THE BENEFITS OF EPSOM SALT

Many years ago, as part of an old job, I was invited to an urban SPA where I discovered what would eventually become my favourite activity for relaxing: floating baths. I was invited to the now defunct Bathroom and went there a couple of times and absolutely loved it. After the Bathroom closed, I tried the SPA Cloud located in Griffintown and even though I enjoyed it, it is a bit further from where I live and I wasn’t too fond of the parking situation (lots of condo developments and construction in that area). For a reason I can’t explain, I haven’t had a floating bath in 3 years, which is odd since I hate massages and floating baths are really something I enjoy. So, I decided to book one soon, this time trying the Ovarium on St-Denis – will definitely post about it.

Now until I make an appointment at the Ovarium, I will be soaking in Epsom salt right in the comfort of my own home. Floating baths in SPAs contain somewhere around 2000 cups of Epsom salt, so it’s not exactly the same experience as the one you would have at home, but if you want to give the at-home experience a try, know that it’s still very beneficial. After a little online digging, here are some of the benefits I found for soaking in Epsom salt:
-relieves body aches (sore muscles, tension, pain, cramps)
-reduces inflammation
-relieves headaches
-helps flush toxins and heavy metals out
-helps your body absorb nutrients better
-helps heal bruises and scars, and soothes and softens the skin
-helps achieve relaxation and calmness
-helps you sleep better

All you have to do is fill your tub with warm water and add 2-3 cups of Epsom salt to the running water, and soak in it for at least 20-30 minutes for up to an hour. You won’t be floating like you would in a SPA, but trust me, it’s still a great experience! Considering the low cost of Epsom salt and the stress most people are under during this pandemic, this is a great way to unwind and heal, and is the perfect environment for your meditation.

Bonus tip: I read somewhere that a pinch of Epsom salt in your plants helps them heal/grow. I was skeptical about this one but decided to give it a try and see for myself, being the plant killer that I am, willing to try anything that might help bring them back to life. I had a succulent whose leaves were turning a dark red/brown, as well as an Alocasia whose leaves were falling one by one. I decided to add a pinch of Epsom salt to both of them before I watered them one day, and I kid you not, the succulent went back to being a beautiful bright green within the next week. As for the Alocasia, I was able to keep its last standing leaf alive, but I decided to give it more salt about a month later, and lo and behold, I have 5 tiny new growths! I actually kinda freaked out the first time I sprinkled Epsom salt in them because I realised a couple of days later that the Epsom salt I had was infused with lavender, and thought it might damage the plant even more, but to my surprise, it didn’t.

Wanna get yourself some of that Epsom salt? Here are my picks:

Relaxing Epsom Salts with Lavender Essential Oil 2lbs, 100% Natural Bath Salt

Detox Bath Salt (1kg) Epsom Salt Bath Soak With Ginger & Lemon Essential Oils + Vitamin C Crystals (All Natural) No Perfumes, No Dyes

Dr Teal’s lavender epsom salts, 1.36 kilogram

Epsoak Epsom Salt 5 Lbs – 100% Pure Magnesium Sulfate, Made in USA

Yogti  Eucalyptus Epsom Salt 3 pound

Ultra Epsom Premium Scented Epsom Salt, Lavender, 5 lb Bag