to wash my whole face. It lathers better than ANYTHING I have seen in YEARS!! It can be used for anything that would want to use it in–laundry, dishes, bathing, washing hair….
So the first time I used this in the bath, I soaped up my hair, left it in for about 10-15 minutes or so, rinsed it out, repeated but only left it for 5 minutes max. Meanwhile, I also used it on my face–I had a bad breakout. Warning, it WILL burn a bit on chapped lips or chapped skin…however, I got a good lather ALL over my face & let it just about completely dry–it felt all tingly. I used it like a mask (how I found out about the chapped lips). For the first time in I can’t even remeber when, my skin, face & hair felt CLEAN like I remeber feeling as a kid, 30ish years ago. It rinses clean & easy with NO residue left behind.
My kid is starting to hit puberty with some pretty severe acne breakouts & after just 1 time, skin cleared up DRAMATICALLY. So, daily use in the shower for face, with a follow up after shower of witch hazel (4 un-coated aspirin added to 16oz generic witch hazel) as a toner & moisturizer finisher, skin now has only the occassional few hairline pimples. My husband, who has always been a bit oily with greasy hair & dandruff problems has been using it–flaky face is gone, & now dandruff shampoo is 2-3 times a week instead of daily. His hair is not greasy anymore & he said the same thing about feeling clean like when a kid.
So far I have not been willing to use it any place else in the house, only hygiene purposes. Oh, & I wish it smelled like coconut, but I don’t detect any kind of smell.
Anyway, I just realized that a short response post has turned quite long–I do apologize, but I was excited to share, what can I say!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I wanted to clarify that this is my epsom salt soaking bath routine (yes, the baby bath/wash does bubble if you want a epsom bubble bath, but lately that hasn’t been my priority, since I found the Kirk’s)–about 1/2 to 1 cup epsom salts depending on how bad I hurt, added to my very large bath tub. Sam’s club has 10 lbs of epsom salt in a great & sturdy tub with a good strong measuring cup for $4.98-6.99. Cheapest place to buy it hands down. Plus I now have sturdy containers for my oxyclean, bulk baking soda & various chomemade cleaning concoctions.
Try magnesium oil on the bottom of your feet. Before bed it will relax you and boosts the magnesium level as well.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.YOU HAVE A SPAM BY XANTHI ABOVE
Please log in or create a free account to comment.How much do you put in a bath tub?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks. Great post!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I suffer from migraines also usually about one or two a month but I read somewhere about eating kale to prevent them from occurring. So every few days I eat kale in my smoothie or in a salad or even as kale chips and knock on wood in the last year I had only 2 migraine headaches. Prevention is so much better than to handle the headache after it comes. I do not know the science behind it but it works and I want the world of migraine sufferer to know.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Dark leafy greens & nuts are naturally high in magnesium.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Ive read so much lately about essential oils, I may need to get me a few! Love Epsom salts!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I love my weekly Epsom salt bath! I find that the essential oils are easier to add to the salt itself as it prevents the oil from staying on too of the water. I always have a large jar of my lavender Epsom salts right next to my bathtub.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.What a great idea! I’m going to do this . I love my salts and oils too!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.http://2cashsite.com/?id=108318
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Really? You needed to spam such a wonderful site?!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I have used Epsom salts on my rosé garden.
Please log in or create a free account to comment...and now I volunteer weekly in a warehouse on cement floors……tired dogs at the end of the day! So next Monday I am going to soak my feet in a warm, loving bath of Epsom salts and peppermint!
I sincerely love the great ideas I get from you, Jillee.
My feet and I salute you!
Occasionally facewashing as it leaves the skin soft. But by far a bath, also leaving skin soft but I discovered it when I was gardening a lot and it hr Lord th hose muscles. Now that I have Fibromyalgia I take Epsom salt baths for the same reason…both magnesium and sulphur is helpful for muscle pain and inflammation and the easiest way is for it to be absorbed directly through the skin.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.