Although the glory days of "America's Bath City" are long gone, today's spas and medical researchers are taking a second look at the unique mineral complex of Mt. Clemens water.



In an era before antibiotics and modern drugs, Mt. Clemens drew thousands of people annually to its famous mineral baths. Socialites and celebrities would return year after year to "take the waters" in search of relief from their aches and pains.

The story goes that in 1868 an old horse was put out to pasture to end its days. The poor nag spent its time stomping in the mud and water near some abandoned, leaky salt tanks. Soon the horse was no longer limping and became thoroughly rejuvenated. Thus, they say, was the discovery of the curative powers of the waters under Mt. Clemens.

News of the miracle spread, and soon the rush to Mt. Clemens was underway. Proponents of the baths proclaimed the treatment's miraculous power to relieve the discomfort associated with skin problems, tired muscles and joints, and a number of other ailments. Postcards of the times proudly showed the infirm emerging from the baths free of pain.

The first bath house opened in Mt. Clemens in 1873 and the industry grew steadily, reaching its height of popularity in 1910-1911.

The last remaining bath house closed in 1974. The only remaining well in operation today in Mt. Clemens is owned by Geologix, Inc., manufactures of Mineral Essentials and Ache Away.

Guest lists from Mt. Clemens' luxury resort hotels remind us that this resort town was once a mecca for many affluent and famous personalities. Here are just a few who found relief from their aches and pains in the healing waters:

- Henry Ford, auto pioneer

- Mae West, actress

- Babe Ruth, home-run king

- Booth Tarkington, author

- William Randolph Hearst, newspaper mogul

- Helena Rubinstein, beauty maven

- William Kellogg, cereal king

- Jerome Kern, songwriter

- Eddie Cantor, singer/songwriter

- William Jennings Bryan, U.S. Congressman

- Jack Dempsey, boxer

- John L. Sullivan, boxer

- William Steinway, piano manufacturer

The healing mineral waters of Mt. Clemens are the product of over 600 million years of geologic evolution. During the Paleozoic Era, a shallow see formed in the area that is now the Great Lakes region. The sea occupied a large basin, now known as the Michigan Basin, which collected sediment from the sea and surrounding land.

A dramatic shift in climate conditions caused the seawater to slowly evaporate, depositing layer upon layer of mineral salts. What remained was a thick mineral brine containing a unique complex of 34 minerals.

The brine lay undisturbed until 1862 when a prospecting company, hoping to strike it rich in oil, tapped instead into a dense mineral water. Discovering that the water was rich in salt, the company tried to salvage the operation. Extracting only salt from this mineral rich mixture was easy, but a low grade salt was all that could be manufactured. As a result the commercial value was reduced and the enterprise was short lived.

Fortunately for the town of Mt. Clemens, the mineral-rich brine found a better purpose.

With the arrival of the Great Depression and the growing popularity of "modern medicine," the number of visitors to Mt. Clemens gradually declined. Today, only one well remains in operation to access the ancient seawater, which is used to create a line of therapeutic and skin care products.

While the glory days of Michigan's "Bath City" are long gone, the highly concentrated mineral water remains in abundance. It is still pumped from a well, arising from a depth of 1,400 feet.

Mt. Clemens mineral water has the same mineral composition today as when it was first discovered, and has a potency unequaled anywhere known on earth. The 34 minerals are naturally contained in the water, equivalent to 2 pounds of minerals for every 5 gallons of mineral water. This water contains a high concentration of sodium, calcium and magnesium. Sodium provides energy for active cell transport. Calcium has a calming effect and is critical for the overall mineral balance of the body. Magnesium, in addition to increasing cell vitality, also possesses healing properties. It acts as an anti-allergenic and is needed by many enzymes which stimulate cell activity and slow down the aging process.

The same minerals our skin and body needs daily, to maintain a healthy balance, are found in abundance in the natural mineral water of the Michigan Basin. These minerals promote healthy cell metabolism, reduce muscle and joint aches, improve circulation, strengthen, rebuild and maintain skin's structural integrity, cleanse and purify the skin and protect against fluid loss.

Everything from diet to a hectic lifestyle can deprive us of much needed minerals. As a result, our skin and body loses essential mineral, causing it to become dehydrated, weak and slower to regenerate.

Geologix, Inc. incorporates the mineral rich water of Mt. Clemens into its therapeutic and skin care products which allow the minerals to be easily absorbed into the skin to remineralize and replenish cells naturally. Transdermal absorption allows these minerals to go deeper into the body supplying important mineral nourishment to muscles, joint and skin.