Epsom Salt
Health Benefits

Many Health Benefits of Epsom Salt

The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.

Rash

1 User Review
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Posted by Colton (North Lauderdale, Florida) on 09/20/2008
★★★★★

i'm allergic to a plant down here and unknowingly got in contact with it. i broke out in a really nasty rash on my arm and neck. A trainer at my gym told me to use epsom salt. He said it'll dry it out and kill the bacteria in it. i did and my rash cleared up in a few days and gott noticably better after each treatment. Mind you i tried all kinds of creams and allergy pills that had no effect what so ever.

Replied by Maggie
(Conway, Arkansas)
05/15/2009

Yes Hello, I suffer all the time from rashes all types of rashes. I dont know where they come from, or anything. I always have to go get a shot at the doctors office. I have used steroid creams all types of over the counter lotions, but still no relief. Now im willing to try an alternitve. Epsom salt......who knew? I will be posting again to let you know how it turns out. Thank you so much!!!


Sciatica

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
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Posted by Aldo (Brisbane, Australia) on 06/04/2009
★★★★★

Epsom Salts Worked for Sciatica!

My mother came down with sciatica last week. Immediately she went to see my brother, who is a chiropractor. That helped her a lot but the pain and discomfort was still there for her. Since then she was resting her leg as often as she could and taking pain killers when needing to walk on it for any extended period of time. When I heard about it, I had a look on this site and noticed the epsom salts testimonials. I suggested that she try having an epsom salt bath and to drink a couple of teaspoons of it with a glass of water also.

Well, I called her this morning and my mother was so excited! She said that she had a bath for about 30 minutes (and read a magazine!) with 2 cups of epsom salts on Wednesday night before going to bed. She also drank a glass of water with 2 teaspoons of epsom salts with some honey to improve the taste. She said that she slept so peacefully that night and woke up in the morning with NO PAIN! She was over the moon!

On Thursday, she drank a couple more glasses of water, epsom salts and honey and she plans to have another bath tonight (Friday). There has been no sciatica pain since waking up Thursday morning.

Thank you to Jean and Gwen for posting your results, the good news has now spread to our family too and we are passing it on to others. God Bless.


Sciatica
Posted by Gwen (Denver, CO) on 02/19/2009
★★★★★

I have found over the years that I will experience severe sciatica when I am severely constipated. When this happens I pull out the "big guns", Epsom salts. 2-4 teaspoons dissolved in water. Small amount of water followed by as much water as possible after wards. I'll use a straw to drink solution. Put straw to back of tongue beyond taste buds & suck. Taste terrible, but when I am in that much pain I'll do anything to relieve it! You can also add lemon or lime juice to lessen the taste. Pain starts to diminish after first trip to the pot. Works every time & I'm over it in less than 24 hour. Good luck & God/Goddess Bless!


Seizure Control

4 User Reviews
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Posted by Maureen Roy (Maine, U.S.A) on 11/15/2007
★★★★★

I had to post something here because a couple of months ago I saw a post from someone who said, "Anyone who has seizures, something that has worked well to control or rid people's seizures is epsom salt." ....their words were something to that effect. Well, that got me intrigued and excited. I had been looking for ways to get off my meds for years. I have been reading books and looking...everywhere on the net for...something! And that post got me started. Well, I now have a blog about my story - I have been off my meds for more than a month and it has now been almost a month since I have had a seizure. That is just amazing and has been unheard of for me for the past 18 years! Now, I am not a doctor and I am not saying this is what EVERYONE should do. We are all different. But, this MAY help people who have been looking for answers, help, guidance on what could work for them in the right direction.


Seizure Control
Posted by Violet (Torrevieja, Spain) on 10/14/2007
★★★★★

Epsom Salts is a cure for Epilepsy. I have recommended it to various people and given a talk about it in a local clinic in London...it works!! Even for grand mal fits and for young and old alike. Half a teaspoonful in orange juice each morning, and the fits will stop. I approached the Epilepsy Society about this, but they don't want to know!!! My granddaughter has started taking it, when all else failed and she hasn't had fits since.

