Summer heat toasted my feet as if they were sausages on a sidewalk grill. Acting on a tip from a women's magazine, I went to the drugstore for quick relief. My shopping list included a large plastic basin for $2 and a carton of Epsom salt for $1.50.

At home, I filled the basin with warm water and a cup of Epsom salt, which contains magnesium and sulfates — two substances linked to good health. Twenty minutes later, my soles were softened; my spirit was refreshed and the inflammation was reduced. I became an instant fan of Epsom salt.

"It's one of the least expensive beauty products on the market," said Marsha Bialo, a celebrity manicurist. "It doesn't matter if you're a celebrity, or an average person on a budget. Epsom salt has a multitude of uses."

Impressed, I hunted down beauty, health and household uses for Epsom salt. Here are just a few uses:

Facial tonic • Add Epsom salt crystals to face or body creams to create an exfoliating facial or body treatment. Apply with upward strokes and rinse off with warm water, followed by a splash of cold water. This do-it-yourself body scrub recipe enables you to get extra mileage from basic creams.

Therapeutic bath • My home spa routine now includes a tub of hot water and Epsom salt. A few drops of essential oils — lavender, cedar or peppermint — provide a frugal aromatherapy session. The mixture of Epsom salt and essential oils exfoliated, softened and moisturized my skin. The beauty treatment was more than skin deep. Epsom salt delivers health benefits, according to the Epsom Salt Council. In addition to soothing strained muscles and reducing inflammation, the magnesium in Epsom salt helps the body shed toxins, relieve tension and lower blood pressure.

Bug bite remedy • A compress made from Epsom salt is useful for treating bug bites, bee stings and poison ivy. To reduce itching, the Salt Council recommends a compress recipe of one gallon of water and two cups of Epsom salt.

Bathroom scrub • Epsom salt can be used to scrub kitchen or bathroom tiles. SaltWorks, a sea salt company, recommends a 50-50 recipe of liquid dish detergent and Epsom salt to scrub tiles.

Sharon Harvey Rosenberg, The Miami Herald

SPLURGE-WORTHY

St. Louis bedding manufacturer Glideaway has just introduced a mattress designed specifically for kids. The Jubilee, from Glideaway, is a memory foam mattress that is not just a smaller version of mom and dad's; it actually conforms and contours to a child's form. The result is a 3-pound memory foam (instead of the adult version, which is a 5-pound foam), customized to meet a child's needs, plus a fun, kid-friendly color and design. The mattress is available in blue or pink.

To buy • $400 at Slumberland Furniture, 4265 Rusty Road (Slumberland is offering a special price this summer of $199)

HIGH-LOW

High • Bottle cap belt made from ground-up tires and soda pop bottle caps ($30) at shop.littlearth.com

Low • Bottle cap belt ($13.20) at Kohl's

DEAL OF THE WEEK

LivingSocial.com offers discounts of up to 90 percent off at local restaurants, specialty shops, spas, fitness centers and other fun activities in your area. It's similar to Groupon.com and STLtoday's Today's Deal ... Hop On It (stltoday.com/todaysdeal). Recent summer deals have included white river rafting trips, horseback riding lessons and yoga classes. Every morning the deal of the day is announced through the iPhone app, e-mail newsletter, Facebook, Twitter and the LivingSocial Deals site, at which time you have 24 hours to purchase the deal. And, if you buy a deal and three of your friends also purchase that deal, you get it for free. LivingSocial deals are available nationwide, so before you head for your summer destination, be sure to check out all the participating locations to save money on unique activities during your vacation. Sign-up is free at Livingsocial.com/deals.

To find a great deal every day, visit our Steals & Deals blog at stltoday.com/steals.

JULY IS THE BEST TIME TO BUY ...

Consumer Reports says July is a great time to buy swimwear. And Gay Nelson, a St. Louis-based district merchant for Macy's, agrees. People in general should be able to find excellent deals on swimsuits, however it is easier to find the perfect fit, size and style earlier on in the season, Nelson says.

To make sure you aren't buying outdated looks, Nelson says to go for tankinis and skirted bottoms and suits that have a built-in bra with cup sizes.

SHOPSITE

Shop site: Shortomatic (shortomatic.com)

If you are tired of the same old board shorts and want to make a splash at the beach this summer, Shortomatic (shortomatic.com) is the place to shop.

Shortomatic allows customers to customize their own board shorts, starting at $99, or choose from an artist's collection.

Customers can upload almost any picture, position the picture, then select the drawstring color, waist size and can include up to 140 characters of text in the waistband. (Note: This isn't like your mother stitching your name into your underpants; it's much cooler — and more expensive.)

If you think your design will be popular, you can submit it for review by the creators in Santa Monica, Calif. Artists are paid $5 in royalties each time someone purchases shorts with their design, but all shorts are limited edition; only 200 are made per design (which can still make you an easy $1,000).

The shorts are hand-sewn in Los Angeles, and the site's creators tested fabrics to find the best feeling and most durable fabric: polyester microfiber.

A portion of the profits of each pair of swim trunks goes to Global Green USA.

Sorry ladies, as of right now only men's trunks sizes 24 through 38 are available, but a shorter style will be available for women soon, according to the site.

McClatchy-Tribune Information Services