​Epsom Salt for Natural Relief from Bites, Stings, Rashes, Itching and Sunburn

Epsom salt is a truly wonderful little mineral. Comprised of magnesium and sulfur, it has a truly astonishing range of uses  around the house, for beauty, and for arts and crafts. It is also a great, natural way to relieve bites, stings, rashes, itching and sunburn - basically anything that irritates the skin.

Epsom salt is great for providing natural relief from bites, stings, rashes, itching, sunburn and more. Just another reason that every household should have some on hand at all times!

How Epsom Salt Helps Soothe Irritation

The main reason that bites, stings, rashes and sunburn become irritated is because of inflammation. This is your body’s natural defence mechanism. If your immune system recognises damaged cells, irritants, and pathogens, it begins the healing process through inflammation. Swelling, heat, redness, tenderness, and itchiness are a couple of inflammatory processes.

Inflammation is usually beneficial in the short term. However, it often causes more harm than good, which is why you often hear it in a negative context.

Where does Epsom salt come into all of this? Well, Epsom salt is rich in  magnesium, and magnesium has been proven to dramatically reduce inflammation in all its forms. Our skin is very porous, and these tiny openings allow sweat, oils and toxins to exit the body, and for substances to be absorbed, so when you apply Epsom salt directly to inflamed skin, it is delivered directly to the source, essentially putting a chill on the inflammation process.

What Can I Use Epsom Salt To Treat?

Try using Epsom salt to treat any of the following:

Ways To Use Epsom Salt For Treating Bites, Stings, Rashes And More

There are a couple of ways to use Epsom salt to treat inflamed skin. Let’s take a look:

Make a compress - For localised inflammation, such as a large rash or a patch of itchy skin, try using an Epsom salt soaked compress. Simply mix some Epsom salt with warm water (two tablespoons per cup of water), stir until dissolved. Soak a clean cotton washcloth in the water, wring lightly, then apply to the affected skin for 5 minutes. Repeat.

Make a paste - For smaller rashes, stings or bites, you might want to make a paste that you can apply regularly. To do this, add a teaspoon of Epsom salt to about a cup of hot water, stirring until dissolved. Then place the solution in the fridge for 20 minutes. Clean the affected area, pat dry, and apply the paste as required.

Make a lotion - To make a lotion, simply add 1/2 cup of Epsom Salts with 3/4 cup of warm water, then 2 cups of neutral moisturiser lotion. Mix until well combined and scoop into a jar. This is great for sunburn.

Have a bath - For whole-body relief, add two cups of Epsom salt to a standard-sized bathtub. Allow to dissolve, then soak for 10-20 minutes. This is a great for also sunburn (particularly if it’s everywhere!).

We think every household should have Epsom salt on hand at all times. You never know when you might need it! Check out our range of Epsom salt here, and buy bulk Epsom salt here.