It’s the second weekend into summer and my husband and I thought we’d loosen the reins with our 9 year old and let him go camping with a friend and his family. By the second evening I get the “pick me up text”, “mom I don’t feel good, I think I got too much sun, can you come pick me up”. 11 o’clock at night I’m racing down to the campsite to pick the poor thing up. Thank goodness it was only a half hour away! It was a fun trip gone bad when he failed to have someone put sunscreen on his back and then spent a whole day at the beach! Because of the late hour, I was stuck having to use house hold remedies. I did a little sunburn research on line: aloe, vinegar, lemon juice and surprisingly…. Epsom salt! Found in the local pharmacy or grocery store this wonder salt seems to be gaining popularity with a new generation of fans looking for safe over the counter remedies.
Named after an English town, in Surrey, England, Epsom Salt was initially harvested for its healing effects of magnesium sulfate. Used therapeutically for hundreds of years Epson Salt uses range from gardening to beauty treatments, to relieving muscle aches/pains, insect bug bites, sunburns, relieving inflammation, bronchial asthma and migraine headaches. In addition, it has been known to heal cuts and reduce soreness from childbirth and its detoxification property can even help children with diagnosed with ADHD and/or autism.
Because toxic compounds can build up in a child, it can result in ADHD symptoms. Sulfates can help flush out toxins reducing ADHD symptoms. Signs a child is sulfate deficient include reddened ears, hyperactivity, inappropriate laughter, night sweats, dark circles under eyes, excessive thirst, aggressive behaviors, head-banging, eczema, facial flushing, and trouble falling to sleep, disturbed sleep and odorous bed-clothes. The magnesium sulfates from Epsom salts baths can help improve the absorption of nutrients and flush out toxins reducing the symptoms of ADHD.
While Epsom salts have many uses, I first discovered their healing power when looking for a remedy for my son’s eczema. Deficiencies of magnesium are fairly common in infants. Low levels of magnesium can raise the level of histamine in the blood making the body more sensitive to allergens causing eczema like symptoms. Because the skin is highly porous, by merely having a child soak in an Epsom salt bath you can help replace these minerals. Epsom salt baths can trigger a process called reverse osmosis which can actually pull salt out of a child’s body along with the harmful toxins. I found this treatment to be very helpful for my son’s eczema.
While there are many therapeutic and versatile household uses for Epsom salts, you should always check with a physician when you or your child is experiencing a chronic condition.
For a list of more healthful benefits of Epsom salts refer to EpsomSaltCouncil.org
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