Epsom Salt?
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free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:24 pm

I've noticed some posts about the pros and cons of baking soda, but I'm wondering if anyone has used epsom salt as an exfoliate the face? I figure if you can soak in it then it should be safe for a gentle scrub. Would love to hear if anyone has tried it (perhaps mixed with oil)?
Thanks all.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:36 pm

I like epsom salt for the bath, but I would think it would be too harsh for use on the face.

joani.sp wrote:

I've noticed some posts about the pros and cons of baking soda, but I'm wondering if anyone has used epsom salt as an exfoliate the face? I figure if you can soak in it then it should be safe for a gentle scrub. Would love to hear if anyone has tried it (perhaps mixed with oil)?
Thanks all.

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 1:38 pm

hi joanie,

I'm part of (or maybe the head of) the anti-manual exfoliation camp (for skin on the face), so I'd strongly advise you against scrubbing your facial skin with salt.

ESPECIALLY if you use actives or a retinoid on your skin--your skin is already vulnerable, and scrubbing it with salt would really sting!

Also, epsom salt crystals are rather large and have all sorts of jagged edges--hence, they would not make a nice scrub at all!!!

I put epsom salts in my bath when I have a bruise or a pain, that works really well.

A poster a while back had a thread on using lemon juice and sugar as a cheap, effective scrub--now those ingredients seem like a sound DIY in a pinch scrub to me--refined sugar granules are quite soft and uniform, just do not scrub too hard.

You should visit the DIY section of the forum and look at the DIY recipe table of contents for a good scrub--there are all sorts of goodies in our pantries that make the best scrubs and exfol masks!

--avalange

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:52 pm

i second what avalange said. I would NOT use epsom salt on my face. In the bath, it's nice. I believe it helps removes toxins from the skin. The water is supposed to turn grey from this (mine doesn't ?), but it's nice to bathe in, not for your face!

By too much scrubbing, you are removing essential oils and ceramide from your skin which in turn, will make you age. eeek! Be gentle!

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:05 pm

I enjoy a little Epsom Salts in my bath once in awhile but not regularly. On my face? Noooooo.

What this thread brought to mind was that a few years ago my Corgi, Pippa, had some toenail "issues". The vet recommended soaking her feet in a moderate epsom salts bath for a few minutes every night so that the toenails would fall off, which they did after about 2 weeks.

Ari

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 6:17 pm

Joani, try a tsp of sugar and a tsp of honey mixed together. This is another alternative. Scrub gently though. This works good on hands too!

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:12 pm

Arielle wrote:

What this thread brought to mind was that a few years ago my Corgi, Pippa, had some toenail "issues". The vet recommended soaking her feet in a moderate epsom salts bath for a few minutes every night so that the toenails would fall off, which they did after about 2 weeks.

OMG now that is the most shocking thing I have read on these boards for a while and makes me think twice about a good Epsom soak Laughing

what strenght ratio did you use Ari? (not that I use them every night.. maybe twice a year.. Laughing

free skin care · Sun Mar 04, 2007 9:18 pm

No, no! I only meant that it's probably not a good idea to use too much Epsom Salts or to use it too often and certainly not on the face because it can be so drying.

I didn't mean to scare anyone. I like a good Epsom Salts soak every once in awhile myself.

mea culpa,

Ari

free skin care · Mon Mar 05, 2007 10:02 am

I wouldn't use Epsom Salts to exfoliate your face, only because I read somewhere that lots of exfoliators can cause little tears on your skin and I assume that Epsom Salts would be way too harsh to use on your face especially if your skin is sensitive.

free skin care · Tue May 27, 2008 9:19 am

I have read some articles about the use of Epsom salt in skin- and hair care. Epsom salt - magnesium sulfate - is a pure mineral that apparently can relieve muscle ache if you pour two cups in a bath tub.

According to another article, Epsom salt can be mixed with conditioner to add body to your hair, or you can take a handful and rub on wet skin for exfoliation. In the article below, model Stephanie Seymour told that Epsom salt is her beauty secret.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/epsomsalts.html

So - does anybody use Epsom salt in their beauty routine?

free skin care · Tue May 27, 2008 9:39 am

I confess.

I soak in hot baths with Epsom salt, I scrub every inch of my body with a soapy washcloth and Epsom salt, and...occasionally I scrub my face with it.

Good or bad? I don't know. My skin is used to the extreme things I do to it when I'm bored or stressed. No dramatic results here--positive or negative--from Epsom salt facials.

free skin care · Tue May 27, 2008 10:56 am

Hi Heather,

Maybe your salts are softened up by exposure to moisture while in the bath.

I scrub my body but not my face while in the epsom salt bath. I know I keep a tub with a mix of Epsom salts, sea salt, essential oils, and carrier oil and use that mix. The oils soften up the salts some so they're not as harsh - also less drying.

I take a sponge and wet it and then squeeze it over my face.

