Do epsom salt baths work

What Is Epsom Salt?

Epsom salts are a type of mineral salt found in nature. Specifically, this type of salt is a compound of magnesium and sulfate.

Epsom salts look very much like coarse salt you might find in a kitchen. However, they are not meant for cooking with and taste very bitter.

Rather, they can be dissolved in the bath or applied to the skin. If unscented, they can also be dissolved in drinking water.

It's the magnesium that is thought to bring about purported health and beauty benefits. This mineral helps with many processes in the body, including muscle functioning, bone growth, and the processing of energy.

How Epsom Salts Work

Dissolving Epsom salts in bathwater allows them to break down into magnesium and sulfate. It's said that soaking in a tub filled with Epsom salts allows these components to get absorbed into the skin so your body can use them.
However, whether or not the amount that is absorbed by the skin is sufficient enough to have an effect on your health is not well-supported.
Multiple studies have shown that little to no magnesium is absorbed from an Epsom salt bath. In fact, magnesium has a difficult time getting through all the layers of the skin. Similar results were also noted when magnesium sulfate skin creams were used.

Magnesium sulfate works effectively when taken by mouth as a laxative. It works by taking water from the rest of your body and bringing it into your digestive tract. This makes having a bowel movement easier.

Uses

Epsom salts are thought to help with a variety of conditions, though there is not a lot of research to support this. Since the risks of uses are relatively minimal for most, some people—including some healthcare providers—view the potential pros as outweighing the any cons.

Your healthcare provider may recommend Epsom salts baths as an alternative treatment for certain conditions.

Besides being relaxing, Epsom salts soaks are often used to:

• Help with pain and swelling due to arthritis, a group of conditions that impact the joints
• Ease pain and tenderness caused by fibromyalgia, a long-term condition that can cause pain, exhaustion, and sleeping issues
• Relieve soreness from diarrhea
• Ease pain from sunburns
  
• Help with bruises and sprains
• Heal and cleanse tears or stitches after childbirth
• Help soften ingrown toenails and foot pain

The Shelf Life Of Epsom Salt

Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulfate, is a naturally occurring mineral compound that has been cherished for its therapeutic and cosmetic benefits for centuries. Like many products, it does indeed have a shelf life, although it's impressively long-lasting.
Generally, epsom salt can maintain its quality and effectiveness for an extended period of time. A properly stored bag can remain good for up to five years or even more. So, if you've found an old bag of epsom salt at the back of your bathroom cabinet, there's a good chance it's still perfectly fine to use.

How to use Old Epsom Salt

Does Epsom salt expire and lose its effectiveness? Well, suppose you discover a forgotten stash of Epsom salt at the back of your cabinet. Even if it’s a tad old, don’t be quick to discard it.
While its therapeutic properties might diminish slightly, old Epsom salt can still serve many purposes. You can use it as a foot soak, an exfoliant, or even introduce it to your plants as a magnesium boost.