By Bimbola Segun-Amao
Growing up, you must have heard about Epsom salt. Mothers use it on growing kids for different mythological reasons. My mom said it cures one of re-occurring malaria; not totally a myth, but still not true. Epsom Salt cures no one of malaria, it relieves body stress. Epsom salt is a magnesium salt, (May I say also that Iodine salt is our regular table salt) a naturally occurring compound of magnesium and sulfate. It has many beneficial usage which includes beauty, household, health and gardening.
Let’s talk about its beauty uses.
Epsom salt exfoliates dead skin cells. You need nothing more than an Epsom salt to scrub off the dead cells and get your skin to glow. Here is how: mix a handful of Epsom salt with olive oil or bath oil and rub all over your wet skin to soften it. You may scrub off with a bathing pad, towel or sponge. Another way is run a bath of lukewarm water and pour your salt in, when it dissolves, get into the tub and soak for a while (add your favourite natural oil for soothing). Enjoy the soak while your body absorbs magnesium of the salt and rinse off your dead cells when you are ready. Another way without the tub is pour your salt into a lukewarm bucket of water, allow it to dissolve, get your soap and sponge and give yourself a thorough wash. You’ll notice the glow in your skin afterwards.
As a facial cleanse, mix a teaspoonful of the salt with your cleansing creamn massage in to the skin and rinse off, you’ll have not only cleanse but exfoliate. And for blackheads, use drops of iodine and a teaspoon of Epsom salt into half cup of boiling water. This would be applied to the blackheads with a cotton ball.
Smelly foot? Soak your feet in warm water with half cup of Epsom salt, the bad odour would be gone plus you’ll get finer soft skin.
Epsom salt is drying on the skin, so if your face is oily and gets grimy often, you’ll find this salt very useful. The salt would dry off the moisture in pimples and acnes and steal away some oil from your face. Add it your beauty routine and get the glow.
Remember to moisturize your skin after taking an Epsom salt bath. The salt is available in pharmaceutical stores.
So tell me, what else have you used Epsom salt for?