The new big thing on some of the supplement sites seems to be magnesium oil, made from magnesium chloride from Zechstein, in Germany.

On one forum I found someone said that transdermal magnesium therapy was a big scam.

I just wondered if anybody here had heard anything about it.

Look forward to hearing from you,

amanda

I haven't heard of magnesium oil, but the transdermal absorption makes some sense to me. I think the old Epsom Salts bath is transdermal absorption of magnesium, in the most basic sense.

I had magnesium oil but It's so concentrated I can't put in on bare skin. It makes my skin feel really tight and itchy...but the oil works great in a bath. But when I run out of the oil I'm going back to the Epsom salts. Same results and much cheaper.

I wonder how much you actually absorb that way?

I am using magnesium oil to treat my psoriasis and I think it works but it takes a lot of persistence and patience, from what I read 6 to 9 months of every day use to restore appropriate magnesium levels and and every day after that. I recommend it for any skin and pain issues and generally to get magnesium which is impossible from the food intake. Obviously magnesium is the most important mineral and this solution is derived from the sea and is similar to the composition of our blood. You can only use magnesium oil on the exposed areas of your body because it acts to smooth the skin. You don't use it on palm of your hands or inner arms as it will make skin brittle and thin.

Swanson's do Magnesium Oil

You can make your own magnesium chloride bath or foot soak, instructions here.

Or here

Mark Sircus is a leading advocate of transdermal magnesium.

Epsom salts also works and MAY be better for people with arthritic conditions. (many spa waters are rich in magnesium sulphate it's possible the sulphate is helping as much as the extra magnesium)

There is a long history to Hydrotherapy It would be surprising if their wasn't an element of truth to some of the claims.

It's quite easy to test out for yourself. A 25kg sack of magnesium chloride costs about £7 from agricultural or Equine suppliers. (It's for put in the drinking water troughs for animals suffering stress,) If you are under stress yourself or suffering muscle cramps in bed or find it difficult to get to sleep have a 20minute soak in a hot bath with a generous amount of magnesium chloride or sulpate in the bath water.

Flotation Therapy 2 min video

Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin.

I would like to see any evidence to support the claim that magnesium is not absorbed through the skin. It's certainly the case that the stuff they put in sunscreen appears in you urine within a couple of hours if those chemicals pass through skin I'l like to see the science proving magnesium does not.

If your skin is already dry and you live in a dry climate it's possible a very concentrated super saturated solution could dry on the surface of the skin and as magnesium is hygroscopic it could be drawing water out of the skin rather than the other way round. Swanson's have a warning saying If skin irritation occurs discontinue use. the bath/footbath soak method is using a much weaker concentration and would hydrate your skin BEFORE going outside in the sun.

I also use an oral magnesium supplement AND make my own magnesium mineral water

You know when you've absorbed too much magnesium, It passes into the colon absorbs water and lets you know it's time to reduce intake a bit.

When I get to the store, I am going to look into the epsom salts.

Thanks for your very informative post. I've been making and enjoying that magnesium water for 3 weeks now - since I can only get the Philips Milk of Magnesia with the peppermint flavour here, I top up with filtered water and some SF squash to mask the taste. I notice I'm a lot calmer and more relaxed when I sip it through the day.
I have also begun to increase my other magnesium supplements, using magnesium chloride tablets and also some magnesium citrate and malate. What surprises me a lot is the fact that I still haven't reached the level that offers 'bad effects' so I'm assuming that I must have been woefully deficient prior to this? I'm now taking about 6-800 gms in supplement form (inc the water)
I'd really like to know where I could begin looking for the bulk magnesium chloride for my bath that you mention? I've asked locally (and I live in a rural area) only to be with a blank look. Do you have any suggestions? I live near to the NI border and might be able to purchase there. I've had no luck searching online, except for the hugely expensive branded bath flakes

From what I understand this is a product used by stables in winter. They put the Mg chloride on the ground to stop it icing up. So, you'd have to find some kind of dealer that supplies to the equestrian crowd.

I totally agree that the branded bath flakes are out of the question in terms of price!!!

amanda

Thanks Amanda - I will try and find a local stables and ask them for their supplier. I'm expecting a few strange looks ...

I just got two of the 8 oz Swanson Ultra Magnesium 'oil' I liked the packaging, the quality and the way it feels on the skin so far. I combined some with CO to rub on dry skin.

www.swansonvitamins.com (?spam alert) I used my throwaway e-mail account just to get my UPS tracking and my order confirmation e-mails when I ordered.