Do you think that bath salts only come as premium products with big price tags? Adding essential oils and sodium bicarbonate to make a bath salt is actually about as easy as it gets, and makes bath salts far less of a mystery. But why bother at all, that’s the real question, right? Why does anyone need bath salts? What do they do? Are there any real benefits to bath salts?
Benefit 1: Moisturises the Skin
The first benefit of bath salts is that they act as a skin moisturizer, and even help to ease the symptoms of dry skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis. The salt can work like an active ingredient to help remove impurities from one’s skin, restoring balance and moisture. Even better, one doesn’t even have to soak in bath salts for very long to enjoy these types of benefits on their skin. Soaking for as little as 15-20 minutes can be more than enough.
The key to getting the most of a moisturizing effect is not to have the water too hot or cold. The water needs to be warm enough to properly dissolve the salts, but not too hot that it might actually negate their positive effects.
Benefit 2: Lower Stress Levels
Bath salts have been shown to help with promoting better circulation in the body. By boosting circulation and helping to relax our muscles, the salts give us a small but critical boost in both mental and physical health and bring our stress levels back down. In doing so, it actually helps to make us more productive. Anxiety is a real killer to productivity.
Benefit 3: Can Help with Insomnia
Related to the second benefit is a positive step towards solving insomnia. Government numbers suggest that about 1 in 10 Australians may have insomnia in some form at any given time. The difficulty in getting to sleep is sometimes caused by stress and anxiety, and sometimes by other factors, too. Bath salts promote the restoration of equilibrium in the body, the lowering of stress levels, and the relaxation of muscles, all of which can promote a better night’s sleep.
Benefit 4: Can Help with Pain Management
While it’s no miracle cure for pain or swelling, it can have some positive effects on certain inflammatory conditions such as lupus, gout, and arthritis. The key ingredient for pain relief is magnesium, which is often found in many bath salt products. The main thing they can offer is helping to remove certain toxins that exacerbate swelling and inflammation, thus providing some relief from the worst pain.
Furthermore, if you have splinters in your hands or feet, soaking them in water enriched with bath salts can be an effective way to reduce inflammation, make the splinter, and stop it from penetrating deeper into the skin. All of these things make it easier and less painful to remove.
Benefit 5: Bath Salts Promote Better Foot Health
You don’t have to soak your entire body to start enjoying the health benefits of bath salts. Foot health in particular can be enhanced with regular use of bath salts. They have two primary effects, the first being on relieving symptoms and itching from conditions such as athlete’s foot. They can also help to treat infections that result from ingrown toenails. In addition to that, it can also help with foot odor, a condition that can be a serious source of embarrassment for people, especially if they have to remove their shoes in a public place or at a friend’s house for a party or get-together.
