Your Feet and Epsom Salt

Cold winter weather dries our feet, particularly the heels. Although lotions moisturise them, unless you do them daily, your feet will go back to have dry skin. Plus, if your heels are already scaly, chances are, lotions can’t really do much to make them soft
and smooth again.

Having a foot scrub or foot spa would be a wonderful treat, but alas, an expensive one. A better and more natural solution is to have a foot scrub at home using Epsom salts.

Named after the town in England, Epsom salt, is affordable and can be easily found in pharmacies and groceries. Technically known as magnesium sulfate, it is a recognised  as a natural source of magnesium and sulfur, vital elements and a mineral combination known for its therapeutic properties. What’s more, Epsom salt is environment-friendly, a natural alternative to products for agricultural and industrial purposes that can be erosive or damaging.

For me, however, Epsom salt totally rocks when it comes to caring for my feet.

Sooth Tired Feet

Most of us tend to neglect our feet, that part of our body that works hard every day, supporting our weight and often suffer from dry skin and muscle tenderness caused by shoes. To relax your tired, achy feet, soak them in an Epsom salt foot bath. Simply add a half cup of salts to a small tub that holds enough warm water to cover the feet up to the ankles.

Soak your feet for up to an hour to helps to relieve muscle pain and stiffness, soften the skin, and neutralize any foot odour. Physicians actually recommend Epsom salt foot bath treatments for foot muscle pain caused by arthritis, diabetes, and athletic injuries as it not only help relax the feet, but also detoxify the entire body.

Foot Cleanse

Epsom salts also have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal properties and can help treat foot and toe fungal conditions like athlete’s foot. Cleansing the feet is very important, especially for those who have diabetes and other disorders that cause slow healing and reduced immunity to infections.

You can make a paste by mixing a few tablespoons of Epsom salts with water or baby oil. This makes a good foot scrub to exfoliate and remove dead skin cells and bacteria on your feet. You should, nonetheless, make sure to only gently exfoliate, because larger salt crystals can scratch skin.

Be advised that excess use of Epsom foot baths can result in dried, cracked skin on the feet. Thus, have a foot bath no more than two to three times a week for no longer than one hour. Persons with very dry skin should try using less Epsom salts and massage feet with olive oil or use a moisturiser after drying them.

Epsom salts combined with essential oils (take caution since some essential oils can cause skin sensitivity) is an inexpensive method for making a relaxing aromatherapy bath treatment at home. Store in a jar with a lid and add a few spoonfuls to bath water.

Here’s what you will need and what you need to do to make your own homemade foot scrub with Epsom salt:

INGREDIENTS
1 cup Epsom salt
1/3 cup almond oil or olive oil
1 tablespoon castile soap
6 drops pure essential oil of peppermint (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly in a basin. Soak your feet first if desired, using 3 quarts of hot water directly from the tap. Pour the water into a basin and mix in 1/4 cup Epsom salt. Soak those lovely feet for a good 15 minutes. Then, scrub your dear feet with the mixture because you work so hard. Rinse them off and rest.

And voila — better rested, better looking, and healthier feet!

Image: Buzzle