Epsom Salt For Skin: The Beauty Benefits, Uses, and More!

Did you know that one of the best things you can use in your beauty routine is also one of the most affordable? Epsom salt, not to be confused with table salt or sea salt—though sea salt does make for a great body scrub—is a drugstore find that boasts some major skin care benefits. We’re sharing a few Epsom salt uses below—including a simple Epsom salt foot soak recipe—as well as the history behind this time-honored go-to!

So.. What Is Epsom Salt Exactly?

Don’t let the name fool you, Epsom salt isn’t actually salt at all—at least not in the way we usually think of salt. Unlike the sodium-based salt we sprinkle on our foods for added flavor, Epsom salt is a magnesium-based, mineral-rich salt that’s benefits are best served topically.

Epsom salt, otherwise known as magnesium sulfate, is a mineral compound that has been used in some way or another since as early as the 1500s. In more recent times Epsom salts are most closely associated with bath time, especially for athletes! Runners are no stranger to an Epsom salt bath, often dipping into a warm soak to relax tired and sore muscles. But, did you know that Epsom salt boasts some beauty benefits as well?

Epsom Salt Uses in Your Skin Care Routine

Epsom Salt Bath

Think you have to be an athlete to reap the benefits of an Epsom salt bath? Think again. An Epsom salt soak is a great way to not only unwind the body but also the mind! How much Epsom salt do you need for a good bath? About two heaping handfuls—or two cups for those of us who like more direction! Simply add to lukewarm water and enjoy! Make the soak even better—and moisturizing—by adding some body oils like jojoba or coconut oil! Once you hop out of the bath, pat dry and layer on a luxurious body butter.

Foot Scrub

Let’s face it, not all of us have the time or budget to fit in a weekly—or even a monthly—pedicure which can leave us with callused feet that are just begging for a good scrub. Next time you get some free time pencil in a DIY pedicure at home and treat your feet to a Epsom salt foot scrub to help soften those hard calluses and remove any built-up dead skin. Just take a handful of the Epsom salt of your choice—we share a few we love below!—massage onto wet feet. Remember to follow up with a foot lotion or cream to replenish your skin with moisture after scrubbing your soles!

Body Scrub

Just as you can use a little Epsom salt to remove dead skin cell buildup from your feet, you can do the same all over your body. Mix together a small amount of Epsom salt and a hydrating product like a coconut oil and gently rub all over your body, paying careful attention to rougher areas of skin like your elbows and knees. Once again, after rinsing away the homemade scrub be sure to use a body lotion to hydrate your smoother skin.

5 Best Epsom Salts

One of our favorite things about Epsom salt is how easy it is to find—and how affordable it is! Hop into any drugstore and your likely to find a few different Epsom salt brands lining the shelves. A few of our favorite Epsom salts to use in our at-home soaks and beauty routines are below—bonus they can all be found on Ulta.com for less than $15!

Dr. Teal’s

This brand of Epsom salt is arguably one of the best known and more recognized. You can select from a number of different varieties—from scented to pure—but the one we love is Dr. Teal’s Ultra Moisturizing Mineral Soak. In addition to Epsom salt this it is formulated with avocado oil to help hydrate while you relax in your Epsom salt bath.

Vitabath

If you’re looking to promote a little calm when you soak in your Epsom salt bath consider one with aromatherapy blended in! Vitabath’s Epsom Salts Calming with Lavender and Chamomile is quick way to have a spa-like soak at home. This soak also is blended with additional ingredients that help to nourish your skin.

Tree Hut

Blending Epsom salt with fig and olive extracts and activated charcoal, Tree Hut Detoxifying Mediterranean Salt Soak features a sweet scent that’s perfect for a little pre-date night pampering. Charcoal is another one of our favorite all star skin care ingredients, known for it’s ability to help to attract and draw out impurities.

Treets Traditions

Unlike some of the other Epsom salt soaks on our list, Treets Traditions Revitalising Ceremonies Epsom Bath Salt is packaged in a convenient tub instead of a bag, making it easy to store right in the bath for a spur of the moment soak. Formulated with Epsom salt, volcanic minerals, and eucalyptus oil, this is the priciest Epsom salt on our list at $12 MSRP.

C. Booth Pink Himalayan Salt

Infused with the floral aromas of rose, pink peony, lily, violet, this Epsom salt soak is also formulated with Pink Himalayan salt to help destress your body and mind. We also love C.Booth Pink Himalayan Epsom Bath Soak because of  perfectly millennial pink color—can’t get more on-trend than that!

DIY Epsom Salt Foot Soak

One of our favorite ways to use Epsom salt is to soak our tired feet after a long day of work—especially when our toes have been squeezed into a killer pair of heels! To enjoy an Epsom Salt Foot Soak at home you’ll need Epsom salt (of course!) your favorite hydrating oil (we love jojoba oil!) and some essential oils (because aromatherapy makes everything more spa-like!).

Run the water in your bath so that it’s steamy but not too hot—excessively hot temps can strip your skin of moisture. Add a scoop of Epsom salt, a little bit of your hydrating oil, and a couple drops of an essential oil—eucalyptus or rose oil is wonderful to help you relax in style. Soak your feet for as long as you have the luxury to do so, we usually sit tight for five to ten minutes. Dry off and then layer on a creamy foot lotion and pull on a pair of soft socks to help soak in all that moisture!

Looking for another way to use Epsom salt? Try making your own DIY Bath Bomb by following our simple recipe!