Bubbling Bath Salts

Homemade bath and body products are my absolute favorite!! They are so  much fun and also inexpensive to make. Depending on the season, holiday, or occasion you can mix and match colors and scents as needed. These products also make great gifts. They are so simple to make, just about anyone can do it. My 6 year old made the salts pictured for his teacher on her birthday. He had a blast making them and really felt like he was doing something special for her. As expected, she loved receiving a homemade gift from her student!

Soaking in the bath, in general, provides many health benefits. It promotes healthy circulation, perspiration, and relaxation. Taking baths also aids in the removal of dead skin cells that can block pores and lead to unsightly bumps and blemishes on your body. Through the process of dermal absorption, or absorbing nutrients through the skin, your body is able to absorb minerals more effectively than consuming the minerals orally.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Epsom salt
• 1/2 cup Himalayan sea salt
• 1/4 cup baking soda
• 3 tablespoons Body Wash (I used Dr. Bronners Baby Wash)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil
• Optional: Food Coloring (I used a few drops of gel food coloring)

Essential Oils:

• 20 drops essential oil of your choice (I used Lavender for this batch)

I only use therapeutic grade essential oils that are safe for consumption.

For more information on how to purchase these oils, please feel free to contact me.)

Instructions:

Combine body wash, coconut oil, essential oils, and food coloring (if using) in a large mixing bowl.

Add Epsom salt, Himalayan sea salt, and baking soda to mixture.

Mix until well combined.

Spread mixture out to dry on a large baking sheet.

Allow mixture to dry for about 24 hours.

Add mixture to container of your choice. We used a glass jar and attached a spoon for scooping out the bath salts.

Add desired amount to warm bath, and enjoy!

Mixture keeps for about 3 months. 

Nerdy Extras:
Epsom salt is not actually a salt, but a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate. To see the health benefits I listed in a previous post, click here. Sulfates help to improve absorption rates of nutrients, while flushing out toxins. Sulfates are also know to ease pain associated with headaches and migraines.

Himalayan sea salt benefits include supporting healthy weight loss, easing muscle pain, detoxifying, and hormone balancing.

Baking soda, aka sodium bicarbonate, provides alkalinity and aids in removing toxins from the body. It also helps to make bathwater feel silky.

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."

Are You Magnesium Deficient?

Magnesium is an important, low-cost, trace metal that is crucial to proper body functioning. Due to our modern diets of processed and nutrient deficient foods and soils, magnesium deficiency is a rising problem.

A government study shows a staggering 80% of Americans do not consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium. Even more alarming, data from this study suggests that 19% of Americans do not consume even half of the governments recommended daily intake of magnesium. 1

Below are a few specific reasons we should try to achieve the recommended daily intake of magnesium:

• It is beneficial for promoting optimal nerve function
• It can alleviate muscle aches and pains, reducing inflammation, improve blood flow and circulation, and supports a positive mood
• It can help support and alleviate conditions like insomnia, migraines, ADD/ADHD, constipation, anxiety, depression, and chronic fatigue
• It has also been know to help with cramps, nausea, and body odor as well.

"Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscles and nerve function, keeps the hearts rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes."2

Doctors eagerly write millions of prescriptions each year for expensive patented drugs for nervousness, irritability, and jitters largely brought on by inadequate intake of magnesium. You only need to be SLIGHTLY deficient in magnesium to become irritable, high-strung, over-excitable, belligerent, sensitive to noise, and apprehensive. By allowing these symptoms to go untreated, you could develop twitching, jerkiness, tremors, irregular pulse, leg and foot cramps, muscle weakness, and insomnia. I find it alarming that doctors prescribe expensive drugs to treat these symptoms when a low-cost alternative like magnesium is readily available.

Signs of Magnesium Deficiency:

• Extreme thirst
• Extreme hunger
• Sugar cravings
• Frequent urination
• Body odor
• Mental disturbances
• Anxiety, panic attacks
• Depression
• Irritability
• Brain fog
• Moodiness
• Dizziness
• Headaches
• Sensitivity to lights and sounds/noises 
• Insomnia
• Nightmares
• PMS
• Infertility
• Muscle malfunction (tightness, cramping, weakness)
• Heart flutters and/or palpitations
• Heart arrhythmia's
• Angina (due to spasms in coronary arteries)
• High blood pressure
• Thyroid issues
• Digestive issues (including constipation)
• Bad circulation (cold hands and feet)
• Tingling toes/fingers
• Low blood sugar
• Insulin resistance
• General (unexplained) pain
• Back and joint aches/pains
• Bad breath
• White/yellow/gray coating on tongue
• Cavities and tooth decay
• Allergies
• Shortness of breath
• Nerve pain
• Stroke
• Blood clots
• Kidney and bladder concerns

As you can see, the list for signs of magnesium deficiency is long and concerning. So I consider it very important to make sure my household tries to maintain proper magnesium levels. I like to keep things simple and natural so I try my best to include things in my diet that are high in magnesium. An easy way to remember what foods are good sources of magnesium is to think of fiber. Foods that are high in magnesium are usually also high in fiber.

Foods high in magnesium:

• Dark leafy greens (especially broccoli and squash)
• Whole grains
• Seeds and nuts (especially almonds)
• Beans

I have tried a few ways to increase magnesium intake outside of diet. I tried a liquid magnesium supplement, Epsom salt, and magnesium gel. While I enjoyed the ease of being able to add the liquid magnesium supplement to my water, magnesium can cause stomach sensitivity when ingested directly. Loose stool is a common symptom of improper digestion of magnesium, or a sign that you have gone over your magnesium intake.

Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It acts like a revolving door, allowing elements to pass through both ways. Anything that touches your skin, good or bad, is absorbed in or moved out (via sweat). When nutrients like magnesium are applied directly onto the skin, the benefits are amplified. I love taking advantage of this! Therefore, I enjoy topical applications of magnesium best, as it seems to be the most effective method for me. Stay tuned for my magnesium DIYs!



References
1. King D, Mainous A 3rd, Geesey M, Woolson R. Dietary magnesium and C-reactice protein level. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Jun 24(3):166-71
2. Available at: http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp. Accessed June 6, 2005

FDA Disclaimer: "These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent disease."