Magnesium is a mineral in our body that helps to maintain muscle function, heart rhythm, nerve function, and bone strength. It's important for different biological processes like energy production, blood glucose regulation, and muscle function. Magnesium is now used in the form of topical products, particularly magnesium cream and lotion.
This article will cover everything you need to know about magnesium lotion, starting with what it is, how it works when applied to your skin, and the benefits it offers.
What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is a cofactor (a non-protein chemical compound) for over 300 enzyme systems, which means these enzymes cannot function without it. It contributes to protein synthesis, helps regulate muscle and nerve function, supports the immune system, and keeps bones strong.
Magnesium is also necessary for converting food into energy and managing blood sugar levels. Dietary sources of magnesium include leafy greens, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and legumes. However, many people don’t take enough magnesium through their diet alone, which is why magnesium supplements have become a common alternative.
Benefits of Magnesium
- Muscle Relaxation and Function: Magnesium is important for the relaxation of muscles. It counterbalances calcium, the mineral responsible for triggering muscle contractions. For a muscle to function correctly, it must be able to contract and relax. While calcium is the mineral that triggers muscle contraction, magnesium is important for the relaxation process. It works by blocking calcium's binding sites, which allows the muscle to release its tension. This is why a magnesium deficiency can cause continued muscle contraction, making a balance between the two minerals compulsory for proper muscle function.
- Stress Relief and Sleep Aid: Magnesium helps your body manage stress by regulating important neurotransmitters. Having a low magnesium level is associated with higher cortisol production, which is the stress hormone.
- Bone Health: Magnesium is important for bone strength. It works with calcium and vitamin D to increase bone density and improve skeletal health.
- Heart Health: Magnesium maintains a steady heart rate and controls your blood pressure. It also helps your heart by relaxing blood vessels, which improves circulation and keeps your heart strong.
- Blood Sugar Regulation: Magnesium improves insulin sensitivity. It's an important mineral for managing blood sugar levels. This also reduces your risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Topical Magnesium and Oral Magnesium Supplementation
You can supplement magnesium in two main ways: orally or topically. Your body absorbs oral supplements, like pills, through your digestive system. Magnesium pills are a good choice for people who need to raise magnesium levels throughout their body. Topical magnesium, on the other hand, involves applying a product like a lotion or spray directly to your skin, which lets the magnesium enter your bloodstream without going through your stomach.
Oral Magnesium Supplementation
You can take oral magnesium as a pill, capsule, or liquid. Your body absorbs this form of magnesium through your digestive system, which makes it a great choice for people who need to raise their overall magnesium levels.
Magnesium supplements come in various forms like Magnesium Citrate, Oxide, Malate, and L-Threonate, and a high dose can sometimes cause stomach upset or diarrhea.
Topical Magnesium Supplementation
Topical magnesium works in a few ways. Your skin absorbs the mineral through its hair follicles and sweat glands. This might not increase your overall magnesium levels as much as an oral supplement, but it works well for specific problems like relieving sore muscles, cramps, and tight areas.
How Topical Magnesium Works:
- Absorption through the Skin: Magnesium is absorbed through the skin and enters the bloodstream without going through the digestive system. It's beneficial for easing muscle tension or addressing sore areas.
- Targeted Benefits: Topical magnesium can provide targeted relief for muscles, joints, or other areas of the body because of its direct application. This is helpful if you're dealing with conditions like muscle cramps, aches, and pains.
- Less Systemic Impact: Topical magnesium may increase magnesium levels, but the absorption rate is low when compared to oral magnesium, and its effect on the body's system may be low as well.
Types of Topical Magnesium:
- Magnesium Oil: Magnesium oil is a common topical product. You apply this water-based magnesium chloride solution directly to your skin. People often use it for muscle recovery or to relieve cramps and general soreness.
- Magnesium Lotion: This magnesium cream soothes irritated skin and helps with muscle relaxation, making it a good choice for a calming routine before sleep. Evil Goods' Magnesium Lotion is an example of a product that people use for its calming effects.
- Magnesium Epsom Salt Bath: Soaking in a warm bath with Epsom salts allows you to absorb magnesium through your skin, relieving muscle soreness and stress.
