Epsom salt has become quite popular as a remedy for several health conditions. In the beauty industry, it has been an essential ingredient in therapeutic mineral baths, where people add Epsom salts to a warm bath to treat sore muscles.
Epsom salt has also found its way into hair care, where people use it as a scalp scrub and to give flat, oily hair more volume.
Epsom salt is made of magnesium and sulfate, and it has been associated with various beauty benefits (e.g., softening rough skin during a foot soak). For your hair, people use it to add volume and to keep their scalp clean.
Epsom salt can also scrub loose flakes off your scalp. But it doesn't treat what causes dandruff or a sore, inflamed scalp, so we'll also show you when to reach for a dandruff shampoo or see a dermatologist instead.
If you are wondering whether Epsom salt can work for you, this article looks into various ways, techniques, and methods of using Epsom salt for hair growth, dry skin, scalp health, and much more.
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So, does Epsom salt help your hair grow? Not directly. Your hair grows from follicles under your scalp, and very little of the magnesium in Epsom salt gets through your skin to reach them. What Epsom salt can do is clean up an oily, flaky scalp and make your hair look fuller. That makes it worth a try if your scalp gets oily fast, and a poor fit if your hair already feels dry.
Key Takeaways
- Epsom Salt Benefits for Hair: Epsom salt, a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate, works as a gritty scalp scrub and can make flat, oily hair look fuller. It won't make your hair grow faster, and it doesn't treat dandruff or fungal infections.
- Use in Hair Care Routine: For oily hair, mixing Epsom salt with shampoo can reduce excess oil and enhance volume. However, it's not a good idea for dry hair, as it may lead to further dryness. In such cases, blending Epsom salt with your conditioner for an occasional treatment can be more beneficial.
- Application Methods: The article covers an Epsom salt shampoo blend for oily hair, a conditioner blend for dry hair, an oil-and-salt scrub for scalp flakes, and a salt spray for volume.
- Potential Side Effects and Precautions: Overuse of Epsom salt can leave your hair rough and dry and irritate your scalp. Don't scrub over cuts, sores, or a sunburned scalp, and see a dermatologist for flakes that keep coming back or a sore, itchy rash.
- Scientific Evidence and Therapeutic Properties: Very little of the magnesium in Epsom salt gets through your skin, so it can't feed your hair or fix a low magnesium level. Its real benefits for your hair come from the salt itself: a gritty scrub and a bit of extra texture.
What Is Epsom Salt?
Epsom salt, also commonly known as magnesium sulfate (sometimes called magnesium salt), is a naturally occurring chemical compound that consists of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen.
It derives its name from a saline spring at Epsom in England, where the salt was discovered. Regardless of its name, Epsom salt is significantly different from common table salt. Its chemical structure is the only reason it is called a "salt".
While its appearance resembles table salt, Epsom salt is very bitter and unpalatable. Nevertheless, it's sold in drugstores as a laxative, which is why some people drink it. If you ever take it by mouth, follow the dose on the package, and ask a doctor first if you have kidney disease.
Most of the health benefits linked to Epsom salt are credited to magnesium, an essential mineral that many people don't get enough of from food.
Dissolving Epsom salt in water frees up its magnesium and sulfate ions.
Your skin is built to keep things out, though, and magnesium has a hard time getting through it. The little that does get in slips through hair follicles and sweat glands, which make up only about 0.1% to 1% of your skin. In one study, people who rubbed a lotion made with magnesium sulfate on their skin three times a day for three days had no more magnesium in their blood than people who used a plain lotion.
So don't count on Epsom salt to fix a low magnesium level. If you think yours is low, ask your doctor about a blood test. On your scalp, magnesium sulfate has a coarse texture that helps exfoliate the scalp by eliminating dead skin and substance buildup.
What Does Epsom Salt Do For Your Hair?
Epsom salt is an excellent scalp exfoliator that removes dead skin patches, accumulated dirt, and excess oils. Mostly, this buildup clogs the hair follicles and pores on your scalp and can lead to inflammation and other scalp problems.
