How to make magnesium sulfate paste, an effective drawing salve for splinters, boils, cysts, ingrown hairs, and other skin-based home remedy purposes.
Magnesium sulfate paste is a crucial home remedy to have on hand to easily remove a splinter without using a needle.
It is a powerful drawing salve that is useful even for deep splinters that many people would go to the doctor to have removed (to the tune of $500 or more believe it or not … our medical system is SO broken).
My YouTube video showing how to remove a splinter is one of my most popular, with well over a quarter million views and counting.
In years past you could buy a small container of magnesium sulfate paste at the drugstore for under $10.
However, people have been reaching out to me recently with the news that this crucial remedy is no longer available.
I conducted my own search and cannot find it either…at least here in the United States.
Is it my imagination, or are simple, inexpensive, nontoxic remedies from the pharmacy disappearing slowly one by one?
Hopefully, it’s simply a temporary supply chain issue and not a deeper problem.
In the meantime, below is how to make your own magnesium sulfate paste, aka “Epsom salt salve”.
It will only take you a few minutes to make a batch, and a small container will last you for years!
How to Make Magnesium Sulfate Paste
How to make magnesium sulfate paste, an effective drawing salve for splinters, boils, cysts, ingrown hairs, and other skin-based home remedy purposes.
Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp Epsom salt must be fragrance free
- 1 Tbsp filtered water
Instructions
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Heat the water for 1-2 minutes in a small pan on the stovetop. Do not use the microwave.
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Remove the pot from the stovetop and immediately stir the Epsom salts into the hot water until fully dissolved.
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Let the mixture cool for 2 minutes and then pour the liquid into small containers. The mixture solidifies into a soft paste as it cools.
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Keep a container in the medicine cabinet in the bathroom and keep the spare in the remedy cabinet in the kitchen.
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If the mixture is a bit too hard when you need to use it, simply add a few drops of hot water to re-moisten and soften for ease of application to the skin.
Hi! Can this be used for an ingrown toenail? Thanks!
You can certainly try it. Wouldn’t do any harm. I don’t know if it would work or not though.
Do you just apply to the area and cover or wait for how long. no directions on how to use. Thanks.
This article is linked to in the post that shows how to use it (video included). Sorry if that wasn’t clear.
https://www.thehealthyhomeeconomist.com/how-to-remove-a-stubborn-splinter-with-no-pain-or-needles/
Thank you for this recipe. I’ve found that magnesium supplements help with migraines. If I feel a migraine coming on, could this help? I have used Epsoms salt and magnesium glycinate with success.
This would not provide enough magnesium transdermally for migraine prevention. The studies I’ve read require roughly 600 mg of magnesium per day to have beneficial anti-migraine effects.
This is very interesting. What other uses can this paste be utilized.
Thank you for the instructions.
It can be used for anything where foreign matter (such as a splinter or thorn) needs to be drawn out of the skin.