Benefits of Topical Magnesium:
- Relaxes Muscles: Helps ease cramps, spasms, and tight muscles, particularly after vigorous physical activity.
- Reduces Stress: Calms the body and mind, easing anxiety and stress.
- Offers Convenience: Simple to use without the need for digestion, perfect for individuals with digestive difficulties.
- Improve Skin Health: Aids in skin hydration and may help with healing some skin conditions.
What is Magnesium Lotion?
Magnesium lotion is a cream made with a magnesium chloride solution or other magnesium compounds. It's one of the most effective forms of topical magnesium. When combined with other soothing ingredients like beef tallow, aloe vera gel, and essential oils, magnesium cream hydrates and nourishes your skin.
When massaged into the skin, magnesium lotions increase the level of magnesium in your body. They offer both immediate and long-term benefits for muscle recovery, stress relief, and pain management.
Is it Safe to Use Magnesium Lotion?
Yes, magnesium lotion is generally safe to use. It's a great option if you lack magnesium or want its therapeutic effects. The magnesium chloride in these lotions occurs naturally, so it typically won't cause bad reactions when you apply it to your skin. However, as with any skincare product, there are some considerations:
- Skin Irritation: Though it doesn't happen often, some people may get skin irritation from using magnesium cream. This might be because of a sensitivity to either the magnesium or the other ingredients in the lotion.
- Skin Sensitivity: When applying magnesium lotion, you might feel a slight tingling. It won't hurt you, but it can be a bit uncomfortable. If irritation occurs, it’s advisable to discontinue use and consult a healthcare provider.
- Overuse: While magnesium is important, too much can be toxic. You are unlikely to experience toxicity from topical magnesium lotion if you use it in moderation. However, if you've already taken oral magnesium supplements, you must monitor your total intake to avoid exceeding the recommended daily amount.
- Pre-existing Conditions: If you have kidney disease or other conditions that affect how your body handles magnesium, consult a doctor before using magnesium lotions or any other magnesium supplements. Impaired kidney function prevents your body from removing excess magnesium, which can lead to toxicity.
- Absorption Rates: How well magnesium lotion works depends on a few things, including how concentrated it is, how much you use, and the condition of your skin. While some studies suggest that your skin can absorb magnesium, others argue that the amount absorbed is too minimal to produce a noticeable effect.
- Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: Talk to your doctor before using magnesium lotion if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, as its safety hasn't been confirmed.
- Allergic Reactions: Before using magnesium lotion over your body, always test a small amount on your skin. This is especially important if you've had allergic reactions to skin products in the past.
For most people, topical magnesium lotion is safe and provides an excellent alternative to oral magnesium supplements, specifically for those who struggle with gastrointestinal side effects from pills or powders. Also, make sure to buy your magnesium from trusted sources like Evil Goods. Some commercial products claim to contain magnesium but are full of toxins.
Read more on how you can stop feeding your skin with toxins here.
Benefits of Using Transdermal Magnesium Cream
- Pain Relief and Muscle Relaxation: Magnesium is a remedy for those suffering from chronic pain, muscle cramps, and sore muscles. Magnesium lotion can be massaged directly into the skin, providing targeted relief to painful areas, such as the neck, shoulders, lower back, and legs. It allows for specialised benefits, helping to relax your muscles and reduce inflammation.
- Stress Relief and Improved Sleep: Using magnesium lotion regularly can help you relax, lower stress, and sleep better. This is because magnesium helps activate your body's "rest and digest" system, which can lead to better sleep and may also help with restless leg syndrome.
- Skin Hydration: Magnesium cream is great for dry skin because it contains moisturizing ingredients like aloe vera gel, beef tallow, and essential oils. Hydrating your skin may also help improve conditions like eczema and psoriasis.
Can Magnesium Lotion Help Relieve Your Pain?
Magnesium lotion can help with pain relief. It's useful for muscle cramps, joint pain, and soreness because it helps muscles contract and relax correctly. Rubbing the lotion on the affected area can also reduce inflammation and help your muscles recover.