Also, massaging your scalp with Epsom salt works like a gentle scrub. It won't improve your hair growth on its own, so keep the pressure light.
Magnesium is among the most important minerals in your body, and many people get less of it than they need. But your hair follicles get their magnesium from your blood, which gets it from the food you eat, not from what you rub on your scalp.
So when you put Epsom salt on your scalp, it works on the surface. The crystals loosen flakes and buildup, and the salt left behind can add texture to your hair.
How to Use Epsom Salt for Hair Care
Epsom salt is an ingredient that is becoming increasingly popular for women with curly hair. It's being used in hair care regimens more frequently, and the success stories are growing.
There are multiple ways of using Epsom salt for your hair care routine. However, the most appropriate method depends on your hair type.
Original Curl Centric chart
Which Epsom salt use fits your hair?
Find the row that sounds like your hair or scalp right now, then start with the last column. Epsom salt helps with the first two. For the rest, something else does the work.
| What it is | What you notice | What Epsom salt can do | What to do first |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oily scalp, flat hair | Your roots look greasy a day or two after you wash, and your hair falls flat. | Washing away the extra oil brings back volume, and a little salt adds texture. | Add 2 tablespoons of Epsom salt to 16 ounces of shampoo, and use it every other wash. |
| Product buildup | Dull white bits near your roots that wash out and stay gone for days. | Its gritty crystals scrub loose flakes and buildup off your scalp. | Mix 1 teaspoon of Epsom salt with 6 teaspoons of oil, and massage it in gently before you shampoo, once a week. |
| Dandruff | Itchy flakes that keep coming back within a few days of washing. | A scrub lifts flakes, but it can’t reach the yeast linked to dandruff, and oil may give that yeast more to feed on. | Skip the oil scrub. Use a dandruff shampoo with an ingredient like zinc pyrithione or ketoconazole for about four weeks. |
| Dry or brittle hair | Your hair feels rough, tangles easily, or breaks at the ends, whatever your curl pattern. | Salt left on your strands makes them rough, so they catch on each other and tangle. | Skip the shampoo blend. Use the conditioner blend no more than every other time you condition. |
| Broken or sore scalp | Cuts, scratches, a sunburn, or a sore, itchy rash on your scalp. | Salt stings broken skin, and scrubbing over cuts or a sunburn can make them worse. | Keep Epsom salt off your scalp until it heals. See a board-certified dermatologist for a rash that won’t go away. |
| Hair loss | Clumps of hair, bald patches, a widening part, or far more than 50 to 100 hairs a day. | Epsom salt doesn’t change how fast your hair grows or stop it from falling out. | See a board-certified dermatologist, who can tell shedding from hair loss and find the cause. |
Epsom salt won’t make your hair grow faster. Very little of its magnesium gets through your skin, so its benefits for your hair come from the salt itself: a gritty scrub and a bit of extra volume.
Salt Mixtures for Oily Hair
If your hair and scalp are oily, we recommend combining Epsom salt and shampoo. It's fine to include a couple of tablespoons of Epsom salt in your regular bottle of shampoo.
The purpose of this blend is to eliminate excess oils on your hair strands and scalp with each wash, similar to a clarifying shampoo. To create this hair treatment, some women mix equal parts of shampoo and Epsom salt.
Alternatively, we recommend adding Epsom salt directly into the shampoo bottle; add two tablespoons for every 16 ounces of shampoo.
To get a balanced blend, shake the shampoo bottle thoroughly after adding the salt and before every wash. When washing your hair, apply the Epsom salt and shampoo blend just like you do with regular shampoo.
Take your time to ensure thorough application, deeply and evenly, to the scalp and hair strands, paying attention to the oiliest parts of your hair and scalp.
It would be best if you only used Epsom salt-infused shampoo after every other regular shampooing. Alternating your shampooing sessions can minimize the possibility of your hair and scalp drying out from using Epsom salt.
You should see a difference after the first wash: cleaner roots and a little more lift. If your hair starts to feel stiff, rough, or tangly after a few washes, go back to your regular shampoo for a while. That's the salt building up on your hair, and it's a sign to use the blend less often.
