In the quest for a healthier weight, many people encounter a barrage of weight loss products and marketing strategies, ranging from detox teas to waist trainers and fad diets. Amidst this noise, natural solutions like Epsom salt baths are often suggested. Epsom salt baths are often touted for their wholesome and relaxing qualities, but their weight loss claims are not strongly supported by scientific evidence.
What is Epsom Salt?
First and foremost, Epsom salt isn’t salt in the traditional sense. The white stuff you sprinkle on your baked potato? That’s sodium. Epsom salt = magnesium + sulfate. Epsom salt looks similar to table salt, but it’s a completely different compound. Epsom salt is made of both magnesium and sulfate, whereas table salt is sodium.
Debunking Weight Loss Claims
Die-hards believe that when you take a dip in Epsom salt-filled waters, your skin absorbs the salt’s active ingredients: magnesium and sulfate. Since magnesium has been shown to regulate blood sugar, some folks believe that Epsom salt baths will help you drop excess pounds.
Here’s the rub: Most studies show no proof that magnesium can even be absorbed through your skin. Only one tiny study of 25 people showed that peeps who used magnesium-infused cream on their skin ended up with more magnesium in their pee than the peeps who used a different cream.
Reports of weight loss may also be due to sweating and loss of water weight. Experts advise against drinking Epsom salt as a “salt” detox. Most weight loss will be water weight, which will be quickly regained when you stop drinking Epsom salt. You may also experience diarrhea, as it’s also a laxative.
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Although an Epsom bath is unlikely to help with weight management, it can be an enjoyable experience after a long day of sitting at work or after the gym. There is no evidence to suggest that Epsom salt can help a person lose weight.
Potential Health Benefits of Epsom Salt
Even if the baths don’t do a thing for the number on the scale, Epsom salt has other benefits. Since its discovery, people have turned to Epsom salt as a folk remedy believed it could heal all sorts of ailments. Named for the location in England where it was discovered, Epsom salt is estimated to have been in use for at least 400 years. Some of these benefits may also be due to the temperature and self-care nature of a bath. Heat helps with relaxation, soreness, and aches. For the average person, a salt bath detox may have more external benefits than internal. You’ll likely leave an Epsom salt bath feeling more relaxed, less sore, and with softer skin.
Magnesium Merits
Since magnesium is an essential micronutrient, some people try to absorb their daily dose through bath salts. Soaking in some magnesium during your bath would support your healthy lifestyle and weight loss efforts in a few ways. Magnesium is super important for a healthy, functioning body. This little mineral supports several body functions.
Magnesium may help ease pain in people with arthritis, according to the Arthritis Foundation. As low levels of magnesium may cause chronic low-grade inflammation, increasing magnesium levels in the body may help manage inflammation associated with arthritis.
Magnesium absorption is the biggest benefit of an Epsom salt bath. There needs to be more studies to confirm that your body can absorb magnesium across the skin, but one 2004 study looked at 19 participants and found increased levels of magnesium and sulfate in the blood after the baths.
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Benefits of magnesium
- keeping constipation at bay
- reducing your risk of metabolic issues like excess belly fat, insulin resistance, and high blood pressure
- improving micronutrient intake
- supporting healthy kidney function
- helping your body detox and flush out heavy metals
- swapping mindless snacking or drinking for a warm bath, aka #selfcare
- boosting serotonin - and your mood!
- cardiac and circulation
- insulin use
- nervous system
- serotonin use and mood-stabilizing
- detoxing and flushing heavy metals
Sulfate Strengths
Of course, Epsom salt is also packed with sulfates, which have a hefty list of benefits. Sulfate can strengthen the walls of the digestive tract and make releasing toxins easier.
Benefits of sulfate
- joint health
- pancreas detoxification
- digestive function
- muscle protein boosts
- brain tissue support
- adequate muscle protein
- healthy joints
- digestive tract function
- detoxification within the pancreas
Other Bath Benefits
Absolutely. Folks say Epsom salt baths offer a ton of self-care perks.
Benefits of Epsom salt baths
- better sleep
- improved circulation
- relief for sore muscles
- soft, soothed skin
- blissed-out bath feels
- soothe the skin
- reduce soreness and pain
- reduce stress
- promote foot health
- healing skin
- easing swelling and sore muscles
- improving circulation
- promoting better sleep
- exfoliator, a blackhead reduction [method], and a standard facial cleanser
- hair volumizer, since it's great at removing gunk.
- temporarily reduce water weight
- help drain out toxins or [reduce] inflammation
- decrease pain during the early stages of labor
- absorb the element, which can help with bone health
How to Take an Epsom Salt Bath
To make an Epsom salt bath, you can:
- Use 2 cups of Epsom salt for a standard-size bathtub with warm water (never more than 101.5 to 102°F (38.6 to 38.8°C).
- Pour the salt under the water spout. This allows for the salt to dissolve faster and mix fully into the bath. The water mixture should feel soapy.
- Soak in the tub for at least 12 minutes (or 20, for constipation).
For added aromatherapy benefits, add essential oils like lavender, peppermint, or tea tree to your bath (always perform a patch test before trying a new essential oil). Or take more than 12 minutes to really relax and enjoy some personal time.
For smaller applications, you can make an Epsom salt paste. If you want to use the salt on certain areas, you can make a paste with a small amount of salt and water and spread over the affected part of the body.
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You can purchase Epsom salt at a health food store, grocery store, or online. Avoid using Epsom salt in hot tubs, jet pools, and tubs with jets unless the manufacturer says it’s OK.