Replied by Catherine
(Wellington, New Zealand)
10/25/2008

My journey into nutrition started in the 70's with Adelle Davis' books. She recommended magnesium (epsom salts) for Epilepsy. I have told this to various people over the years and offered them the books to read, amazingly they didn't want to do the research, preferring the allopathic methods of treatment. Ms Davis was also a strong proponent of folic acid to prevent spina biffida! This has only recently been taken seriously..but her evidence could have saved much untold misery for unfortunate families during these intervening years.

In one of her books Ms Davis referred to another nutritionist from the 40's who opined that unless magnesium levels in the diet were improved, within a generation we would't be able to tell from the backview the difference between boys and girls!!! Well girls used to have waists (18" to 22") and boys always had physiques, maybe lack of magnesium affects the hormones somehow.

Replied by Dianna
(Austin, TX)
01/05/2009
★★★★★

i have had gran mal seizures since i was in my teens. the doctors could never find anything wrong and i took dilantin for years. somehow along the way i also found that if i took cal-mag (calcium magnesium liquid) it helped. well it took me years to realize that soaking in epsom salts help too. recently i have started having seizures again and realized that i had not been taking my epsom salt baths for a while. i even rub the salts on my body to exfoliate... so i started taking a little bit orally mixed with VCO too - just to get it back in my system. it really makes me mad that doctors do not tell people about this. they have to know that epsom salts have magnesium in them... a doctor had told me about cal-mag in the first place... but no one ever mentioned epsom salts. i guess they are too cheap!

btw - soaking in epsom salt baths also helps bi-polar people feel better.
djh

Replied by dianna
(austin, tx)
01/05/2009

in response to catherine from wellington, new zealand - there must definitely be something to the magnesium thing and not having a 'butt'.

i have long been deficient in this and virtually have no butt - so what you said really makes sense to me - i look like a guy from behind! and epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) keeps my seizures under control. funny i how never thought of this. i also noticed that lots of people with no diabetes and or on insulin have no butt too. everyone else in my family have butts and don't have diabetes or seizures.
hmmmmmm
djh/austin, tx

Replied by Joyce
(Joelton, Tn)
01/05/2009
490 posts

To Dianna & Viola,

Epsom salts' chemical name is magnesium sulfate and yes your doctor should know that because that is what they give pre-eclamptic and eclamptic mothers IV to keep them from seizing or stroking out with high blood pressure. But don't be too harsh on your poor doctor because the AMA is the strongest union in the country and they don't like any doctor recommending anything they don't have control over. They dislike it so much they will try to put him out of business or even revoke his license to practice medicine. The newer anti-siezure medications are basically magnesium in one form or another. I suspect this is mostly because magnesium competes with monosodium glutamate for sites in the brain and monosodium glutamate is known for causing seizures, among many other problems.

This is why I urge everyone to wise up and stop thinking you only get MSG when you eat Asian or stir-fried foods. To really get a good idea of how much MSG & aspartame you are poisoning yourself & your family with,google "excitotoxins" & write down the names they hide MSG under and go into your kitchen. That tomato ketchup that your kids love so much - have fun trying to find one that isn't loaded with MSG. Those tasty pizzas we all like so well - again have fun trying to find one without the sauce being loaded with it. If You tube hasn't taken it off already, they had an excellent l hour interview with Dr. Russell Blaylock who wrote the book
"Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills".

Don't forget to check the raw meats ingredients list also and don't be surprised when you find one of the bogus names for MSG on the labels.

Replied by Sandy
(In the sticks, Nevada)
01/06/2009

I find that trying to avoid high fructose corn syrup is challenging, but avoiding MSG is almost impossible, because it can be hidden. Perhaps Earthclinic could start a page that lists products that are MSG free?

EC: We do already have a page for MSG. It may be easier to list the ingredients that contain msg rather than finding the ones that don't!

Replied by Fiona
(Auckland, New Zealand)
01/10/2009
★★★★★

In response to 01/05/2009: Joyce from Joelton

I had Pre-Eclampsia and suffer from seizures and my doctors just increased my medication and my son was badly affected by the huge amounts of medication they were giving me. I went from suffering no seizures to only nocturnal seizures and my son noticed that when I have a Epsom Salt bath before sleeping if I have a seizure they aren't too severe. But because I have breathing problems I can't have too many of those baths.