If you need help creating a natural hair regimen, read this article. If your hair is harder to moisturize, Epsom can cause problems for dry hair types, making the hair and scalp dry. More details are provided in the next section.
Salt for Brittle or Dry Hair
If you are among those ladies with dry hair, it's best to avoid mixing Epsom salt with your shampoo. Otherwise, washing your hair with Epsom salt-enhanced shampoo can lead to excessive dryness and damage your hair.
However, you can enjoy the benefits of adding salt to your conditioner. This may improve your hair volume and enhance the appearance of your curls.
Mix equal parts Epsom salt and your hair conditioner, but you should only prepare the treatment on an on-demand basis for periodic conditioning.
It is recommended to mix the conditioner and Epsom salt in a microwave-safe bowl and then warm the mixture before applying it to your hair.
However, you should only heat the mixture until it gets lukewarm but not hot. This helps the salt dissolve into the conditioner before applying the mixture.
Shampoo your hair in your usual way before applying the Epsom salt-infused hair conditioner. Make sure you work the conditioner thoroughly into your scalp using your fingertips.
Most importantly, ensure the conditioner covers all of your hair strands, from the roots of your hair to the ends of your hair. Leave the Epsom salt conditioner on your hair for at least 20 minutes before you rinse it out with warm water.
Nevertheless, it is vital to limit the use of Epsom salt conditioner to no more than every other regular conditioning treatment. If used continuously, the Epsom salt will likely further dry out your already dehydrated hair.
Epsom Salt Hair Care Benefits
Epsom salt has numerous hair and skincare benefits. It has been widely used as a remedy for various hair and skin problems. The scalp is part of your skin and can benefit from the topical application of magnesium sulfate.
While hair volume is the most common reason for using Epsom salt, there are other benefits of including salt in your hair care routine.
Enhance Hair and Scalp Health
Epsom salt helps your scalp mostly by scrubbing it clean. Your body does need magnesium to make protein and new cells, hair included, but it gets that magnesium from food. In a lab study on human skin, magnesium passed through more easily where there were hair follicles, so your scalp may let in a little more than bare skin. It's still a very small amount.
Salt water isn't a treatment for a scalp infection, so if your scalp is sore, oozing, or covered in a rash, see a dermatologist rather than reaching for Epsom salt. Day to day, though, the buildup of excess oils and products on your scalp can leave it itchy, and a gentle Epsom salt scrub helps lift that buildup off.
Magnesium salts may also calm dry, rough skin. In one small study, people with very dry skin soaked one forearm in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution for 15 minutes a day. After six weeks, that arm was smoother, better moisturized, and less red than the arm soaked in tap water. That salt was mostly magnesium chloride, not Epsom salt, and it was a soak, not a scalp scrub, so treat it as a hint rather than a promise.
For your scalp, a mix of coconut oil and Epsom salt, massaged gently onto the scalp and hair roots, is easier to use than a bath. The oil also keeps the crystals from dissolving before they can scrub.
Alternatively, some women pair a cup of Epsom salt with olive oil or lemon juice. We haven't seen research on the effectiveness of the olive oil and lemon juice combinations, but we'll update this article in the future if more data materialize.
Promote Hair Growth and Mitigate Hair Loss
Epsom salt won't make your hair grow faster, and it won't stop hair loss. What it can do is make the hair you already have look fuller. The excess oils accumulated on your scalp can make your hair appear feeble and lifeless, and washing them away with an Epsom salt blend can bring back volume and bounce.
On average, hair grows somewhere between a third and half an inch a month. In a study of over 2,000 people across 24 groups, curlier hair tended to sit toward the slower end of that range. Epsom salt doesn't change that pace. How long your hair gets depends on how much of that growth you keep, which means protecting your ends from breakage.
Epsom salt can add texture to thin, lifeless, and limp hair, so it looks fuller.
It won't prevent gray hair or repair split ends, though. Once an end has split, trimming it off is the only fix. And if you're worried about hair loss, know that it's normal to shed 50 to 100 hairs a day. If you're finding clumps, bald patches, or a widening part, see a board-certified dermatologist, who can tell shedding from hair loss and find the cause.
