(BPT) - If you're like many people, you've more than likely soaked in a bath infused with Epsom salt to calm your sore muscles and relax your mind and nerves. But what is Epsom salt exactly? How should you use it and is it always safe? Here are some of the facts you may not have known about this remarkable natural substance. You will find it may be better enjoying the benefits of Epsom salt without making the time and effort for soaking in a tub!

You can visit a place named Epsom

Epsom salt is actually magnesium sulfate, a natural mineral compound made up of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. So why don't we call it by its chemical name? It goes back 400 years to a town in England called - you guessed it - Epsom. Not knowing yet what it was the citizens of Epsom, England named the substance for the site of its discovery in a rural stream. Epsom became England's first spa town as people started arriving from long distances to absorb the healthful benefits from the magnesium sulfate infused water. Epsom-It topical lotion takes this experience to the next level by virtue of its portability.

It is a salt good for your body but not your food

Epsom salt isn't the same as table salt, despite their names and similar appearances. Table salt is sodium chloride, a naturally occurring compound just like magnesium sulfate. And while we all need magnesium in our diet, no one recommends sprinkling magnesium sulfate on your food. Though safe to ingest, it actually has a bitter taste and is only medically indicated for ingestion to relieve constipation.

Magnesium is a key element for your health

Your body can't exist without magnesium, which is the second-most plentiful mineral in your body, calcium being most abundant. It's a key factor in over 300 biochemical reactions that help your heart and nervous systems like synthesizing protein, controlling blood glucose, regulating blood pressure, maintaining bone structure and more. It's a good idea to make sure you're getting enough in your diet. The Recommended Dietary Allowance or RDA varies from about 310 milligrams (mg) to 410 mg depending on several factors. Topical application, however, has no limits for safe use. Topical application of Epsom salt absorbs slowly into the subdermal skin area, where Epsom-It delivers its best results.

Wellness benefits may be had without the bath

Epsom salt can help provide relief from muscle and nerve aches in as little as 10 minutes. That's why people soak in warm baths having dissolved Epsom salt. But you don't need to take a bath to get the same benefits. About 10 years ago, a 90-year-old exercise enthusiast named Paul Greenfield needed to apply Epsom salt to his sore muscles but didn't have time for soaking. He approached a team of veteran chemists to find a solution and they then created a 'bath in a bottle' called Epsom-It: an elegant, novel lotion application of Epsom salt for achieving similar outcomes of human wellness.

'We developed Epsom-It to deliver a magnesium sulfate concentration higher than 20%,' said Epsom-IT chief scientist Matthew Zoeller. 'That's more than 30 times greater than a typical Epsom salt bath would have, plus it can be directly targeted to areas experiencing acute discomfort.'

Epsom salt is not a drug, it offers only natural relief

Other products are indicated to soothe aches and pains, but virtually all other topical pain relief products contain active drugs, some of which may be harmful in high doses. Epsom-It applies magnesium sulfate safely with no side effects. The product has been tested and approved for safety by certified laboratories using approved methods. You can easily massage Epsom-It into your skin directly from the bottle, or you can use our roll-on package to keep your hands dry. And for extra convenience, we also offer it in a small tube.

Last but not least, while to date there have been no major clinical studies to document the effectiveness of Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate continues to be recommended by physicians and wellness professionals.

'Several theories have been raised over the years regarding the physiological mechanism by which magnesium sulfate exerts its calming, soothing effects; and which remain inconclusive from a clinical study standpoint. However, the benefits of magnesium and magnesium sulfate are well known and universally recognized,' said Zoeller. 'Four centuries of experience with topical application of magnesium sulfate has proven to be safe and amazingly effective for hundreds of millions of people around the world. Epsom-It enhances that tradition in an elegant manner for the 21st century.'

Learn more about Epsom-It products by visiting www.epsomit.com and look to purchase them at designated retail outlets, such as Walgreens, Walmart, GIANT, Stop & Shop, Weis, Raley's, and Meijers.