Magnesium Oil: Uses and Benefits

Magnesium is an essential macro-mineral responsible for over 300 crucial functions in the human body, and its deficiency is linked to many ailments, including gastrointestinal issues and kidney disease. Most Americans don't get enough of this important mineral from their diet. Therefore, supplementation may often be recommended. With so many choices on the market, you might ask yourself — is it better to use oral supplements or apply a topical magnesium oil spray?

Let's explore the uses and benefits of magnesium oil and whether it could be the right choice for you.

What is magnesium oil?

Technically, magnesium oil is a blend of magnesium chloride flakes and water, not an actual oil. When these two substances are mixed together, you get an oily-feeling liquid that you can apply directly to the skin, which then absorbs this essential mineral. Don’t worry — it won’t stain your clothes.

Because the liquid is applied directly to the skin, it’s called dermal magnesium supplementation.

What are the potential benefits of magnesium?

Magnesium is somewhat of a wonder mineral — in fact, it’s one of the seven essential macro-minerals found in certain foods such as whole grains, nuts, seeds, and green leafy vegetables.

We need magnesium for a number of essential bodily functions, including:

• Nerve and muscle function
• Blood sugar level regulation
• Bone tissue, protein, and DNA synthesis
• Blood pressure regulation
• Immune system support

Unfortunately, due to modern agriculture methods, magnesium in the soil is heavily depleted, which affects how much we can get from our diets.

Most people in the United States have lower-than-optimal magnesium levels. If we don’t get enough, then supplementation becomes necessary, as deficiency is associated with muscle soreness and cramps, difficulty sleeping, low energy, depressed mood, headaches, generalized anxiety, fatigue, and higher emotionality. Thus, using magnesium oil can be a great way to help avoid these deficiency symptoms and ensure adequate magnesium intake.

Magnesium oil uses

There are a number of ways you can use magnesium oil to build up and maintain adequate magnesium intake.

Healthy hair

Because magnesium aids in protein production, and protein is the building block of hair, it’s essential to have enough in order to have those healthy, lustrous locks.

Applying topical magnesium to your scalp could help with hair growth. One study looked into topical magnesium application and its absorption into the skin. They concluded that hair follicles contribute to magnesium absorption. This may help increase magnesium levels in hair follicles and contribute to hair health and growth.

Better sleep

We all dream of a good, restorative sleep. Magnesium plays an essential role in nervous system function, and as sleep is largely governed by the nervous system, maintaining optimal magnesium levels in the body may have a positive effect.

Magnesium helps regulate the production and release of melatonin, a hormone that controls sleep-wake cycles. Animal research indicates that low magnesium levels are linked to reduced melatonin in blood, and it is suggested that supplementation may restore these levels back to normal.

There have been more promising human studies that show the potential of magnesium as a remedy for sleep issues. A meta-analysis of human clinical trials reported improvements in sleep quality, duration, and relief from lack of sleep and insomnia for those taking magnesium. However, while magnesium supplementation reduced sleep onset time on average by 17.36 min in older adults, the improvement in total sleep time was not significant.

Pain management

Many people who use magnesium oil for pain report a reduction in symptoms. The transdermal application allows magnesium to be directly absorbed by the tissues, so exercise-related injury, arthritis, and even fibromyalgia may be helped if the oil is applied directly to the site of pain.

If you choose to try a topical magnesium oil for pain management, start slowly, patch test, and avoid contact with clearly irritated skin or lesions. It can also make your skin tingle if you use too much too soon, so try three sprays at first and gradually build your way up to eight if you don’t notice any adverse reactions.

Anti-wrinkle effects

Some people choose to use magnesium oil for face wrinkles, either in creams that contain magnesium chloride flakes or by adding magnesium topical oil to their skincare routine. Magnesium is suggested to even out your skin tone, giving you a more youthful appearance. However, science is lacking behind such claims.

Anxiety reduction

In multiple studies and reviews, magnesium supplementation has been suggested to play a role in the reduction of anxiety-related symptoms.

If you are wondering where to spray magnesium oil for anxiety relief, try it on the wrists and temples. Massaging the oil into your skin may also provide a soothing sensation, which may help calm anxiety symptoms and reactions.

Migraine relief

Headaches and migraines can be debilitating. Low dietary magnesium intake has been linked to migraines. Some studies have shown that magnesium supplementation may help reduce their frequency.

Rubbing magnesium oil directly on your temples can be a great way to absorb it — plus, the soothing effect of massage feels great, too.

