I love you like salt!
Salt is simply very important. Without her, there would hardly be such a buzz around food and culinary arts. However, it is not only culinary, beware, beware! Salts can also be used in cosmetics, health care, home spas or the household in general. And today we will focus on Epsom salt.
Epsom salt is not quite ordinary salt. Its chemical name is magnesium sulfate, and you most likely won't use it in the kitchen. It is quite bitter and is used internally as a laxative to ensure cleansing of the body. So we wouldn't recommend salting your soup with it!
However, its further use is wide, it would almost cost a book, so let's break it down at least a little, so that we know what this natural treasure can do.
Beauty
Hair spray like from the sea
You must have noticed that by the sea, hair tends to be beautifully wavy, so when you return from vacation, you miss not only the waves of the sea, but also the waves in your hair. With this salt spray with Epsom salt, you will achieve a similar effect, and in addition, you will add beautiful volume to your hair.
What does it take?
- 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt
- 1 cup hot (but not boiling) water
- 1 tablespoon of Himalayan or sea salt
- 1 teaspoon of aloe vera gel
- 1/2 teaspoon of natural conditioner - for example, almond oil
- A few drops of your favorite essential oil for fragrance (optional)
- A spray bottle with a volume of approximately 300ml, ideally glass (for example, try screwing a spray bottle onto a bottle of vinegar or another similar product)
How to do it?
Pour warm water into a bottle, add Epsom salt, sea or Himalayan salt, aloe vera gel, conditioner and essential oil and shake well for two to three minutes until the salt dissolves. And our sprayer is born! Just spray it on damp hair, dry it slightly and wait for the waves. If you want volume and not waves, spray on dry hair, but at the roots. The spray should last three to four months.
If you use it regularly, for example several times a week, think about proper hydration and nutrition of your hair, salt can take away moisture from it. Once a week, treat yourself to a nourishing mask or pamper your hair with a dose of coconut or other beneficial oil.
Hair mask for volume
It is already clear that Epsom salt is the number one for volume, so you will certainly not be surprised that we can also make an amazing hair mask out of it. We mix the conditioner we usually use with Epsom salt in a 1:1 ratio, massage it into the hair, leave it on for 20 minutes and rinse thoroughly. We let the hair dry or dry it and we can enjoy a lion's mane.
Household & other practical advice
And the splinter is out!
It's hard to believe and it seems a bit like a magic trick, but Epsom salt really can get a splinter out of the skin. Just pour 1/2 cup of Epsom salt with hot water, stir until the crystals are completely dissolved, and when the water is tolerably hot, dip your finger or the part of the skin where the splinter is. Let it act for approximately ten minutes, then remove the splinter with the help of a disinfected needle. It will go much better than usual, and it will also suppress the pain a little.
Vegetable growth accelerator for gardeners
And there's another (non)magical trick – Epsom salt can speed up the growth of vegetables! Just sprinkle 1 tablespoon of Epsom salt around the plant, but only if it has already grown taller than 30 cm. It mainly helps tomatoes to grow!
Makes the tiles shine
If you want to properly clean the tiles and the joints between them, but you don't want to reach for strong and not quite ideal chemical products for our health, reach for Epsom salt instead! Mix it with dishwashing liquid and properly polish the tiles and joints with the help of a sponge and an old toothbrush (for joints).
Health
Against itching and stinging
Epsom salt also has a wonderful effect on soothing itchy skin or if you've been bitten by an insect. Just mix one tablespoon of this salt in one cup of water and let it cool. Ideally, we put the liquid in a spray bottle and spray the affected area with it. We can also add lavender oil, which also has a soothing effect on the sting.
Sunburn
The preparation of this spray, with which we can treat sunburns, is practically the same as in the previous recipe, with the only difference that instead of one tablespoon of Epsom salt, we dissolve two in water. But we also add lavender, exactly four drops. Cool in the refrigerator and shake well before each use. We will get at least a little relief from the unpleasant pain!
Wellness, relaxation, spa!
Detox baths
This is probably not entirely surprising - when you say salt, sometimes the words "for a bath" are added automatically. Salt and bath simply belong together. However, we cannot allow these detoxifying Epsom baths, try to make the mixture at home, it is not difficult. They are great for a spring detox, they will help remove toxins from the body and absorb minerals and nutrients at the same time.
In this recipe, you will again find a combination of two powerful salts – Epsom and sea, or Himalayan. To this, add an essential oil of your choice and you have a perfect cleansing bath as if it were sewn together!
Effervescent salt
This effervescent bath salt will definitely be a balm (and not only) for sore muscles. So, the next time you come back from yoga, running, the gym or perhaps from the garden completely exhausted and tired, pop into a bath prepared in this way and you'll be fine!
Sparkling ball
You can certainly use Epsom salt in the production of bath bubbles, and these silicone molds will definitely come in handy.
Foot scrub
Feet are probably the most stressed part of our body. We run around on them all day and let's face it, sometimes we also torment them with ill-fitting (but so beautiful!) shoes. So it definitely deserves some extra care. Exfoliating with Epsom salt is guaranteed to please them, but above all it calms and softens our feet after a long day.
Simply mix 1 cup of Epsom salt with a carrier oil – such as grapeseed – to create an exfoliating paste. We can also add a favorite essential oil, preferably a relaxing one, geranium or geranium is great for that. And then we can enjoy a pleasant peeling massage...
A SMALL TIP: If you have the opportunity, ask your significant other about a peeling foot massage - that's just gossip! :)
It's not salt like salt
It doesn't have to be just Epsom salt, there are many other types that you should definitely try.
For example, such Himalayan pink salt - whether you reach for the edible one, which is great for flavoring food, or you pour bath salt into your bath, you will definitely not regret it. Its pink to red coloration is caused by a trace amount of iron ions. In its area of origin, it is known as "white gold" and contains over eighty natural components and minerals that have an excellent effect on our body.
Sindaloon white rock salt can be used to detoxify the body and replenish minerals in the body. It is also used to support the cleansing of the body during fasting.
Mineral volcanic black salt is great for salads, salad dressings, spreads, sandwiches and pastries in general, or for salting raw vegetables. It is mainly characterized by its smell and taste of sulphurous minerals - to put it simply, it tastes and smells like eggs. And it's not black, the name is a little misleading - its color is only pink-gray.
You can also add salt from the Dead Sea or Roch's salt to a warm water bath. It gives you energy and beautifully refreshes your body, you can even use Roch's salt to remove calloused parts of the skin of the feet or toes.
And you can't go wrong with classic sea salt either. It is suitable in the kitchen for all kinds of dishes, in the bath for a pleasant relaxing evening, or in cosmetics, for example, mixed with oil as a body scrub.
So which salt is your number one favorite?
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