Jessica Biel said she took a 30-minute Epsom salt bath the night before the 2024 Met Gala as part of her personal red-carpet preparation. She later called it a relaxing “little red carpet hack” and said she believed it gave her magnesium—but evidence does not establish that magnesium is absorbed through the skin from this kind of bath.
What Jessica Biel said she did
In a TikTok posted May 6, 2024—the night before the Met Gala—Biel showed herself preparing a bath with five bags of Epsom salt, totaling 20 pounds, according to E! News’ May 7 report. She described it as part of her routine: “This is what I do to get ready for Met Ball.”
Biel said she soaked for 30 minutes, drank water, and went to bed early. The report identifies the product only as Epsom salt; it does not name a brand. The quantity and routine are details from Biel’s social video as reported by E! News, not independently verified measurements.
Why she said she took the bath
On The View on May 16, Biel described the bath as a relaxing “little red carpet hack.” She said she slept well and woke feeling good and calm, and explained that she believed the bath put magnesium inside her body. Those are her personal account and belief, rather than proof that the bath caused those effects or delivered magnesium through her skin. E! News reported her explanation on May 16, 2024.
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Does an Epsom salt bath deliver magnesium through the skin?
That effect is not established by the reporting on Biel’s routine. A 2017 review of evidence on transdermal magnesium applications, including magnesium salt baths, concluded that “the propagation of transdermal magnesium is scientifically unsupported.” The review assessed the literature available to its authors; it was not a test of Biel’s bath and does not prove that a bath cannot have any other effect. Its conclusion does mean her belief about magnesium absorption should not be presented as a demonstrated health benefit. See the review abstract on PubMed.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.The Met Gala context
The 2024 Met Gala took place on May 6, the same day Biel posted the video. The event accompanied the Costume Institute exhibition Sleeping Beauties: Reawakening Fashion and had the dress code “The Garden of Time.” The Metropolitan Museum of Art provides exhibition context on its exhibition page.
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