Safe Use of Epsom Salt in Jet Tubs

The health and beauty benefits of bathing in saltwater have long been espoused by spa owners, doctors, and anyone’s who ever swam in the Dead Sea. Salt baths help maintain muscle and joint tissue, and improve brain and nerve functioning.

It’s not surprising then that many people think of adding salt to their hot tubs. It’s a great idea as long as you heed a few guidelines to keep the salt from interfering with the normal functioning of the jets.

Tips

Add two cups of salt for every gallon of water in the tub. Only use salts that will dissolve completely in the water. Salts that are highly mineralized may leave particles behind that will clog up jets.

Buy fine or medium grain salt to aid in the dissolution, and make sure the water is hot enough to dissolve the salt (but not so hot as to burn you).

If you use colored or scented salt, clean the jet tub and change the water frequently to prevent buildup in the water over time.

Epsoak Epsom salt, Minera Dead Sea salt, and Calspa Pacific sea salt all come recommended by companies that make jet tubs. But even generic Epsom salt should work fine provided you do not add too much.

Epsom Salt

Homemade Epsom Salt Poultice

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Epsom is the easiest and least expensive type of salt to obtain. You can find it in any grocery store or drugstore; it generally costs between $1 and $2 for a 1lb. container.

Epsom salt is essentially magnesium sulfate, a mineral many fluids in our bodies thrive on. It aids the body's enzyme functions and helps flush toxins from the body. It clears congestion from our lymph nodes as well, and even reportedly helps boost serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical, in our body.

Benefits

Salt baths are a fantastic detox for the body 2. After a long day’s work or a serious workout, a soak in saltwater goes a long way to relieve muscle soreness, back pain, aches and strains. The action of the salt combined with the warmth of the water has a soothing effect on the body that gives psychological benefits as well. People feel more relaxed, energized, and less stressed after a salt bath.

Salt baths also work wonders for your skin. Ten to 20 minutes soaking in saltwater each day helps keep skin soft and vibrant, and improves overly oily or dry skin.

How It Works

Adrenal Glands: Fatigue & Salt Cravings

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Remember osmosis and diffusion from high school biology? The salt creates a gradient that pushes water from body tissue through your cell membranes to try to balance the salinity of the tub water with the salinity of your body. In this way, old or damaged tissue is able to rid itself of dead cells and excess moisture. It creates a cleansing effect. This is why salt baths are good for physical overexertion, too. Through this same action, lactic acid, which builds up in our muscles during exercise and makes us sore later, exits the body.

Follow these simple steps and a relaxing soak in the jet tub with Epsom salt can be the perfect way to undo a stressful day and to detox, physically and emotionally.