Need the spa experience without leaving home? Treat your mind, body, and being to an Epsom salt and baking soda bath that’s bubbling with benefits.
Epsom salt and baking soda baths have been used to relieve a variety of symptoms for many years. Even just having a relaxing bath is a great way to reduce stress. Adding Epsom salt and baking soda will boost the experience in a variety of ways — and we’ll tell you all about them. These natural ingredients are also versatile, inexpensive, and gentle on your skin. They’re even gentle on the environment.
Bathing or showering too often are just some of the mistakes that keep everyone from saving water. You don’t have to feel guilty for an occasional soak after a long hard day though — provided every day isn’t a hard day. If you are worried about water wastage, check out our article on baths vs showers to find out how you can make both more sustainable.
How to Make an Epsom Salt and Baking Soda Bath
To enjoy an Epsom salt and baking soda bath:
- Add 2 cups of Epsom salts and 1 cup of baking soda to a warm bath
- Allow both ingredients to dissolve
- Climb in, close your eyes, soak for 40-50 minutes, and enjoy.
If you would like to add a few optional extras to your bath, consider DIY bath salts, homemade bath bombs, or DIY bubble bath. For the complete spa experience, apply a DIY avocado and honey facemask and light some DIY candles before you get in. Don’t forget to exfoliate your skin naturally after a long soak and finish off with an all-natural homemade lotion for added softness.
Although reactions are rare — get out of the bath immediately if you experience any stinging or irritation. It might be helpful to do a patch test on a small area of skin before getting into the water if you are sensitive to a lot of things. If you have diabetes, a serious skin condition, or if you are pregnant, you should check with your healthcare provider before having an Epsom salt and baking soda bath.
Do not include additives in your bath if you have:
- Severe skin inflammation or disorders
- Skin infections
- Open wounds, lesions, or ulcers
- Severe burns or blisters
- Moderate to severe rash
Benefits of Epsom Salt Baking Soda Bath
Although no randomized control trials exist to prove the benefits of an Epsom salt and baking soda bath, both ingredients are claimed to have several. Epsom salt, which is not a true salt, gets its name from its place of discovery in Epsom in England. It is actually magnesium sulfate.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and plays a role in over 300 reactions that take place inside it. Important functions like metabolism, cardiovascular health, and nerve health rely on this mineral. Despite deficient science, Epsom salt baths are often used to detox the body as magnesium is long believed to draw toxins out.
Researchers who found that bathing in Dead Sea salt improved skin barrier function, enhanced skin hydration, and reduced inflammation attributed these effects to the large magnesium content of the Dead Sea. These are also some of the reasons why an Epsom salt foot soak is a popular way of relieving tired, aching, and swollen feet. Researchers also now suggest that magnesium sulfate might even be able to get into the lymphatic system and enter the bloodstream via the skin to bring further benefits.
Baking Soda Benefits
Like Epsom salts, baking soda can also relieve skin irritation and itch. And, its antimicrobial properties may help to stop any cuts or scrapes from becoming infected. Baking soda baths are used in the treatment of several skin conditions. Again, however, evidence is sparse.
Baking soda will bring more than softer skin to your life. It is also a natural DIY air freshener and carpet cleaner. You can even clean your tongue and naturally remove ink stains with it. You won’t even have to worry about products to clean the tub after your Epsom salts and baking soda bath because the latter is also an excellent bathtub cleaner.
Read more:
- Apple Cider Vinegar Foot Soak: Remedy for Calluses and Swollen Feet
- Sitting Position: 12 Tips for Proper Posture
- 5 Benefits of Gargling with Salt Water: How to Cure a Sore Throat
Important Information regarding Health-related Topics.
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