How to Use Bath Salts: Best Uses & Techniques

You can use bath salts for skin, muscle, and joint benefits. In this article, we’ll discuss how to use bath salts with insights from a dermatologist and orthopedic surgeon.

Whether you want to use bath salts for bathing, showering, or soaking your feet, you’ll find helpful tips below. We’ll also answer common questions to help you reap the benefits and share our favorite bath salts.

Benefits of Bath Salts

Bath salts offer many benefits, including the following:

• Hydrate dry skin
• Reduce skin inflammation and irritation
• Improve skin conditions like eczema
• Promote relaxation for stress relief and better sleep
• Soothe muscle and joint pain
• Improve arthritis symptoms
• Reduce acne

How to Use Bath Salts in a Bathtub

“Soaking with bath salts can help to alleviate muscle and joint pain by reducing inflammation and improving circulation,” says Dr. Jeremy Smith, an orthopedic surgeon at Hoag Orthopedic Institute.

According to Dr. Hannah Kopelman, a dermatologist at Kopelman Aesthetic Surgery, bathing in bath salts can also improve your skin health by improving hydration, relieving irritation, drawing out impurities, and reducing inflammation.

Dr. Kopelman recommends the following steps for using bath salts in the bathtub:

1. Add up one cup of salts to a tub of warm water
2. Soak for 15 to 20 minutes
3. Repeat two to three times per week

Water temperature is important because warm water helps relieve stiffness and relax your muscles, says Dr. Smith. However, Dr. Kopelman explains that your skin can dry out if the water is too hot.

How to Use Bath Salts in Shower

If you want to use your bath salts in the shower, you can create a scrub. 

Dr. Kopelman recommends the following steps for using bath salts in the shower:

1. Mix your bath salts with a gentle oil like jojoba or coconut oil
2. Gently massage onto damp skin, focusing on targeted areas
3. Rinse well to remove all bath salts
4. Limit your bath salt scrub to once per week to avoid irritation

Taking a warm shower while using a bath salt scrub may not be as effective as a soak since you’re not submerged in warm water or doing it as often. However, it can offer similar benefits, such as improving skin conditions and calming joints and muscles.

Dr. Smith explains that the magnesium in Epsom salt can be absorbed through your skin, which can help with joint and muscle pain. Dr. Kopelman also says scrubbing your skin with Epsom salts can offer skincare benefits.

How to Use Bath Salts Without a Bathtub

In addition to using bath salts in the shower as a scrub, you can also create a foot soak using a simple bucket or a foot bath. Dr. Kopelman says a foot soak is an effective way to relax and soften calluses – which is great for people who are on their feet a lot.

For a foot soak, Dr. Kopelman recommends adding half a cup of bath salts to warm water and soaking for 10 to 15 minutes.

The Best Bath Salts: Oakwell Cosmetics Calming Beer Bath Salts

Our favorite bath salts are Oakwell Cosmetics Calming Beer Bath Salts because they’re cruelty and paraben-free, don’t contain any harmful ingredients, and have a fresh and calming scent. 

Oakwell Cosmetics Calming Beer Bath Salts are made with the following blend of simple, rejuvenating ingredients:

• Epsom salt - A naturally occurring sulfate mineral and magnesium compound that soothes joints, muscles, and skin irritation
• Sea salt - Helps improve blood circulation, discomfort, and skin sensitivities
• Malted barley - Beer’s main ingredient with antioxidants that improve skin elasticity
• Hop flowers - A natural beer ingredient with anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, and moisturizing properties for clean, toned skin
• Colloidal oatmeal - Powdered oatmeal that cleanses, exfoliates, and hydrates the skin
• Essential oils - Have protective antioxidants and antimicrobial properties for radiant skin and offer a fresh scent

How to Use Bath Salts: FAQs

Get answers to common questions to learn more about using bath salts in the bathtub, shower, or foot soak.

Do you just put bath salts in the water?

To use bath salts, you can simply put them in warm water. Within a few minutes, they should dissolve, and you can soak in them.

Are you supposed to let bath salts dissolve?

You should let your bath salts dissolve to allow your skin to absorb the minerals. Warm water helps the salts dissolve, usually within a few minutes. You can also gently stir the water and salts to help them dissolve quicker.

Do you shower before or after bath salts?

While showering before using bath salts is optional, you definitely want to shower afterward. It can be helpful to shower before using bath salts to remove dirt and oil, allowing your skin to better absorb the salts. The residue from bath salts can irritate your skin, so be sure to thoroughly rinse after using them.

Why do I feel weird after an Epsom salt bath?

If your skin or body feels weird after taking an Epsom salt bath, you may have sensitive skin or be allergic to one of the ingredients. Check the ingredients of the bath salts you’re using. We recommend using bath salts with gentle ingredients like Oakwell Cosmetics Calming Beer Bath Salts but be mindful of ingredients you may have an allergy to.

It’s also best not to overuse bath salts as bathing in warm water and salts too frequently can dry out and irritate your skin. You can start by taking one Epsom salt bath per week and increase it to two to three weekly baths to see how your skin reacts. You might also gradually increase how much you use, starting with half a cup for a bath or one-fourth cup for a foot soak.

For personalized guidance on how to use bath salts, consult a dermatologist.

What happens if you put too much Epsom salt in a bath?

If you put too much Epsom salt in your bath, your skin can become irritated. One to two cups of Epsom salts in a bathtub of water or about half a cup in a foot soak bath is usually the best ratio to reap the benefits of the bath salts and warm water without aggravating your skin.

How to Use Bath Salts: Conclusion

We hope you found this article helpful and are looking forward to using bath salts in a bathtub, shower, or as a foot soak. Bath salts can help improve your skin and relax your joints and muscles. Pair them with other Oakwell Cosmetics products for a healthy skincare routine to look and feel your best.