A simple bath to finish your day is one way to truly relax and unwind. With the addition of bath salts, your bathing experience can be elevated to not only cleanse the skin but soothe muscle tension, relax the body and help get a better night’s sleep. Magnesium bath salts in particular have been praised for the many benefits they offer both the body and the mind. Helping to promote healthy skin, relaxation, and improve mental wellbeing.
Does the body need Magnesium?
The simple answer is Yes. Magnesium is a natural mineral that is required for the body to stay healthy. It is essential for a number of activities carried out within the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and keeping our bones healthy.
As our bodies do not produce magnesium on their own, they are in fact dependent upon sources of magnesium to maintain these activities. Plus, our modern lifestyles tend to strip the body of Magnesium. Stress, exercise, and alcohol are just a few examples of this. The outcome means many people are magnesium deficient. With this in mind, there are a number of ways one can replenish their magnesium levels, including various types of oral supplements and eating Magnesium-rich foods.
A popular technique is to incorporate Magnesium flakes or salts into a bath and soak for around 20 minutes. By bathing in these flakes or salts, the magnesium can be absorbed into the body through transdermal absorption (aka topical absorption), which many believe is to be one of the most effective ways of giving an additional boost to your magnesium levels without causing any unwanted side effects.
The Benefits of Bathing in Magnesium Salts
Magnesium is essential for over 300 processes in the body, so increasing your magnesium levels could help support the following:
- A calm and relaxed mind and body
- Improved sleeping pattern
- Relief from sore muscles or muscle tension and cramps
- A reduction in feelings of fatigue or anxiety
- Relief from headaches
- Improvements in skin hydration
- Relief from the symptoms of restless legs syndrome
- Soothing irritated and dry skin, ideal for skin conditions like eczema and psoriasis
Magnesium deficiency has also been linked to the many common symptoms of menopause. This includes feelings of low mood, fatigue, sore muscles, and trouble sleeping. Therefore, magnesium is an important mineral to consider when looking at ways to manage menopause symptoms.
How to incorporate Magnesium into your bathing routine
To begin replenishing your body’s magnesium levels, look for magnesium bath salts or flakes to add to your bathing routine. These are easy to use and can be simply added to your bath alongside other products like bath oils or bath soaks.
Bath salts should be added to a bath with a temperature between 37-40°C. Adding these to a post-bedtime bath would be ideal for improving your sleep. Westlab recommends adding around ½ – 1 cup of salts 1-3 times per week to help maintain your general wellbeing.
