Epsom Salt Baths

I love baths. It's a luxury and I'll treat myself with that luxury as often as possible, fully embracing the art of pleasure and relaxation, because why not. Why save it for special occasions when you can have it everyday. Treat yourself, take care of yourself and love yourself. Fill up your own cup, so you don't run empty while filling up others. 

I was watching "Eat Pray Love" a while back, and one thing that really stuck with me was Liz, the main character, telling her friends that she felt so guilty because she had been in Rome for two weeks, and the only thing she had done was learn a few Italian words, and eat. Her friend responded with "you feel guilty because you're American. You don't know how to enjoy yourself. Americans know entertainment, but they don't know pleasure. You want to know your problem? You work too hard, you get burned out. Then you come and spend the whole weekend in your pajamas in front of the TV, but you don't know pleasure. You have to be told you've earned it. But an Italian doesn't need to be told. He walks by a sign that says 'you deserve a break today', and he says 'yeah, I know'. The sweetness of doing nothing. We are masters of it"

This is so inspiring and rather controversial to our society, as we're learned to be doing, doing, doing, and maybe, if we do a little more, we have earned a break. I'm not following up on that. I'll take breaks when I need to, I'll treat myself good, I'll live the art of doing nothing and I'll do it as many times needed to truly embrace the feeling that I do deserve it. Because I do, we all do, we're just told that we have to do something first, to earn our off-time. So treat yourself, take a time for yourself soaking up in the bathtub. 

Epsom salt baths are relaxing and soothing and is a great self-care ritual. Epsom salt is a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate, and is technically known as magnesium sulfate. Epsom salt help relax muscles, aids nerve function, helps you fall asleep and is easily absorbed through the skin and may increase the magnesium levels in your body, which helps with magnesium deficiency. As far as I'm concerned everyone could use some extra magnesium because it's a mineral that many of us are lacking in due to stress, poor diets and depleted soil. Epsom salt baths is a great thing to implement into your weekly routine due to the magnesium it provides, as well as the stress-relieving and calming properties. 

BENEFITS OF EPSOM SALT

Boosts Magnesium Levels

Appropriate levels of magnesium are key to good health, and it is very common to have a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium help the body regulate over 300 enzymes and plays an important role in organising many bodily functions, like muscle control, electrical impulses, energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.

Relieve stress and Promote Relaxation

The magnesium in epsom salt helps relieve stress and can improve relaxation and sleep when used in baths.

Reduce Pain and Cramping

Epsom salts absorbed through the skin can also work to relieve muscle tension, pain and inflammation in joints. Soak yourself in a warm epsom salt bath to alleviate tension headaches, swelling or soothe cramps. Tired and sore feet will also benefit from the therapeutic warmth of an epsom salt soak.

Eliminate Toxins

The sulfates in epsom salt assist the body in flushing out toxins and providing a detox, hence lowering the internal accumulation of harmful substances. 

In this day and age, our bodies are subject to more toxins than ever. Toxins are in the air we breathe, the food we eat, the medications we take and in the water we drink. Toxins cause irritation, harm and destruction in the body if left unchecked. Detoxification is the body's way of removing and metabolizing these dangerous compounds and is a process the body does naturally without us even knowing it. However, the capacity of the body's detoxification process is not endless.

Our toxic burden is a result of the toxins we are exposed to and our body's ability to naturally detox. The more toxins we are exposed to, the harder the body has to work at eliminating these toxins.

The list of toxins that could potentially harm our bodies is almost endless; many start their day with a hot shower, the water is contaminated with pollutants, the soap and shampoo is full of chemicals, the toothpaste has fluoride, from there we may have breakfast where the food has been treated with pesticides. We haven't even left our house, yet we have been exposed to toxins that can potentially cause ill-health.

Softer Skin

Epsom salt baths naturally exfoliate and soften skin as the Epsom Salt Council points out. Epsom salt baths may lead to better skin circulation, making your skin healthier.

Instructions

For a detoxing bath, add at least two cups of epsom salt to bathwater and soak for at least 20 minutes. Make sure to consume water before, during and after the bath to make sure you stay hydrated and to increase detoxification. You can also add 5-10 drops essential oil like lavender which is known for providing relaxation through its calming scent. And if you don’t have a bathtub - do a foot bath! The absorption of magnesium through the feet are great. I buy epsom salt in bulk and store it in smaller amounts in the bathroom.

Relax, restore and enjoy yourself.