How to take a magnesium bath

It's no secret, I'm a big fan of minerals. One of the ways I teach my clients how to remineralize is through topical application. There are a number of ways and reasons to do this. 

Magnesium is the first one I recommend anyone get started with. In a recent post, I explained to you how magnesium helps to relax muscles. But it does so much more than that. 

Why Use Magnesium Transdermally?

The vast majority (if not everyone) of people today have a magnesium deficiency. Our soil has been depleted for so long, our food is too and most people do not get enough in the diet as it stands. It's also not in our water these days. Not to mention, many things easily deplete our tissue magnesium stores.

Taking oral magnesium supplements is often not enough to restore tissue levels of magnesium since we do not actually assimilate all that is ingested. So we must apply it topically to help rebuild (aka: transdermally). 

Why Magnesium Chloride Flakes Are Better Than Epsom Salts to Rebuild Magnesium Levels

Magnesium is SO critical and yet it's so difficult to build tissue stores, and then maintain them.

One key way is through transdermal application - but you have to be diligent and do it daily if possible or several times per week.

Epsom salts won't do the trick either - you need magnesium chloride flakes in a bath or foot bath, OR magnesium oil spray or lotion (made with magnesium chloride flakes) or use the oil in a foot bath.

Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate, which are better for detox and not as good for rebuilding tissue mag levels. Some people cannot tolerate epsom salts very well due to genetic SNPs. I am one of those people, that cannot easily handle epsom salts baths; they make me bloat up really badly if my body is congested or sluggish. So I personally do better with magnesium chloride flakes and baking soda. 

Dr. Mark Sircus explains in this article why magnesium chloride flakes are a better option than epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) for rebuilding tissue stores of magnesium in the body.

He says, "For purposes of cellular detoxification and tissue purification, the most effective form of magnesium is magnesium chloride, which has a strong excretory effect on toxins and stagnant energies stuck in the tissues of the body, drawing them out through the pores of the skin. Chloride is required to produce a large quantity of gastric acid each day and is also needed to stimulate starch-digesting enzymes."

According to Daniel Reid, author of The Tao of Detox, magnesium sulfate, commonly known as Epsom salts, is rapidly excreted through the kidneys and therefore difficult to assimilate. This would explain in part why the effects from Epsom salt baths do not last long and why you need more magnesium sulfate in a bath than magnesium chloride to get similar results. Magnesium chloride is easily assimilated and metabolized in the human body.

Now, don't get me wrong, there is absolutely a time and place for Epsom salts baths. I myself LOVE doing salt float therapy in the winter (which Epsom salts are used). However, for the purpose of restoring and rebuilding magnesium reserves and levels in the body, Epsom salts will not do the trick. 

How To Take A Magnesium Bath

Magnesium baths are a great way to end the day, very relaxing and rejuvenating. You just need a few simple ingredients and it's really best to round out the baths with a broad spectrum of minerals and not just magnesium alone. I use magnesium chloride flakes (not epsom salts), baking soda and either dead sea salts or himalayan pink salt. Here are a few basic recipes you can get started with:

Magnesium Foot Bath

1/3 cup each magnesium chloride flakes, baking soda and dead sea salt

Add all three to a small basin and add water hot enough to dissolve the salts. Add enough water at a temperature you tolerate just to cover the top of your feet. If you are using essential oils, feel free to add a few drops - lavender is always a nice option. Soak for about 20 minutes.

Since not everyone can or wants to take a full bath, the foot baths are a nice option. If you do not have a whole house water filter, a foot bath can be a great option since you can just use a small amount of filtered water or bottled spring water.

Newbie Magnesium Bath

1/2 cup magnesium chloride flakes

1/2 cup baking soda

1/2 cup himalayan pink salt or dead sea salts

Make sure you tolerate the bath well before ramping up the amounts you use, especially if you are someone who is chronically ill or super sensitive to any changes. Those with severe adrenal exhaustion always need to be more cautious and go slow. Always pair your magnesium baths with other minerals.

Relaxing & Purifying Magnesium Bath

1 heaping cup magnesium chloride flakes

1 heaping cup dead sea salts

1 heaping cup baking soda

Lavender & Cypress Essential Oils (Use about 6- 10 drops each - if you are new to essential oils, just start with the lavender essential oil at first).

Sodium bicarbonate allows your body to use magnesium - this is why adding baking soda to your magnesium baths is a GREAT idea! This is because bicarbonate acts as a transporter of magnesium into the mitochondria. I buy my baking soda in bulk at Costco. 

Magnesium baths are an amazing option to give yourself the gift of care but also rebuild magnesium in your body. We want to have magnesium on reserve so we don't end up in burnout. The body loses it very easily during stress and we honestly can't eat enough in our diet for our physiological needs today. 

Since it can take a year and half to rebuild magnesium levels, doesn't it make sense to have a few ways to help your body get the job done. I love getting my magnesium baths in the winter. In warmer temperatures, when a bath doesn't sound very appealing a simple foot bath does the trick. Surely we sit around reading, bingeing Netflix or aimlessly scrolling the 'gram' long enough to multi task with a magnesium foot bath? Right?! 

Restoring minerals in the body is so key, it helps us to avoid serious health complications when we know how to approach minerals properly. This is a big reason I created my program: REMINERALIZE. To teach people how to approach minerals with balance in mind to enjoy the benefits and avoid all the health problems that ensue when we don't get our minerals right! 

If you want to recover or rebuild from wherever you are currently in your health journey - I invite you to join: REMINERALIZE. 

You'll soon be on your way to igniting back the spark you lost, who knows when, and get back to enjoying your life with newfound energy!