What Minerals Are in Epsom Salt?
Epsom salt is the common name for the compound magnesium sulfate, or magnesium sulfate heptahydrate. According to SaltWorks, Epsom salts were first discovered and named after the town of Epsom, England in the early 1800s. It is thought that Epsom salt was termed a salt because its crystalline structure resembles that of table salt, but it is actually a pure mineral compound. Epsom salts are used in the home as a bath soak, in medicine as a laxative and nutritional supplement, and in gardening as a plant food. Epsom salts should only be taken internally under advisement by a physician.