Replied by Dianna
(Austin, Tx)
01/11/2009

well for me i found out that when i take espom salts orally it really makes my blood sugar high... and i still got twitches - but no actually seizures - BUT when i soak in epsom salts it works MUCH better - and doesn't raise my blood sugar - go figure...
djh/austin

Replied by Connie
(Manitowoc, Wisconsin)
08/11/2009

There is a grocery store in town that sells ground beef containing that mystery "flavor"... That's just creepy. Why are they suddenly adding "flavor" to the ground beef? Ground beef is ground beef. When you buy ground beef that's what you expect to get. JUST GROUND BEEF. You buy it because you want to flavor it YOURSELF. Who asked them, "This ground beef isn't flavory enough, would you mind flavoring it for me?" Who expects to find that in their meat??!!!! Is the meat so terrible that they actually had to add more cow flavor? Are we some day going to be buying lamb flavored pork chops?

For your creeped out viewing displeasure, Google "Umami the World"....... There on the left under the "What is UMAMI?" link you will find that "UMAMI is a pleasant savoury taste imparted by glutamate, a type of amino acid, and ribonucleotides, including inosinate and guanylate...." Please, folks... please do not umami the world......

Replied by Eliza
(California U.s.a.)
10/06/2016

Are you saying that MSG is in lean, round steak? The leanest steak there is, which I love. My mother cooked it for dinner a few times a week while I was growing up and I like it better than any other cut b/c it doesn't have that fatty taste and greasy texture which only gives me a stomach ache.


Sepsis

1 User Review
5 star (1) 
  100%

Posted by Margie (Oregon) on 08/07/2018
★★★★★

Epsom salts dissolved in as hot as water that one can tolerate draws out all the toxins from sepsis. It needs to be repeated as needed.

First-hand knowledge, In the 50's, as a child, I was pushed off my bike by some bullies and badly scraped my hand on the street. Not long after sepsis set in.

My Mother, a Nursing Sister (in the days that nurses were 'real' nurses) soaked my hand for a few hours in that hot and constantly reheated solution. The next day I was fine.

Later in life, in my 60's I used the same protocol after hurting my lower leg while gardening. The red line running up my leg was the warning. It took a couple of days but no doctor visit and the sepsis was totally drawn out. No after effects, sepsis gone!!


Sore and Aching Muscles

3 User Reviews
5 star (3) 
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Posted by Emily (Ballard, Kentucky, Usa) on 12/15/2011
★★★★★

I have two older, high school brothers that both play hard core football. Football season just ended but they would both come home after games and complain to my mom that they were very sore. My mom told them to sprinkle epsom salt in my bathtub with water and soak in there for about 30 minutes. They came out feeling so much better and not near as much tense. I would suggest drinking ice cold water during your bath and doing something relaxing ex. Reading a book or listening to music. They did that every night when they were sore and felt amazing!! Good luck! Tip: my mom recomends putting in enough epsom salt to where it's almost milky.


Sore and Aching Muscles
Posted by Terri (Richmond, VA) on 10/15/2007
★★★★★

Recently my husband & I moved. Both of us are in our 50's. We were both taken by surprise at our aching muscles from the move as we are fairly active people. We didn't wish to take anything over the counter for our pain. Our Chiropractor recommended getting Epsom Salts (magnesium) to place into a tub of hot water to soak in. The directions were on the outside of the package. Place two cups into bath water and soak your body. I added a few drops of Pure Essential Oil, Lavendar to the bath as I needed a good nights rest. We slept like babies, totally pain free. We would recommend this highly to anyone able to get in and out of a tub. We repeated it nightly for several nights until the soreness had totally faded.

Replied by Jennifer
(San Antonio, TX)
05/24/2008
★★★★★

I am a nursing student and just got back into my exercise routines and am very sore fairly often. I take an epsom salt bath and instantly I feel so much better. It is amazing. I recommend taking an epsom salt bath any time you do strenuous activity.

