Dr Teal's Epsom Salt Magnesium Soak, Fragrance Free, 4 lbs

Most Epsom salt on the shelf comes with something added – eucalyptus, lavender, a color. This pouch is the plain version: magnesium sulfate in fine white crystals, listed as fragrance-free, paraben-free and phthalate-free. The directions are short: 2 cups under warm running water at bedtime, and a 20-minute soak.

Many people use an Epsom salt bath at the end of a day on their feet, and the maker says it helps with aches; for skin that reacts to perfume, the point of this version is simply what it leaves out. The 4 lb (1.8 kg) pouch covers several full baths, and the same salt works in a foot basin.

Tip: Pour the salt under the tap while the tub fills and sweep the floor of the tub with your hand until no crystals crunch – undissolved salt is what scratches. Skip it on any night you have just shaved.