BTW, soaking in epsom salts is a great, relaxing way to get more magnesium - a mineral we often don't get enough of from our diet! You can also buy transdermal sources of magnesium like magnesium oil and gel, prill beads for soaking in water, etc. Through the skin is a great way to get magnesium because it bypasses the digestive tract (where a lot of magnesium gets lost). You can learn more about transdermal magnesium by searching online. Great for every day but especially if you suffer from menstrual cramps!

free skin care · Tue May 27, 2008 5:33 pm

Septembergirl wrote:

I have read some articles about the use of Epsom salt in skin- and hair care. Epsom salt - magnesium sulfate - is a pure mineral that apparently can relieve muscle ache if you pour two cups in a bath tub.

According to another article, Epsom salt can be mixed with conditioner to add body to your hair, or you can take a handful and rub on wet skin for exfoliation. In the article below, model Stephanie Seymour told that Epsom salt is her beauty secret.

http://www.pioneerthinking.com/epsomsalts.html

So - does anybody use Epsom salt in their beauty routine?

Magnesium sulfate is often in hair styling products designed to bring out the curl in wavy hair. It can be drying, though.

I added about one teaspoon to a bottle of Herbal Essence Set Me Up Gel. It has a nice smell but needed a boost. This gave my wavy hair more definition.

My husband uses it for soaking in the tub for sore muscles.

free skin care · Fri May 30, 2008 4:12 pm

I too would not use it on the face, its too rich for the face. Its best to try exfoliators for this. PSF have a good one and lots of reviews

free skin care · Fri May 30, 2008 6:36 pm

When I had a spa body wrap. They highly advise me to soak in an epsom salts bath for 20 minutes to continue pulling toxins out of the body an skin. That seems like a good thing for the skin and body...magnesium in...body toxins out.

free skin care · Sat May 31, 2008 8:47 am

A 20 minutes soak with the slat in a very warm tub is supposed to pull out toxins and excess water from your body. I've been meaning to try that soon, but it seems to be too harsh for the face.

free skin care · Wed Feb 11, 2009 8:19 am

I agree with the other members, I would not use this on my face. It is way too harsh. You will probably do more damage than good.

free skin care · Wed Feb 11, 2009 4:46 pm

Cosmetic Grade Epsom Salts is fine for facial use. With that being said, Cosmetic Grade Magnesium Sulfate (hydrate) is usually a very fine particle size and is high in purity. It usually comes with 6 to 8 moles of water attached to the Magnesium Sulfate molecule. The type of Epsom Salts you would buy in a store for a bath soak is probably too coarse in size, and the purity isn't high enough for facial use.

The reason I know it is actually very good for facial use is because I created a demo cosmetic product for the company that I used to work for. When I was there, I created a "Hydrating Heating Mask" using anhydrous Magnesium Sulfate that was cosmetic grade and very fine in particle size. The "Heating Mask" also contained Kaolin clay, Hydrolyzed Jojoba Esters, Fumed silica, Titanium Dioxide and some liquid emollients to make a creamy mask. The mask worked in a very interesting way. It contained Jojoba Ester beads that were colored both blue and yellow. As the mask was applied to the face, it performed an exfolliation due to the anhydrous magnesium sulfate particles and kaolin. As the beads broke the colors mixed which changed the mask from white to green! This "color flop" indicator was actually patented by the company. Then, the mask was rinsed off with water, and when the water hit the anhydrous (containing no water) magnesium sulfate, HEATING occured. This feeling was really great on the facial skin.

In the clinical trials of this product, which the old company never sold as a product to the public, we found something very interesting. The magnesium sulfate exfoliated the skin, and worked as a cleanser with the hydrolyzed jojoba esters. Excess skin sebum was removed and the heating helped clean out the pores. Thus, when pore size was measured, we found that the pore size became smaller as the users continued using the mask. Pore size reduction was the unexpected plus that we found from this product.

I'm currently in negotiations with the company that I previously worked for so that I can release this formula, perhaps without the color flop beads because of patent issues, as a new launch in the second half of 2009. So stay tuned if you are interested in a great exfoliation mask that also reduces skin pore size.

But, the bottom line is this, if you can find a good purity, and fine particle size magnesium sulfate, it is OK to use on the face. No harm will come from using it as part of your normal skin regimen.

John

free skin care · Wed Feb 11, 2009 11:58 pm

What about table salt, would that be fine enough? I always thought manufacturers made up fancy names for salt so we'd just spend more money on the different kinds

free skin care · Fri Feb 13, 2009 5:26 am

Sounds GREAT John! I'm ready to buy!

free skin care · Fri Feb 13, 2009 10:38 am

Very interesting, John. Again, your discussions of ingredients and how they work is terrific. I have a box of Epsom salts that I drag out from time to time to use for foot baths. Whether it is purely psychological or actually physiological, I have convinced myself that a foot soak with Epsom salts is good for my feet. My mother-in-law used to use Epsom salts as a laxative--she lived just down the road from Epsom and was a believer that it would cure what ailed you. And she lived into her nineties, so who am I to doubt?

free skin care · Fri Feb 13, 2009 12:06 pm

slightly off topic, but I wonder if salt water can be used as a toner, and whether or not it can restore the skin's pH level?

free skin care · Mon Feb 16, 2009 12:13 pm

Epsom salts are a greata source of magnesium and most of us are deficient in this important mineral! Transdermal (through the skin) use of magnesium is great because it bypasses the digestive system where a lot of magnesium would get lost (eg. via pills & capsules).

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