One of my favorite things to do after a particularly stressful day is to take abath with Epsom salts. It helps to relieve tension and stress on any given day. And on a day where I need a little extra pampering, a bath with epsom salts, a magazine, a glass of wine and some aromatherapy candles always do the trick!

As much as I love Epsom salts in baths, I never realized that there were actually other ways to use them. So I was excited to find some other excellent ideas from One Good Thing by Jillee. Have you ever used Epsom salts in any of these ways?

1. Reduce Swelling and Itching from Bites:

   Soak a cotton washcloth in a mixture of 1 cup cold water and 2 tbsp Epsom salt. Apply cloth to insect bites for relief.

2. Make Your Own Fabric Softener:

   Use 10 drops of essential oil mixed with 1 cup of Epsom salt to make an effective fabric softener. Just use about 1/4 per load of laundry at the beginning of each wash cycle.

3. Exfoliate Your Skin:

   Mix together some Epsom salt with olive oil to create a paste. Then apply paste to face for deep pore cleansing or to heels or elbows. Rinse once finished and pat dry.

4. Draw Out Blackheads:

   Into 1/2 cup boiling water, add in a tsp of Epsom salt and 3 drops of iodine. Then carefully soak a cotton ball with the mixture and apply to blackheads.

5. Remove a Splinter:

   Dissolve 1 cup of Epsom salt in a tub of water, then soak the splintered area to draw out the splinter.

6. Clean Your Hair:

   If you have oily hair, try adding 9 tbsp of Epsom salt to 1/2 a cup of your normal shampoo. Wash your hair as usual and the salt should help soak up excess oil.

7. Deter Raccoons:

   If raccoons like to linger around your garbage cans, then just sprinkle a few tbsp of Epsom salt around the area. Raccoons hate the taste of this stuff, so it should keep them at bay.