You've probably noticed that Epsom salts come in a giant bag. And by giant, I mean giant. like our 5lb bag of Soaking Salts. This is on purpose. You need a lot more Epsom salt per bath than you might expect. It's common that most people are not adding enough Epsom salt to their bath. This might not seem like a big deal, but if you skimp on the salts, you won't get the benefits of the magnesium they're made from.

Are you adding enough Epsom salt to your bath?

Most Epsom salt packaging recommends using 2 cups of Epsom salt in a well-filled bath and soaking for 12-15 minutes.

However, David Jockers DC, MS, CSCS recommends that the quantity of salt you use should correlate with your body weight. He also suggests soaking for 20-40 minutes. The first 20 minutes pulls out toxins while the next 20 allows the body to absorb the minerals.

Here are the quantities of Epsom salt he recommends:

• Children under 60 lbs: ½ cup
• Individuals between 60-100 lbs: 1 cup
• Individuals between 100-150 lbs: 1½ cups
• Individuals between 150-200 lbs: 2 cups
• For every 50lbs more – add an additional ½ cup of salts.

Are you soaking long enough in your Epsom salt bath?

Once you've gotten the amount of Epsom salt in your bath just right, make sure you're not wasting it by not soaking long enough. You should soak in the water for at least 10 minutes.

One study from the University of Birmingham found by using a concentration of 1% Epsom salts 2-3 times per week there was a significant increase in plasma magnesium levels. This would equate to using 4-5 cups (or ½ 5 lb bag) of epsom salts per 30 gallons, the typical bath size.