Replied by James
(Los Angeles, USA)
05/26/2008

For decades my wife has taken 5 or 6 400iu Vitamin E tablets before doing unaccustomed exercise, moving, extra gardening, etc. with no stiffness or aches after. If she forgets to take them she has all the normal problems that follow these actions. She then has to take two to three times the dosage several time to get rid of the aches. For some reason I am one of the lucky ones and rarely have any aches following an unaccustomed exercise but the vitamin E works well for her.


Sore Throat

1 User Review
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Posted by Lena (Seattle, Washington) on 06/24/2007
★★★★★

Epsom salt foot baths really work for sore throats. Soak your feet in a tub of water with about a cup of epsom salts, hot as you can stand for about 20 mins. Then dry your feet and put on two pairs of socks, woollen socks if you have them over a pair of thin cotton socks and go to bed. Each time I've done this my sore throat is gone by morning. Persistent sore throats can return though, so it's good to do the cayenne pepper gargle/ACV cayenne tea during the day if it comes back, and the epsom salt footbath at night before bed.


Toenail Fungus

1 User Review
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Posted by Ellen (Redwood Shores, CA) on 07/29/2007
★★★★★

For my toenail fungus, I've noticed with various soaking type remedies that the infection actually spreads--too much moisture for me. I was a little skeptical of the epsom salts in very hot water, but nonetheless I purchased the epsom salts and microwaved a couple of cups of water in a bowl. Stirred in the salts and then began dipping my feet in the water. It's too hot for me to leave in for more than a second or two, but it quickly cools down and the feet do get used to the hot water. I just keep dipping a second or two at a time. Normally, when I do use a remedy, I do both my big toenails. But this time, due to my problem with too much moisture, I decided to only treat my toenail with the most stubborn long standing fungus as I didn't want to make my "good" toenail worse. So then a month goes by and I notice that my "bad" toenail is half "pinkish" and I start to wonder why my toenail with the long standing stubborn infection is looking better than the other. Then the lightbulb comes on in my head. I did treat it differently. Then about a week ago, once I realized that it must have been the epsom salts and the very hot water, I did it again, on both feet. Then the next day, I didn't feel very good and I realized that I was probably experiencing the die-off effect, with the fungus releasing their toxins as they're dying. I still am doing multiple (6 or so) remedies, concurrently. In addition, I stopped drinking alcohol and having any sugar--cakes, donuts, candy bars, ice cream, etc. I still do have pasta, potatoes and bread. Since I just did the other toenail only one week ago, I'll still have to wait to see the effects. But I am extremely gratified to see the worse toenail now is half pink with the outer half being brown with white marbling growing out.


Topical Applications of Epsom Salt

1 User Review
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Posted by Sunny (Ca) on 11/21/2013

I am thinking about trying Epsom salt, but I have a shower not a bath. I was thinking about soaking a towel in a dissolved solution of water and Epsom salt. and putting in on my skin, leg, stomach. What do you guys think it will work? any other suggestions to get the Epsom salt thru my skin. What about putting this solution on a spay bottle then spraying after shower. Would it irritate my skin?? Thanks!

Replied by Timh
(Ky, Usa)
11/22/2013
2043 posts

S: The method of topical administration is called "poultice" and is effective. You may also use a warm epsom salt footbath w/ good results. Taking magnesium orally would also help. I take a capsule once daily of "triple magnesium" which is 3 different covalent bonds to mag.

SUNNY
(Ca)
12/16/2024

I've tried different magnesium and they give me diarrhea. I tried glycinate, citrate, breaking the pills to small qualities etc. What type do you take? Thanks!

Replied by Steve
(Las Vegas)
11/22/2013

I believe you can make a "magnesium oil" type solution by just dissolving a small amount of espom salt perhaps a quarter cup with just enough hot water to dissolve the epsom salt crystals. By doing this you will have a solution you can rub on or spray on that should be easily absorbed into the skin. Of course you can buy ready made magnesium chloride oil but it is much more expensive, typically $9-15 for 8oz.

Replied by Blanche
(South Louisiana)
11/22/2013

Sure. That'll work fine. Never had a shower, but since childhood have had many an Epsom salts compresses. Never known it to irritate skin either. Seems to cool off real fast though, so keep your basin of solution handy. Don't have exact measurements though. I just put in two handfuls or so in a basin of hot water.

