Have you ever noticed how great you feel after spending the day at the beach simply floating in the ocean? One of the reasons is because the ocean is full of minerals like magnesium. And our bodies CRAVE magnesium.

Magnesium is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, and by increasing your magnesium intake, your body is better able to manage these functions.

Who Me Deficient? Yes, You!

It is estimated that 80% of the population is magnesium deficient. But balancing this deficiency is easier and more enjoyable than most realize. Adding a couple of steps to your routine can help reap huge rewards.

Why are we deficient? One of the reason is that modern farming methods have created a shortage in the soil. Therefore, magnesium is not in our vegetables, and animals don’t get it from the plants they eat.

Oral supplementation can cause gastric distress, so few can tolerate this option. But another choice is to use the skin’s ability to uptake magnesium via soaking in Epsom SaltsTM or magnesium flakes.

8 Benefits of a Magnesium Soak

1. Help restore magnesium levels: Studies have shown that magnesium is easily absorbed through the skin, so soaking is an ideal way to top off magnesium levels.

2. Ease stress: Not only does soaking in a hot bath help melt away stress, but increasing magnesium uptake allows the body to better manage stress.

3. Relax muscles: Soaking aching muscles and joints in a magnesium bath, helps the body regulate blood pressure, lowering the risk of cardio-vascular disease.

4. Detox: The skin is the body’s largest organ, and skin has an amazing ability to absorb, filter out and excrete toxins.

5. Heart health: High magnesium intake is consistently correlated to lower levels of cardiovascular disease. Yes, our heart is a muscle, and leaders in the functional medicine industry leaders recommend an initial protocol of 2 cc injection of magnesium sulfate for a heart attack.

6. Relief from constipation: One of the challenges of oral supplementation is the “runs” so magnesium uptake through the skin can help keep us regular, but not TOO regular.

7. Decrease inflammation: Inflammation within the body ages us, decreasing inflammation helps us live longer vibrant lives. When magnesium levels are balanced muscular tension, joint pain and stress are aided.

8. Heal Skin: Addressing a magnesium deficiency helps improve the skin’s overall appearance. Rashes, eczema, psoriasis, acne, or dry skin, is often a signal of a deeper issue. The skin is an elimination organ and the body will push toxins out through skin when the other organs of elimination – the gut, the liver, the kidneys –are overburdened.

If a clear, even skin tone, and vibrant complexion are what you want, this DIY Magnesium Soak could be for you.

DIY Magnesium SOAK / The Body Bath

Draw your bath with warm to hot water, as warm as you can handle—it helps with the mineral uptake. Fill the bath so that the water can completely cover your body. If you have a small city bathtub like I do, lay on one side and then switch to the other side to ensure all-over body coverage.
Add two cups of Epsom salt and wait a few minutes for it to dissolve.
For an added therapeutic effect, add a few drops of your favorite essential oil.
Soak for 20-30 minutes.

DIY Magnesium SOAK / The Foot Bath

Fill a foot basin (or extra-large bowl) with warm-to-hot water.
Add half a cup of Epsom salt to it. Add a few drops of Lavender Essential oil, or fresh sage leaves.
Put your feet in the basin. Sit back and soak for 20-30 minutes.

While an Epsom salt bath is considered safe, check with your doctor before treating any medical conditions.

Rebekah Kelley, HHC, AADP

Rebekah is the creator and owner of Virtue Skinfood, a wholistic luxury skin care line that is hand made from ingredients so pure you can eat them! She is the Beauty & Wellness Editor for The Georgetowner, a local Georgetown community paper based in Washington DC. She is also a certified Holistic Health Counselor from Columbia University in NYC, and a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

Magnificent Magnesium