By relaxing the nervous system, magnesium can help lessen muscle spasms and nerve pain. This is why it's a good option for people with restless leg syndrome or other types of pain.
Does Magnesium Cream Increase Magnesium Levels?
While there is limited scientific evidence proving that magnesium lotion significantly increases serum magnesium levels, many people still say they feel the effects after using the lotion. Some suggest it might help, but more research is still needed to be sure.
Even if it doesn't change your blood magnesium levels much, topical magnesium can still be helpful for relaxing muscles, relieving pain, and improving your overall well-being.
How to Use Magnesium Lotion
Magnesium lotion is a cream with magnesium chloride, which is easily absorbed by your skin. People who use it say it's a direct way to get magnesium into your body, bypassing your digestive system. When you rub it on your skin, the magnesium is absorbed, which can increase the levels in your blood and tissues. The main purpose of magnesium lotion is to relax muscles, ease pain, and lessen tension.
Using magnesium lotion is easy. Do the following:
- Start with clean, dry skin.
- Apply a generous amount to the targeted area.
- Gently massage the lotion into your skin to ensure better absorption.
- Reapply as needed, about every 2-3 hours, for continued pain relief or relaxation.
Tips for Choosing a Magnesium Lotion
To get the best result, pick a magnesium lotion that contains magnesium chloride, with nourishing ingredients like beef tallow, aloe vera, and essential oils. Make sure it’s non-toxic, hypoallergenic, and free of synthetic chemicals.
Evil Goods' Magnesium Lotion
Our magnesium lotion blends pure magnesium chloride with beef tallow and aloe vera, giving your skin body-safe relief and fast absorption, without the toxins hiding in drugstore moisturizers. It delivers highly bioavailable magnesium through the skin, straight to where your body needs it most, with no stomach upset and no BS.
Our magnesium cream helps relax tight muscles, ease cramps, and support healthy nerve function. If you’re dealing with post-workout soreness or chronic tension, magnesium calms it at the root. Our lotion has no parabens, seed oils, or synthetic fragrance. Just clinical potency, deep muscle support, and skincare that doesn’t screw with your hormones.
FAQs About Magnesium
Can I Put Magnesium Lotion on My Face?
Yes, but it’s not designed for facial skin. Magnesium can be drying, and your face is more delicate. Stick to body use or patch test first. Looking for a face moisturizer instead? Try our natural face moisturizer.
Where is the Best Place to Put Magnesium Lotion?
The best areas to apply magnesium lotion are muscle groups (for pain relief), joints (for inflammation), and areas of stress or tension (like the neck and shoulders). You can also use it on dry or irritated skin.
Can I Get Too Much Magnesium From Magnesium Lotion?
It's unlikely you'll use too much magnesium from lotion, but using an excessive amount might irritate your skin. For the best results, use the recommended amount.
Can I Use Magnesium Lotion Daily?
Yes, you can use magnesium lotion every day. For the best results, try applying it after you shower or right before you go to sleep to help you relax and recover your muscles.
Final Thoughts on Magnesium Lotion
Magnesium is an important mineral for good health. Since many people lack enough of it, they are seeking effective ways to increase their level. Magnesium lotion offers a convenient method to increase magnesium absorption without the potential side effects that can come from oral magnesium supplementation.
Even though the science on how well magnesium is absorbed through the skin is still developing, a lot of people report positive results. The lotion offers a way to relieve pain, relax muscles, hydrate skin, and manage stress, making it a good choice for those who want to increase their magnesium and feel better overall.
For a good magnesium lotion, choose a high-quality, non-toxic, and effective one. Look for ingredients like magnesium chloride, essential oils, and other things that are good for your skin. While it's safe, you should still watch for any skin irritation or allergic reactions.
Applying magnesium lotion every day is a simple and effective way to get the magnesium your body needs. It can naturally ease muscle cramps, chronic pain, and stress, and it also helps keep your skin healthy. If you're magnesium-deficient or want a better way to supplement, you might want to try Evil Goods' magnesium lotion.
Dr. Elena Dinkollari
MD, Dermatologist & Endocrinology Assistant
Doctor Approved
