Cold weather, busy lifestyles and demanding jobs can cause all sorts of aches and pains, which is why our latest Fix Yourself with Nature instalment is ideal for a soothing, muscle-relaxing soak. Our green beauty expert and naturopathic in training Amy Pennington has put together a restorative magnesium bath time cleanse to help combat a variety of ailments. Soak away…

Like a soothing massage, magnesium is a muscle relaxant with calming properties that dissolve tension, promote healing and support restorative sleep. This miracle mineral is most bioavailable when absorbed through the skin to allow full tissue absorption. Swimming in the ocean is your best (and cheapest) natural source, but land-locked city-dwellers can experience the same benefits by taking a soak in a magnesium bath once or, ideally, twice a week. This can make an incredible difference to your quality of life! As well as muscle soreness and stress, magnesium eases tension headaches and menstrual cramps. Rosemary oil helps to banish fatigue by improving circulation and toning skin, while its calming aroma aids mental clarity.

Magnesium flakes are generally obtained via the natural process of evaporating water from oceans, salt lakes and, famously, the Dead Sea. Although this method is cheaper, the finished product can only be as pure as its source. Mankind’s indiscriminate use of fossil fuels and synthetic chemicals has ensured that every body of water on our planet contains measurable levels of toxins. For this reason, we recommend using magnesium extracted from ancient sea-beds, such as the Zechstein, which is extracted in its raw state and is the purest source of magnesium known. You can buy Zechstein Magnesium flakes from most health food stores.

If you don’t have a bath at home, you can also create your own magnesium spray by adding equal parts distilled water and magnesium flakes to a spray bottle. Spritz over the skin after a shower and massage in.

Ingredients for one bath:

1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary leaves
250 grams of magnesium flakes
Approximately 10 drops of rosemary oil

Method:

Combine washed rosemary leaves with the magnesium flakes. Add approximately 10 drops of rosemary oil (more or less as your prefer) and mix to distribute. Add to a freshly drawn bath, lie back and let all your cares melt away.

Recipe and words: Amy Pennington (Herbalist and naturopathic nutritionalist) Creative direction: Olivia Crighton
Photography: Laura Allard-Fleischl
Styling: Victoria Spicer