Epsom salt is also known as magnesium sulfate. It’s a chemical compound made up of magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. It gets its name from the town of Epsom in Surrey, England, where it was originally discovered. Despite its name, Epsom salt is a completely different compound than table salt.Click to see full answer. People also ask, where does Epsom salt come from?Epsom salt takes its name from a bitter saline spring in Epsom in Surrey, England, where the salt was produced from the springs that arise where the porous chalk of the North Downs meets non-porous London clay. The monohydrate, MgSO. H2O is found as the mineral kieserite.Secondly, what is Epsom salts used for? Body Aches: One of the most common uses for Epsom salt is to treat body aches. The magnesium and other compounds are absorbed into your skin and work to relieve aches and pains caused from tension and inflammation. Epsom salt draws toxins from your body to relieve swelling, sprains and bruises. Also Know, why are Epsom salts called Epsom salts? Technically a bitter-tasting, naturally occurring magnesium-and-sulfate mineral compound (chemical name: magnesium sulfate heptahydrate), Epsom salt is named for the English town in which it was discovered, where it bubbled up in water from an underground spring in the early 17th century. (It’s also known as epsomite.)Can Epsom salts burn your skin?There are no studies to prove that taking Epsom salt orally is safe or beneficial. It’s bad for people with severe skin inflammation or infection. No one with an open wound or a severe burn should use Epsom salt.