Epsom Salt: Homemade Foot Detox & Soak

 

Information adapted from the Epsom Salt Council and the Universal Health Institute websites.


In my hunt for another great DIY foot soak, I came across a detoxing foot soak using epsom salt as the main ingredient. In researching the benefits of epsom salt, I found the website of the Epsom Salt Council which turned out to be a great source of information. There are quite a few ways to incorporate epsom salt into our beauty regimen, but i'll blog those in a separate post and simply concentrate on the foot detox today. I can't wait to try this foot soak and here's why!

Homemade Foot Detox

Ingredients:

1 Cup Epsom Salt
1 Cup Sea Salt
2 Cups Baking Soda

How To:

Mix all the dry ingredients together and store in an airtight container. 

When you are ready to use, measure out 1/4 cup of mixture and add to hot water. The water should be as hot as you can comfortably stand. Leave your feet soaking for 30 minutes. Periodically keep adding hot water to the bath.

After the thirty minutes are up, dry feet then wash with warm soapy water, dry again then brush the bottoms of feet with a natural fiber foot brush. Only use 100% aloe vera after you are finished. Lotions with additives will leech impurities back into your system after a foot detox.

This detox should be done daily for one week. Then twice a week for 30 days. Then once a week for regular maintenance.

The Science of Epsom Salt

Magnesium is the second-most abundant element in human cells and the fourth-most important positively charged ion in the body, so it's little wonder this low-profile mineral is so vital to good health and well being. Magnesium, a major component of Epsom Salt, also helps to regulate the activity of more than 325 enzymes and performs a vital role in orchestrating many bodily functions, from muscle control and electrical impulses to energy production and the elimination of harmful toxins.

Most people know about the importance of calcium and vitamin D, but many Americans are also magnesium deficient. Doctors say it stems largely from the increasing prevalence of processed foods in our diets.

Epsom salt is made up of naturally occurring minerals magnesium and sulfate, which can help improve health in numerous ways. A lack of magnesium—which helps regulate the activity of more than 300 enzymes in the body—can contribute to high blood pressure, hyperactivity, heart problems and other health issues, doctors warn. Sulfate is essential for many biological processes, helping to flush toxins and helping form proteins in joints, brain tissue and mucin proteins.

Doctors and researchers say that soaking in an Epsom salt bath is a safe, easy way to increase the body's levels of both magnesium and sulfate.

Researchers and physicians report that raising your magnesium levels may: 

• Improve heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure. 
• Improve the body's ability to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes. 
• Flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances. 
• Improve nerve function by regulating electrolytes. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood. 
• Relieve stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. 
• Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation. 

While increasing your magnesium levels, Epsom Salt also delivers sulfates, which are extremely difficult to get through food but which readily absorb through the skin. Sulfates serve a wide variety of functions in the body, playing a vital role in the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Sulfates also stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and are believed to help detoxify the body's residue of medicines and environmental contaminants. 

Health Benefits

Studies show these benefits from the major components of Epsom Salt may: 

Magnesium:

• Ease stress and improves sleep and concentration 
• Help muscles and nerves function properly 
• Regulate activity of 325+ enzymes 
• Help prevent artery hardening and blood clots 
• Make insulin more effective 
• Reduce inflammation to relieve pain and muscle cramps 
• Improve oxygen use 

Sulfates:

• Flush toxins 
• Improve absorption of nutrients 
• Help form joint proteins, brain tissue and mucin proteins 
• Help prevent or ease migraine headaches

Have you tried this? Tell us your tale!