# Where does epsom salt come from?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-epsom-salt-come-from/129551>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [September 25, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-epsom-salt-come-from/129551 "2002-09-25T01:52:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![chique](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@chique](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chique)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-epsom-salt-come-from/129551/1 "2002-09-25T01:52:32Z")

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Grampa wanted to know so I [sub](you know, the one who’s always bragging up how cool “that computer thing” really is)[/sub] did a search and came up kinda dry.

I know it’s magnesium sulfate, so I figured it would come from magnesium mines…of which there mostly aren’t any as they usually pull magnesium from seawater. I also know there was an Epsom salt mine (run by the American Magnesium Co.) near China Lake which apparently had a nifty monorail system at one time. I know it was discovered near Epsom, England. I even know there’s an entire organization devoted to the promotion and use of Epsom salt.

To which grampa said, “Yeah, but where’s it come from?”

So?

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**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\
**Post date:** [September 25, 2002, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/where-does-epsom-salt-come-from/129551/2 "2002-09-25T02:30:01Z")

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From mineral galleries on [the mineral Epsomite:](http://mineral.galleries.com/minerals/sulfates/epsomite/epsomite.htm)

> [@](#):
>
> Epsomite, or heptahydrite as it is known in chemistry circles, is one of only a few water soluble sulfate minerals. It is actually well known in most households as the **artificially created** epsom salt.

[The PQ corporation](http://www.pqcorp.com/productlines/magnesiumsulfatehome.asp?docname=) claims:

> [@](#):
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> PQ is North America’s leading producer of magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts). We supply a range of crystal (heptahydrate) and liquid products from plants and warehouses across the United States and Canada.

The town of