TREAT SUMMER AILMENTS WITH EPSOM SALT

Versatile product is an inexpensive way to help reduce itching from mosquito bites, bee stings, mild sunburn, poison ivy, oak and sumac

(June 2010) -- With summer underway, many people will start to suffer from mosquito bites, bee stings, mild sunburn, poison ivy, poison oak and poison sumac. Here's a quick, inexpensive tip for how to help reduce the itching: Epsom salt.

Doctors say Epsom salt is an age-old remedy that helps soothe itching, burning skin. It draws the moisture out of lesions caused by rashes, such as poison ivy. And with bites or stings, Epsom salt reduces the swelling, which eases the itching sensation because the body’s nerves fire less frequently. You can get Epsom salt in your local supermarket or pharmacy for just a few bucks. Here are three ways doctors say it can help reduce itching:

• Make compresses by soaking a cotton washcloth in cold water that has been mixed with Epsom salt (two tablespoons per cup), then apply to the skin.
• Create a paste to apply to the skin by adding a teaspoon of Epsom salt to about a cup of hot water until it dissolves, then chilling the solution in the fridge for 20 minutes. Note: Clean the skin and pat dry before applying the paste.
• Take an Epsom salt bath, by adding two cups of Epsom salt to the water in a standard-sized bathtub and soaking for at least 12 minutes. The Epsom salt will dissolve quicker if you put it under the running water.

About Epsom salt
Epsom salt – actually magnesium sulfate – has been used therapeutically for hundreds of years, and it’s gaining a new generation of fans looking for a safe, economical alternative in a sea of expensive, over-the-counter remedies. Epsom salt is one of the most versatile household products, with uses ranging from creating at-home spa treatments to soothing achy muscles to helping start or improve gardens. It’s easy to use, easy to find in your local pharmacy or grocery store and it costs about the same per use as a cup of coffee.

To learn more, please visit www.epsomsaltcouncil.org, or visit www.facebook.com/epsomsalt.