How to use magnesium oil

There are multiple ways you can include the use of magnesium oil in your health and well-being care plan. The needs vary from person to person, so make sure you pick a method that feels right for you.

• Spray. Using a magnesium oil spray is the most common application. Make sure to use it after a shower, before you put any lotion or oil on your skin. Massage it into the skin and leave it to absorb for about 20–30 minutes.
• Massage. You can add magnesium oil to another carrier oil, such as almond or coconut. Use it this way for a longer self-massage into your skin after bathing. Or, you could ask a massage therapist to incorporate it into a treatment.
• Baths. One of the most relaxing ways to use magnesium chloride flakes is to dissolve them in a nice, warm bath. You can soak up the magnesium while getting the calming effects of being submerged in warm water. This can be particularly enjoyable after a long workout session.
• Foot soaks. Adding magnesium chloride flakes to a foot bath is a great way of getting this essential mineral into your bloodstream. It’s great for busy, active people as you can fill a bucket with warm water, add the magnesium flakes, and soak your feet while you write up a report at your desk.

Keeping all of this in mind, the extent to which magnesium is absorbed from transdermal products remains unclear, as there is a lack of studies comparing it to oral magnesium supplements.

Magnesium oil side effects

As with any type of supplementation, it’s best to start slowly and gradually increase your dosage to minimize potential side effects. Make sure to do a patch test beforehand to avoid more serious complications, like an allergic reaction, and never apply magnesium oil to damaged or irritated skin.

People with kidney issues should be especially careful and consult a healthcare professional, as the kidneys play a vital role in balancing magnesium levels in the body. People already using magnesium supplements to help with other conditions should steer away from additional use as well.

Besides the uncomfortable tingling sensation, applying too much magnesium oil can also result in other side effects, like diarrhea, nausea, and cramps.

Lastly, magnesium oil is intended for external use only and should not be ingested. If you experience any alarming side effects, contact your doctor immediately.

Recommended dosage

Because magnesium oil is applied topically, it’s hard to establish a recommended dose, as absorption rates can vary person-to-person and depend on physiological factors like age, body weight, health status, and individual tolerance.

For context, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provides daily oral magnesium intake recommendations for various groups:

Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
Birth to 6 months	30 mg	30 mg	N/A	N/A
7–12 months	75 mg	75 mg	N/A	N/A
1–3 years	80 mg	80 mg	N/A	N/A
4–8 years	130 mg	130 mg	N/A	N/A
9–13 years	240 mg	240 mg	N/A	N/A
14–18 years	410 mg	360 mg	400 mg	360 mg
19–30 years	400 mg	310 mg	350 mg	310 mg
31–50 years	420 mg	320 mg	360 mg	320 mg
51+ years	420 mg	320 mg	N/A	N/A

As always, follow the health professionals' advice or manufacturers' instructions carefully to avoid over-supplementation.

Does magnesium oil expire?

Pure mineral supplements like magnesium and zinc won’t degrade for many years, but other ingredients in supplements may have a shelf life. If you buy a magnesium oil, make sure you adhere to the use-by date recommended by the manufacturer.

Which is better: magnesium oil or supplements?

Oral supplements come in the form of tablets or liquids. They’ve been used for many years to help increase magnesium levels. However, more recent investigations are questioning whether a transdermal application using magnesium oil could yield better results.

Applying magnesium oil spray topically bypasses the digestive system, allowing the magnesium to be delivered directly to the body.

Choosing the right magnesium oil spray

It is essential to consider factors such as quality and additional ingredients. Look for products that contain pure magnesium chloride without additional additives or fillers.

Costs can vary between $10 and $30, depending on the concentration, formulation, and general brand image. Prioritizing quality and ingredients may contribute to the product's efficacy and safety, however, it is still highly dependent on individual factors.

How to make magnesium oil

Unless your local pharmacy stocks it or you find a reputable source online, magnesium oil can be hard to find. Making a magnesium oil spray is relatively easy, so why not try it yourself?

Here’s how you can do it:

1. Pour the magnesium flakes into a bowl.
2. Bring the water to a boil and pour it over the flakes.
3. Stir until the flakes are completely dissolved.
4. Allow to cool away from sunlight.
5. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle.

Bottom line

Whether you choose to purchase a magnesium oil spray or make a DIY topical magnesium at home, this may be an option to help address magneisum deficieny.

If you are concerned about your magnesium levels, it's always recommended to speak to your primary healthcare physician before starting any new supplements.