Fill the tub with warm water (a healthy heat range is between 92°F to 100°F (33°C to 38°C).Add approximately two cups of Epsom salt.Add a few drops of essential oils to the water if you want. Be sure not to use too much oil, and only use oils that you know you’re not sensitive to.Soak in the bath for at least 12 minutes. (Some healthcare providers recommend up to 40 minutes, but you should start with lower intervals of time and see how it feels.)Keep a plastic glass of water in the bathroom with you to drink during and after an Epsom salt bath to prevent dehydration and help your body detox.When buying Epsom salt, choose a salt that is labeled “USP” (which means United States Pharmacopeia) and one that has a drug facts box on the label. Both indicate the product is regulated and safe for human use.
Epsom Salt Detox
Ever heard a wellness guru talk up Epsom salt detoxes and wondered WTF they mean? Yeah, us too. Turns out that Epsom salt detox is the same thing as an Epsom salt bath. The only difference is that when you’re doin’ the detox, you time your bath according to your desired health benefits. A salt detox isn’t the same as pouring table salt into your bathtub. Salt detox baths are usually made of Epsom salt, which allows for minerals to “draw out” toxins from the body.
Epsom Salt Paste
To ease pain or inflammation in targeted areas, you could make an Epsom salt paste instead of taking an Epsom salt bath. Just mix equal parts salt and water, spread on the sore spot, and relax.
How Often to Take an Epsom Salt Bath
You can take an Epsom salt bath on the reg, but not as frequently as every day. Your body is pretty good at self-regulating nutrient and mineral levels. Magnesium and sulfates are good for you, but too much of a good thing isn’t better. So think of your Epsom salt baths as a treat rather than a daily routine. You can take an Epsom salt bath regularly but probably not every day. You don’t want to risk overexposure. Remember that your body has its own natural process for detoxing. Healthy habits can support and maintain these natural processes, but they aren’t always necessary, and more is not always better.
When you sit in an Epsom salt bath, your body responds to the heightened magnesium and sulfate in the environment, and this may cause a detox reaction. Your body works hard to maintain a balance of nutrients and minerals, and overexposure could stress your body or cause toxicity.
Risks and Side Effects
Avoid Epsom salt baths if you have diabetes or kidney disease. Maybe try a skin-softening oatmeal bath instead! Your doctor can make the final call on whether Epsom salt baths are safe for you and your lifestyle. Remember, your body only needs a certain amount of magnesium and sulfates.
Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have about an Epsom salt bath. The risks of side effects from an Epsom salt bath are low. Your body won’t absorb that much magnesium through your skin. An Epsom salt bath is also relatively safe for children, but you should take extra precautions to prevent your child or infant from drinking Epsom salt water.
Pregnant women, children, and people with impaired kidney function should avoid taking oral magnesium. If your kidneys are not working at their optimal levels, your body may not be able to get rid of excess magnesium, putting you at risk for serious health complications. Side effects of magnesium overdose, usually from ingestion, include:
- lethargy
- blurred vision
- dizziness or fainting
- breathing problems
- increase or decrease in urination
- slow heartbeat
- muscle weakness
- thirst
- hypotension
- drowsiness
- cardiorespiratory arrest
- respiratory depression
- cardiac arrhythmia
- confusion
- coma
- death
Side effects are rare in people with normal kidney function. See a doctor if your symptoms continue or don’t get better. Check with your doctor if you have any concerns about taking an Epsom salt bath due to magnesium overdose.
Oral Consumption
There is limited evidence to suggest that taking Epsom salt orally has any health benefits. Consuming Epsom salt can be dangerous for some people. While oral consumption of Epsom salt is generally safe in very small doses, there is no credible evidence that consuming it has any detoxifying effects. Anyone considering drinking Epsom salt should consult a doctor first. They may interact with some medications, and they may be dangerous in some cases.
Ingesting large quantities of Epsom salt may result in Epsom salt poisoning. A 2020 report noted a case of hypermagnesemia, or high levels of magnesium in the blood, due to taking Epsom salt orally. Dialysis was necessary to reduce magnesium levels.
Alternative Ways to Manage Weight
Seeing extra pounds around your waist is definitely no fun. Belly bloating can make you feel like you’ve gained weight. In addition to the feeling of puffiness, bloating can also be extremely uncomfortable. It’s something that you probably don’t want to experience when there is a special occasion coming up. What’s the best way to stay bloat-free? Here we’ll help you understand all about boating and help you come up with all-natural solutions that will help you deal with the problem. More often than not, changing your habits can help with bloating, but taking an Epsom salt bath is something that can help too.
Want to avoid bloating completely? You can’t go wrong with regular exercise. Breaking a sweat will help you get rid of unwanted bloating. A simple routine will do. You don’t need an expensive gym membership to reap the benefits. Chew food well and chew food slowly. If you eat too fast, you end up swallowing a lot of air. Take our time and enjoy your meal. Tea can do wonders in helping your body stay puff-free. Try drinking tea two to three times a day. Try blends such as green tea, chamomile and mint. Changing your diet can also help you get rid of bloating. Improve your digestive system by filling up on food that is rich in fiber and magnesium.
There are much more effective and longer lasting ways to attain healthy weight loss. The first steps include:
- eating a well-balanced, nutritious diet
- exercising regularly
- practicing self-care
- limiting alcohol and sugar intake
Alcohol particularly depletes the body of magnesium, so you should limit alcoholic beverages if you’re trying to watch your magnesium levels.