Strenuous dance and stretching can actually stiffen the muscles as they cool down and the lactic acid accumulates in the muscle tissue. My solution is to take a warm Epsom Salt bath after I dance. A gallon of the salts costs under $5 (usually $3) and can be purchased at Wallgreens, Longs, Rite Aid, etc… Health food stores and supermarkets charge considerably more for the same product.
Why do they work? Here is what I learned from the Epsom Salt Council website:
Epsom salts—made of the mineral magnesium sulfate—are also a sedative for the nervous system. When magnesium sulfate is absorbed through the skin, such as in a bath, it draws toxins from the body, sedates the nervous system, reduces swelling, relaxes muscles, is a natural emollient, exfoliator, and much more. Here are some of its beneficial uses:
Relaxing and sedative bath: Soak in warm water and 2 cups of epsom salt.
Face cleaner: To clean your face at night, mix a half-teaspoon of epsom salt with your regular cleansing cream. Just massage into skin and rinse with cold water.
Homemade skin mask: Apply the mask to damp skin. For normal to oily skin, mix 1 tablespoon of cognac, 1 egg, 1/4 cup of non-fat dry milk, the juice of 1 lemon, and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt. For normal to dry skin, mix 1/4 cup of grated carrot, 1 1/2 teaspoons of mayonnaise and a half-teaspoon of epsom salt.
Foot soak: Soothe aches, remove odors and soften rough skin with a foot soak. Add 1/2 cup of epsom salt to a large pan of warm water. Soak feet for as long as it feels right. Rinse and dry.
Skin exfoliator: Massage handfuls of epsom salt over your wet skin, starting with your feet and continuing up towards the face. Have a bath to rinse.
Hair volumizer: Combine equal parts of deep conditioner and epsom salt. Warm in a pan. Work the warm mixture through your hair and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse.
Soak sprains and bruises: Epsom salt will reduce the swelling of sprains and bruises. Add 2 cups epsom salt to a warm bath, and soak.
Splinter remover: Soak in epsom salt, it will draw out the splinter.
You can add scents by mixing lavender, mint, rosemary or rose oil to the salts in the bath. Light a candle and you are ready to unwind and relax those muscles and joints so that they can dance on into the next decade!