Replied by Yuen
(Singapore)
09/25/2014

Try using a spray bottle with hot epsom salt solution and spray down whole body in the shower.

Replied by Rob
(Kentucky)
09/11/2024
★★★★★

Using hot epsom salt sponge baths at least twice each day (six tablespoonfuls to each quart of water). In severe cases this remedy should be used differently and instead of using the sponge bath method the patient should take one part of their body at a time and sponge it with hot water for several minutes and then take a small handful of epsom salts and rub it over and into the skin, allowing it to remain for several minutes before washing it off with warm water.

From the book: Eating Your Way to Health the Natural Way to Health 6th Ed. 1925 by Dr. J. Douglas Thompson


Warts

2 User Reviews
5 star (2) 
  100%

Posted by Don (Chillicothe, Ohio) on 12/29/2007
★★★★★

I soaked my feet in epsom salts to relieve the pain of a broken toe. to my surprise the warts I had on my lower legs for years fell off as I toweled my foot dry. what pleasant surprise.


Warts
Posted by Dustin (Muskegon, Michigan) on 04/24/2007
★★★★★

I have had quite a few warts throughout my life and have undergone the carious methods of removing them (freezing at the doctor's office, freezing at home, the acid drops, the acid band aids etc..) I have even gone to the extent of taking a wood burner and frying off one that was stubborn, but I finally got one that would not sucomb to any of these methods. I met a kid at a car detailing joint in Florida that told me Epsom salt cured all his warts so i figured I would give it a try. By this time this wart had gotten significantly bigger. It was now the size of a dime on the inside palm of my right hand. It was painful to do anything because it would split open and crack. heres the method I used. I bought a pint of Epsom salt which is very cheap and a paper nail file and a water dropper. I filed off all the dead skin so I could get to the seeds of the wart (just where it started to get sensitive and bleed a little bit) I would then take some of the epsom salt crystals and lay them on the wart. Take some warm water and use the dropper to apply to the salt crystals. The crystals dilute in the water and soak into the wart. After I let it soak for a few minutes I would clean up and leave a few crystals on the wart with a band aid over them to hold them in place. After only a few days doing this once a day I noticed it turning black like a scab sortof. Then I quit treatment shortly after that and it healed up perfectly no scar like the one I fried off with the wood burner and worked so quickly and cheaply. I thought about marketing this solution but after finding this site I figure it is good for people to know. As for the person with them on the bottom of their feet, perhaps you can sand the tops down and soak your feet in warm water with epsom salt diluted in it. Worth a shot. Good luck.


Where to Buy: New Zealand

Posted by Analia (Kilbirnie, Wellington, New Zealand) on 07/10/2013

Hello. I am Analia from Argentina but I live now in Wellington, New Zealand. I would like to get some Epsom salt for a liver cleanse, I must take some of that salt with orange and lemon juice, and follow a certain precedimiento. My particular query is Where I can get Epsom salt for oral consumption, here in Wellington?
I hope you can answer me soon. A big hug.

Replied by Cat
(Tauranga, New Zealand)
07/10/2013

Any supermarket will have Epsom Salts. If you can't find it there, go to a pharmacy but it is so common, you shouldn't have any trouble.


Where to Buy: Philippines

Posted by Michelle V. Tabugara (Quezon City, Philippines) on 12/26/2007

I would like to ask where can I purchase epsom salt in the philippines. Thank you. Michelle

Replied by Royce Willard Oklahoma
(Milburn, USA)
07/06/2008

Epsom Salts: walmart

Replied by ArnoldDLR
(Paranaque, Philippines)
07/14/2008

Hi Michelle, You can find then at any Handy Man store usually found inside the Malls located at the laundry section ..rgds Arnold

Replied by Es
(Valenzuel, Philippines)
08/26/2009

you can buy epson salts at watsons stores and duty shops. i bought mine at duty free clark.

Replied by John
(Manila, Philippines)
09/15/2009

SnR baclaran philippines, it is a membership shop but you can purchase though with 1 day pass and a 5% charge to your purchase.

Replied by Claro
(Quezon City, Metro Manila)
11/12/2009

I bought mine from Healthy Options Megamall branch.



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