Although long revered by personal trainers and athletes for its soothing and healing qualities, epsom salt had never been recognized as more than a generic first-aid product until now.

Marketing and consulting experts Miya Haag and John E. Brown saw an opportunity to build a business based on the age-old remedy by giving it a face-lift -- new packaging, coloring and scents -- and adding a brand name: Pepsom, The New Generation of Epsom Salt.

``No one had done anything to enhance it or improve it for over 50 years,'' said Haag, pointing to the stale milk-carton packaging and generic labels of other epsom products.

Epsom salt is the common name for magnesium sulfate, a mineral discovered in 1695 by a farmer in Epsom, England. It has been used over the years as a soaking aid to relieve strains, sprains and bruises.

In 2005, Haag and Brown started researching the product. They visited the town where it was manufactured, noted the natural ingredients and asked trainers from professional sports teams whether they would invest in the product.

``We cannot say based on FDA studies that it actually heals or improves anything, but studies have shown by soaking in it, magnesium sulfate does enter your system,'' Brown said.

After a couple years of work, they incorporated the company Pepsom Group in 2007. Their products began arriving at some store shelves at Kroger in May 2008. Most stores and pharmacies received shipments by late 2008. Pepsom products are now available in more than 15,000 retail locations.

In its first year, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office selected Pepsom Group as a key exhibitor for the National Trademark Expo because of its innovative branding strategies. Other companies that received the honor: Burberry, Bridgestone and UPS.

The company has two products:

• Pepsom Sports, the Original Sports Soak, available in wintergreen and spearmint. It is designed to meet the needs of athletes and personal trainers and has been endorsed by the National Basketball Athletic Trainers Association.

• Pepsom Salt, The Epsom with Pep, blended with the refreshing scent of peppermint. This product has been endorsed by Dr. Gary Goykhman, a foot and ankle specialist at the Miami Institute for Joint Reconstruction.

``Pepsom Salt clearly takes a step forward in making an already proven and widely-used product even more beneficial,'' he wrote in his endorsement of the product.

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