Salt for Better Curls
Epsom salt can make waves and curls look more defined for a day or so, much like a salt spray. It won't change your curl pattern, though. Your curl pattern is held in place by strong bonds inside each strand, called disulfide bonds, and salt water doesn't break or rebuild them.
What salt does is temporary. As salt water dries on your hair, it leaves a thin, gritty layer of salt on each strand. That grit helps strands grip each other, so your waves and curls can hold their shape and your hair looks fuller until your next wash.
Epsom salt dissolved in water sits close to neutral on the potential hydrogen (pH) scale, which measures how acidic or alkaline something is, so it won't change your hair's pH much. If your curls look tighter after an Epsom salt rinse, that's the salt layer holding their shape, and it washes out with your next shampoo.
Epsom Salt for Fighting and Preventing Dandruff
While dandruff is a common hair problem, it can be quite annoying. There are countless commercial hair care products that can help with dandruff problems.
However, if you want a natural option, an Epsom salt scrub can lift loose flakes off your scalp between washes. It won't prevent dandruff from coming back, though.
That's because salt doesn't touch what causes dandruff. Dandruff is often tied to seborrheic dermatitis, a skin condition linked to a yeast that lives on the skin. The yeast feeds on the oil your scalp makes, and on some scalps, that leaves the skin itchy and flaky.
Severe dandruff can also turn out to be a different scalp condition, such as psoriasis, eczema, or a fungal infection. That's why flakes that won't go away are worth showing to a dermatologist.
What Epsom salt can do is act as a physical exfoliator, meaning its gritty crystals rub loose flakes and dead skin buildup off your scalp. If your flakes come back within a few days, they're likely dandruff, and you'll need a dandruff shampoo to keep them away.
How to Use Epsom Salt to Eliminate Dandruff and Dead Skin Cells
If you want to get the best results when using Epsom salt for scalp problems, always add oils like avocado oil or shea nut oil. One teaspoon of salt should be combined with six teaspoons of oil.
The oil keeps the crystals from dissolving, so they stay gritty enough to scrub. But if your flakes are dandruff, the oil may give the yeast more to feed on. In that case, skip the oil scrub until your flakes clear, and keep your oil on your hair strands and ends instead of your scalp.
If your hair is dry, you are better off using an essential oil or a nourishing conditioner after treating your hair with Epsom salt.
Apply the Epsom salt treatment to a slightly damp scalp, and massage your scalp gently for about 30 seconds. The granules will work out the dead skin and lift loose flakes off your scalp.
Finally, wash your hair with a moisturizing shampoo and use your favorite essential oils as you normally would in your hair care regimen. If you need ideas on which essential oils to use (or how to use them in your regimen), read this article.
Start with the scrub once a week, and use it less often if your scalp feels dry or tight afterward. Your scalp should feel cleaner and less flaky right away. Stop if it stings, burns, or turns red and sore, and never scrub over cuts, scratches, or a sunburn, since salt stings broken skin and scrubbing can make it worse.
If your flakes are back within a few days, the scrub isn't the fix. Switch to a dandruff shampoo with an active ingredient like zinc pyrithione, salicylic acid, selenium sulfide, ketoconazole, or coal tar, and follow the directions on the bottle. How often depends on your hair: about twice a week if your hair is fine or straight or your scalp gets oily, and about once a week, on your scalp only, if your hair is curly or coily. We cover each of these ingredients in our guide to dandruff that won't go away after washing.
Give a dandruff shampoo about four weeks. If your flakes haven't cleared by then, or your scalp is sore, swollen, or covered in a rash, see a board-certified dermatologist. That's not something salt or oil can fix.
Why Does Epsom Salt (or Magnesium Sulfate) Make Your Hair Feel Rough and Dry?
The hair shaft contains primarily fibrous protein. In addition, it also contains lipids and water. Epsom salt doesn't change what's inside the hair shaft, but it does change how the outside feels. That rough, dry feel comes from the salt that stays on your hair after the water dries.
