Enhance your detox with an Epsom salt bath

We can't get enough of hydrotherapy. It's a well-documented health practice and an aid to detoxification. During detox, I (hi, it's Julie!) tend to shift my evening bathing ritual to Epsom salt baths—especially during a liver or a gallbladder cleanse, as it boosts detoxification.
Epsom salts are technically not salt, but magnesium and sulfur. When you don't get an adequate enough amount of magnesium, symptoms include muscle cramps, poor sleep, chronic pain, and less ability to manage stress. But when you do, magnesium helps relax the muscles of the gallbladder and facilitate cellular detoxification. Sulfur, on the other hand, is used to make glutathione, the most crucial detox enzyme, which is essential to energy in the cells and detoxification of the liver. Lack of sulfur can lead to wrinkles, stiff muscles, and painful joints.
Relaxation and magnesium absorption are just a few of the benefits of an Epsom salt detox bath. My go-to is Ultra Epsom Premium Epsom Salt by SaltWorks. I like the extra fine grain version as it seems to supersaturate the water. You can order online in 5, 25, and even 50lb bags. I panic purchased the 50lb size due to shortages during COVID and later regretted it (try lugging a 50lb bag around).
SET YOUR BATH
Add 1 pound (2 cups) of Epsom salt to a warm bath (temperature should be comfortable and never more than 101.5 to 102° Fahrenheit). Allow your body to soak for 20 to 30 minutes and up to 1-hour for relaxation and stress management.
Benefits may include:
- Restore magnesium
- Soften skin and strengthen the skin barrier for enhanced hydration
- Reduce muscle aches, tension, and cramps
- Relieve stress
- Treat cold and congestion
- Draw toxins from the body
- Help relieve constipation
- Improve sleep
Enhance Your Detox
To enhance the detox effects of my bath, I often include some key herbal and nutritional synergists with an emphasis on detoxification and liver/gallbladder:
To assist: Before my bath, I will take homeopathic cell salt Nat. sulph. Nat. sulph regulates the density of intercellular fluids (fluids that surround each of the cells) by eliminating excess water. This is the tissue salt required for the liver's healthy functioning and an adequate supply of normal free-flowing bile (needed for fat digestion and peristalsis in the intestines). I recommend purchasing a Homeopathic Materia Medica with Repertory to familiarize yourself with remedies.
To up-level: Add 1 pound of Baking Soda. The alkalinity will help with detox and absorb (neutralize) the effects of radiation.
To drink: Water is always a good idea with an infusion of Burdock root. Burdock is an excellent alterative (blood purifier), diuretic, and bitter tonic that can help clear toxins, including heavy metals, promote peripheral blood circulation, and stimulate digestive juice circulation—especially bile secretion. In general, burdock will move the body to a state of integration and health, improving indicators of systemic balance, such as skin problems. I make a liter via long infusion for 6 to 8 hours (or overnight), refrigerate, and then sip during the bath. I also bring the infusion to work and drink throughout the day. Alternately, I like Dr. Cowan's Organic Burdock Root Powder to enrich bone broth or soups for sipping post-bath. Dandelion leaf or root infusion is a widely applicable diuretic, liver tonic, and an excellent source of potassium. It is considered helpful for liver and gallbladder congestion. I will often alternate with burdock or combine the two.
Post-bath: Full-body oiling with Calendula Solution Botanique for promoting lymph drainage. Or, if I'm experiencing edema and sluggishness, Comfrey Solution Botanique. I will also use this opportunity for a facial massage, and gua sha with Fleur Vibrante Face Balm Concentré. And finish with Vis Clair Suprême and Complexe de Fleur—both promote movement of fluids, stagnation and address sluggishness. When detoxing, it is best to keep your skincare regimen simple.
For more information on the importance of liver cleansing and a full liver cleanse, check out Dr. Linda Lancaster's book Harmonic Healing.
SHOP DETOX ESSENTIALS
CALENDULA
Solution Botanique
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COMFREY
Solution Botanique
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FLEUR VIBRANTE
Face Balm Concentré
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VIS CLAIR SUPRÊME
Firming Eye Complex
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COMPLEXE DE FLEUR
Cellular Renewal Complex
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Disclaimer: This information is for educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prescribe and does not purport to replace the services of a duly trained practitioner. Please seek the advice of your health-care provider before trying any new remedy or technique.