Homemade Magnesium Oil and How to apply

March 31, 2012 at 1:04 AM (Almost Free, Health, Herbal Medicine, Homemade Hippie Beauty Products, How To, Non Toxic, Under $1.00)
Tags: deficiency, Health, homemade, Magnesium, Magnesium chloride, Magnesium Deficiency, minerals, Restless legs syndrome

Yesterday I talked about the depletion of magnesium in our food and soil and the devastating results. The fact that up to 80% of Americans are deficient in magnesium really scared me (see health studies mentioned yesterday) and prompted Rob and I to do an experiment. We eat a whole lot of magnesium rich foods, and for some reason he just isn’t absorbing it that way. A few months ago we tried oral magnesium, and that wasn’t absorbed well either (If you’re looking for a recipe for diarrhea take a heaping teaspoon of oral magnesium). I started researching transdermal magnesium therapy and discovered that 75% of the magnesium is absorbed through the skin with this method. I found a product loosely referred to as magnesium oil. Though it’s not actually an oil at all, but a super saturated solution of magnesium chloride.

First I went to the health food store shopping for magnesium oil to be applied to the skin. I found a 4 ounce bottle for $19.99 or a 8 ounce bottle for $37.50. Those are both around $5 per ounce. I’m sure by now you have figured out that I’m a cheap skate. I went home and figured out how to make it myself.

Calling all Cheap Skates

I went online (I found several sources on Amazon) and ordered pure 100% Magnesium Chloride Flakes (and you should too). I ordered a 2.2 pound bag of flakes for $14.99. This will make gallons of magnesium oil. I would recommend Swanson Ultra or Ancient Minerals if you are looking for a pure source. Also make sure the label says “Magnesium Chloride Flakes” and absolutely nothing else! This is what they look like:

Homemade Magnesium Oil

1/4 cup magnesium chloride flakes

1/4 purified water

In a saucepan heat water and add flakes. You don’t have to boil it. Just hot enough to dissolve the magnesium. Ok that’s it. I feel like there should be a lot more steps here, but nope, you’re done 🙂

I funnelled ours into a cute little spray bottle that I saved. Yes I save everything like one of those weird hoarder people. And see, I really do use all that crap eventually!

Rob and I both shower at night. So before my shower, I take off all my clothes in the bathroom and spray my entire body down with magnesium oil. I then rub it in really good just like lotion. It needs to soak into the skin for at least 20 minutes, so don’t shower for at least that long. I spend this 20 minutes brushing my teeth, using my water pick (do ya’ll have a water pick? If not you should go get one they are the bomb) plucking my eyebrows and whatever other stupid girly things I can think to do.

I should probably warn you about a couple of things here, because nobody warned me and I was quite unpleasantly surprised….

1. The first couple of times you use this spray is stings. It didn’t sting all over my body, but for some reason my lower back was itching/stinging/burning/ for like 5-7 minutes afterward. Not fun. Rob had the same thing happen to his abdomen. It stings because magnesium chloride is derived from salt and some of us have sensitive skin. After the 3rd day of using this I am 100% sting free and so is Rob. So hang in there!

2. After it dries on the skin it leaves a white, salty, powdery residue on the skin. You kind of look like you just walked out of a bakery explosion 🙂 This is the reason that I started spraying right before I shower. This would not be cool under my mostly black work attire.

3. Don’t spray this on an area that you just shaved. Ladies if you can just imagine here the area that I just got done shaving before I sprayed….you will die laughing. For some reason it didn’t occur to me that this would be an especially sensitive area. Whatever. I won’t make that mistake again.

4. Rob sprayed his whole body, including his chest. Nipples are sensitive people. Very, very sensitive. So, unless burning nipples are something you’re really into, avoid these two small areas.

So that is our little experiment in a nut shell. I am really hoping and praying that this cures Rob of his restless leg syndrome. After all the research I have done, I would recommend that EVERYBODY supplement with magnesium. The chance that you have enough magnesium in your body is only 20% And by the way, my 4 ounce bottle of magnesium oil cost $1.70. That is .42 cents per ounce. Ha!

In case some of you have not discovered Underground Wellness, there was an excellent podcast about Magnesium on Wednesday March 28th 2012, that I would highly recommend. It features Morley Robbins, who has dedicated his life to studying magnesium deficiency. CLICK HERE TO LISTEN.It is much more thorough and in depth than my meager postings….Go to www.blogtalkradio.com and search for Underground Wellness and you can listen to it online or click the above link. It is also free on iTunes. I am a big fan of listening to my iPod while I’m stuck in the kitchen all day….