There’s a miracle worker collecting dust in your kitchen cupboard. One which can help combat many beauty, health and gardening conundrums. Hello Epsom salt. Which isn’t actually a salt at all, but a mineral compound of magnesium sulphate. It has loads of uses. Bonus, it is cheap and eco-friendly!
HEALTH & BEAUTY:
• Lacking volume? Add some oomph to your locks by combining equal parts conditioner and Epsom salt. Work the mixture through your hair and leave for 20 minutes. The result? Hair full of va-va-voom and volume.
• Get the perfect beachy waves with this simple DIY salt texturising hair spray: Combine a cup of hot water, two tablespoons Epsom salt, a teaspoon Aloe Vera gel and a ½ teaspoon conditioner in a spray bottle. Spray the salt mixture into your hair and scrunch with your hand for pretty beachy waves.
• It’s easy to tame frizz and dullness with Epsom salt. For those with oily hair, mix equal proportions of Epsom salt and shampoo before washing.
• If you’re prone to dry hair, add Epsom salt to your conditioner. Apply the mixture from the scalp to the tips, leave for two minutes, and rinse thoroughly.
• For exfoliation, mix two cups of Epsom salt with a quarter cup of Vaseline and a few drops of lavender essential oil. Gently massage into dry patches for smoother skin.
• To ease sunburn, add a cup of water and two tablespoons of Epsom salt to a spray bottle to spritz your reddest areas.
• Take the sting out of bug bites and poison ivy rashes by soaking a cotton cloth with the same solution of a cup of water and two tablespoons of Epsom salt, and apply to the skin.
• For acne, add a teaspoon of Epsom salt with three drops of iodine into a half cup of boiling water. Once the salt is dissolved, let the mixture cool to room temperature and dab onto blackheads with a cotton ball. Let it work for a few minutes, then rinse off, wash your face gently, rinse again, and pat dry.
• If your feet are swollen, tired or you have blisters, magnesium helps reduce inflammation. Add half a cup of Epsom salt to a bowl or foot spa. Fill with warm (but not hot) water. Soak your feet for 20 minutes.
• Blocked sinuses? Inhale the steam from boiling water infused with Epsom salt, rosemary, and eucalyptus to help clear away congestion. Make sure you keep an appropriate distance so you don’t accidentally scorch your sinuses in the process.
• To banish bad breath and keep your oral health in check, Epsom salt can be used as a mouthwash. Dissolve two tablespoons of Epsom salt into a cup of lukewarm water. Gargle and rinse like you would with a normal mouthwash.
• Ouch! That pesky splinter is in there good and deep. Soak the area in hot water with Epsom salt and watch that tiny offensive splinter come to the surface. So much easier (and less painful!) than trying to dig it out.
• Taking time out to soak in a tub of magnesium-rich Epsom salt can do wonders for your wellbeing. This will help your muscles relax, and your mind unwind. When magnesium is absorbed through the skin it releases serotonin. The chemical is directly linked to feelings of happiness. Magnesium also cleanses toxins, heavy metals, and soothes strains, sprains and bruises. Pour two cups of Epsom salt into a tub of warm water to reap the full benefits. Be warned though that Epsom salt removes toxins from the body. This, of course, is a wonderful thing, but it can leave you very tired after a bath – so bath before bedtime. Also, since Epsom salt is so powerful, it is best to only soak for 12 to 20 minutes. Also, be sure to keep hydrated while in the tub.
• Add one cup of Epsom salt to your kids’ evening bath to help them sleep more peacefully.
IN THE GARDEN:
Epsom salt helps improve flowers bloom and enhances a plant’s green colour. It can even help plants grow bushier! Before applying Epsom salt, however, it’s a good idea to have your soil tested to determine whether it’s deficient in magnesium.
• Make a foliar spray: To make this kind of spray, which will provide your plants with a beneficial dose of magnesium, simply mix a tablespoon of Epsom salt with four litres of water. You can apply the dilution early when you see new leaves starting to appear. The best time to apply is on a cloudy day or in the early morning.
• Houseplants: Mix two tablespoons per four litres of water and feed plants monthly.
• Tomatoes and peppers: When planting a new tomato or pepper plant, dig a hole, place one tablespoon of salt in the hole and then cover with a thin layer of soil. You can position the plant on top of this. During the growing season, you can give the plants a liquid treatment every two weeks: Mix a tablespoon with four litres of water and water the plants with this mix.
• Roses: Scratch half a cup of Epsom salt into the soil at the base to encourage flowering canes and healthy new basal cane growth. Soak unplanted bushes in one cup of Epsom salt per five litres of water to help roots recover. Add a tablespoon of Epsom salt to each hole at planting time. Spray with Epsom salt solution weekly to discourage pests.
• Shrubs (evergreens, azaleas, rhododendron): Use one tablespoon per square meter. Apply over root zone every two to four weeks.
• Lawns: Add two tablespoons to about three and a half litres of water, mix thoroughly and water your lawn with it. Then follow this with straight water to help the salts and water really soak in.
• Trees: Apply two tablespoons per square meter. Apply over the root zone three times annually.
• Garden start-up: Sprinkle one cup per 10 square meters. Mix into soil before planting.
• Try Epsom salt as a weed killer by mixing two cups with four litres of vinegar. Add a few drops of dishwashing liquid into the mixture into a spray bottle. Then just spray the weeds while avoiding your flowers or vegetables.
• Slugs and snails: Wherever you see that silvery, slimy trail heading for your plants, scatter a handful of Epsom salt.
• Lemon tree leaves turning yellow? The most common cause could be a lack of magnesium in the soil. Mix 30g of Epsom salt per litre of water (approximately two tablespoons), per tree. Alternatively, apply it directly to the soil at the same rate and water the trees well.
Last but not least:
• Amp up your next bathroom scrub session by combining equal parts dishwashing liquid and Epsom salt to abrade mildew and soap scum – simply apply the paste, wait a minute or two, then brush.
• Clogged washing machines? Fill the washing tub with hot water and add some Epsom salt. Run the complete wash cycle to get rid of detergent and hard water salt build-up.
• Remove burnt food from pots and pans by scrubbing a pan with about a quarter of a tablespoon of Epsom salt and some warm water and rinse. Viola!
• Fido will benefit from Epsom salt ... especially if he has dry, allergy-prone itchy skin or strained, sore muscles. A warm Epsom salt bath can also help with swelling and speed up wound healing. Add half a cup of Epsom salt to four litres of warm water. Bath your dog but make sure he does not drink the water. Thoroughly rinse him off with tap water.
• To restore a crisp feel to sheer or lace curtains, drench freshly washed curtains in a sink of cold water with one cup of dissolved Epsom salt. After 10 minutes of soaking, drain the sink and gently press the water out of the curtain, but do not rinse. Hang to drip-dry before rehanging.
Compiled by: RIALIEN FURSTENBERG