The same grit that gives your hair volume can make your strands stiff. Rough strands catch on each other and tangle, and if you use salt often, that tangling can lead to breakage when you detangle.
Magnesium sulfate forms large crystals which can harden on the hair's surface to create a temporary rough texture. The best remedy for this issue is to use an appropriate leave-in conditioner infused with essential oils.
Epsom Salt Hair Care Recipes
Epsom salt's coarse grain makes it a good scalp scrub, and it mixes easily into the shampoo, conditioner, and spray recipes on this page.
Depending on the condition of your hair, making a hair treatment that blends several ingredients can yield better results.
Epsom Salt Hair Spray
Epsom salt is commonly used to enhance hair volume, and this spray adds coconut oil to soften the gritty feel salt can leave behind. Coconut oil is a widely used hair moisturizer.
The coconut oil in this recipe will help the Epsom salt hair spray coat your hair evenly for maximum results.
Plus, aloe vera gel gives the spray a little slip and a light hold, so your scrunched waves and curls keep their shape.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Epsom salt
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 5 drops of your favorite hair oil (e.g., cactus oil, jasmine oil, rosehip oil, camphor oil, or canola oil)
- 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel
- 1 cup of warm water
Preparation and Use
Heat the water until it is almost boiling. Add the Epsom salt and sea salt, then stir continuously to dissolve the crystals. Add the organic coconut oil and stir the solution until the oil has completely melted.
Next, add the aloe vera gel while stirring the mixture, and then add your favorite hair oil for a refreshing scent. Mix the ingredients thoroughly and transfer the solution into a spray bottle.
The Epsom salt hair spray is more effective when applied to damp hair. Spray gently on your hair while scrunching your hair to ensure thorough penetration.
If your hair is excessively oily, it's best to use this spray sparingly.
Since this spray is made with water and aloe vera gel and has no preservative, mix it fresh and use it the same day, then pour out what's left. If a full cup is more than you need, halve the recipe. Shake the bottle before each spray, too, since the oil and water separate.
Is Epsom Salt Safe to Use for Everyone?
Epsom salt is safe on your hair and scalp for most people, but it isn't a good fit for everyone, because salt left on your hair can make it rough and dry. How much that matters depends on how oily or dry your hair is. If your scalp gets oily fast and your hair falls flat, you're the most likely to like the results, mainly more volume.
However, if your hair already feels dry, tangles easily, or breaks at the ends, whatever your curl pattern, salt can make that worse. In that case, skip the shampoo blend and save Epsom salt for an occasional scalp scrub.
Therefore, it is prudent to combine your Epsom treatment with essential oils or a deep conditioning treatment to rehydrate your hair.
If you have colored hair, try any Epsom salt treatment on a small section underneath first, and check that the color looks the same once it dries. Every extra wash can fade dye a little, so don't add salt washes to every wash day.
As more natural beauty enthusiasts adopt Epsom salt into their hair care routines, product variations continue to emerge. One of them is "magnesium oil". You may come across several products that are infused with magnesium oil.
Typically, this is a saturated solution of magnesium chloride.
Despite the name, magnesium oil isn't an oil at all. It just feels slippery on your skin. Magnesium chloride pulls water out of the air far more strongly than Epsom salt does, so it can leave your hair feeling damp and sticky. And like Epsom salt, very little of its magnesium gets through your skin.
Epsom salt is a hair care ingredient that can add volume to your hair and help your curls hold their shape.
However, the same salt that gives you those results can leave your hair rough and more prone to tangles and breakage. Nevertheless, you can prevent this by using Epsom salt alongside deep moisturizers and oils.
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If you are a natural hair care enthusiast, Epsom salt is an interesting ingredient to test (or even include in your hair care regimen). Besides making oily hair more voluminous, magnesium sulfate can help waves and curls hold their shape.
Just keep your expectations clear. Very little of its magnesium gets through your skin, so Epsom salt won't feed your hair or make it grow faster. What it gives you is a cleaner scalp and fuller-looking hair.
However, it is essential to remember that overuse of Epsom salt can make your hair dry and brittle. For the best results, it's best to use salt with a well-planned moisturizing regimen.
