Where Do Epsom Salts Come From ? - PharmaSpa (2024)

One of the best bath salts to occur naturally is called Epsom Salt. You have probably heard of it before. Even used it without knowing what it does, or how it works. But have you ever asked yourself where do Epsom salts come from? Or does Epsom salt even work?

Rest assured, there are many health benefits of soaking in salt. The world was introduced to a whole new way to improve our health with bath salts many years ago. And we have not looked back since then. Keep on reading if you want to know more about where do Epsom salts come from, how they were discovered, and their uses.

​Where Do Epsom Salts Come From?

The benefits of bath salts are countless. From beauty purposes to many regenerative uses, it’s safe to say that these bath salts have taken the world by storm. And people have been and still are using and extracting Epsom bath salts everyday to make use of their healing powers.

To know a bit about what these fancy crystals can do to your skin and your mind, we need to know a few things: what are Epsom salts and where are they from?

Chemical Composition of Epsom Salts

Epsom salt is a naturally occurring mineral salt that is made up of magnesium, oxygen, and sulfur. It is chemically known as magnesium Sulfate and has the chemical structure of the salt. It has a physical appearance like table salt but is not meant to be consumed orally as it is bitter.

And it is very popular as one of the top bath salts to use because of how it is produced.

How Are Epsom Salts Made?

Since Epsom salts are naturally occurring, they cannot be made in a lab like many other bath salts. They must be extracted/ prepared by nature.

Epsom salt is obtained by evaporating water from lakes that are rich in magnesium sulfate. It can also be accumulated on dry lake beds and can be obtained from there. Once we find a source of this salt, we simply need to gather it.

History of Epsom Salts

Where do Epsom salts come from geographically? The little town of Epsom, located in Surrey, which is southwest of London, is where Epsom salts were discovered by accident in 1618, is. The “Epsom” in Epsom salts is a tribute to this very town.

Epsom salt was discovered by Henry Wicker in Epsom Common, who was herding his cattle when he accidentally came across a pond. But, despite the arid conditions, his cattle refused to drink the seemingly clean and clear water.

After a bit more research, he discovered that the water was bitter, and gave out a white substance (a salt) when evaporated. This white substance came to be known as Epsom salt.

Why Do Epsom Salts Work?

In the past, Epsom salts were widely consumed due to their purgative properties. They were even called the “bitter purging Salts” for some time until their healing properties were discovered.

Epsom salt works like any other bath salt. When you put a salt in water, it dissolves in it. Know as osmosis, many of the properties from that salt, magnesium and sulfate ions in this case, are released into the bath water. As you soak, the benefits of the magnesium and sulfate ions are absorbed into your skin.

Can You Put Epsom Salt in Hot Tub or Jetted Bath?

Pharmaspa crystal fragrances are water-soluble and do not leave a rim around the spa. That’s because our product is formulated completely dissolves so there is no chance for our crystals to clumping.

Unlike traditional foaming products that can foam and leave residue, these non-foaming versions do not affect the chemistry of the water nor the pipping.

How Does Epsom Salt Work for Health Conditions?

Today, Epsom salts are more widely used as a health and skin aid. The following are the few benefits of soaking in Epsom Salt:

Home Treatment for Arthritis and Pain

Epsom salts are commonly used for its recovery and pain alleviation properties. They are especially good for people suffering from different sorts of arthritis.

It is because the magnesium in them is proven to be beneficial for all sorts of arthritic pains. You can use Epsom salt for gout, rheumatoid, and psoriatic arthritis.

Our Original Crystals are great for hot tubs, regular baths or even salt foot soaks, as they have healing properties that can help with gout.

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Promotes and Enhances Quality of Sleep

Low levels of magnesium in your body can cause many sleep issues. The magnesium in Magnesium Bath salts, such as our Nature Crystal can help with that by promoting the regulation of neurotransmitters that produce sleep through relaxation.

And by promoting the production of different sleeping hormones that can increase your quality of sleep. All you must do is soak in these magnesium salts for half an hour before your bedtime several times a week.

For Beauty Purposes

Epsom salts are widely used for skin conditioning. They have many different cosmetic properties that can help with your daily/ nightly beauty routine.

They are great moisturizers and a natural exfoliant. You can find them in certain body and face scrubs. But they are best used when soaking in water, as every part of your skin is exposed at once.

Try our Hemp Crystals as they have extra moisturizing properties such as omega3s, on top of all the other salt benefits that we have covered today.

Does Epsom Salt Expire?

There are so many bath salt health benefits, so one must have reservations about their quality and expiration dates. But as far as Epsom salts are concerned, don’t worry! Epsom salts do not expire.

After 2 or 3 years, Epsom salt crystals can clumped up, but that does not mean they are expired. Just give them a little shake and they’ll be good as new.

Time to Take the Plunge into Epsom Salts

Now that we have gone through the history of Epsom Salts, and have answered the questions such as: where do Epsom Salts come from? What are their benefits? And how is Epsom salt made? We know that these little crystals are something we cannot miss out on.

So, just try some for yourself and see if they work for you.

Original Crystals

Hemp Crystals

Nature Crystals