Does Spraying Magnesium Oil On Your Skin Have Any Benefits? Here's What We Know

Magnesium must be having a moment. You've likely seen some hacks and supplements on social media to help you get more magnesium in your system. You need magnesium for many functions in your body, including regulating your heart rhythm, preserving bones, balancing your blood sugar, and promoting calm before sleep. Sure, you can eat foods rich in magnesium like whole grains, nuts, seeds, and even dark chocolate. You may also try a Sleepy Girl Mocktail, which adds a little magnesium powder.

What about skin treatments with magnesium? Epsom salts, which are made with magnesium, are often touted to soothe aching muscles and joints. You may also see creams, gels, lotions, and oils enriched with magnesium that claim to boost magnesium levels in the body. The idea is that your skin can absorb this essential mineral and produce a relaxing effect.

When combined with a topical form of the arthritis drug methotrexate, magnesium oil may be somewhat helpful in reducing arthritis joint pain and inflammation, according to a 2020 study in the Journal of Microencapsulation. The right mix of this combo was found to reduce swelling and improve mobility. However, there's little evidence that shows magnesium oils and creams can supplement your body's magnesium levels.

Some creams and oils, like Bengay and Biofreeze, help soothe sore muscles by blocking pain signals near the surface of the skin. They create a cooling feeling, but only a small amount, if any, actually gets into your bloodstream. Special transdermal patches, like those for hormone therapy or quitting smoking, are designed differently. They must push the drug through all the layers of your skin to reach your bloodstream. To do that, the drug has to be very small in molecular size and able to mix with fats to penetrate the skin (per Atlantis Bioscience).

Companies that sell topical magnesium sprays and creams use similar ideas to market their products. They suggest you can absorb magnesium by spraying it on your skin and letting it sit to properly absorb. Some sprays claim to deliver about 10 milligrams of magnesium per spray, making it sound like you'll soak all of it up to reach your daily magnesium recommendations.

But it's not that simple. A 2017 article in Nutrients explained that magnesium can't easily get into your cells through the skin. The top layer of your skin is made of dead cells without the special transporters that magnesium needs to move inside. Magnesium can only be absorbed through tiny openings like hair follicles and sweat glands, which together cover less than 1% of your skin's surface. Unlike drugs in transdermal patches, magnesium binds with water molecules to make them relatively large in molecular size. Magnesium also doesn't mix well with fats, making it very hard to get past the skin's natural barrier.

Most men need at least 400 milligrams of magnesium each day, and women should aim for 310 milligrams. People who are pregnant or breastfeeding need more magnesium. The National Institutes of Health says most American diets fall shy of the recommended magnesium. This is particularly true in teenagers and males over 70. People with gastrointestinal disease, type 2 diabetes, and alcohol use disorder may have a magnesium deficiency because their bodies may have a harder time absorbing magnesium, or they lose too much magnesium through their urine.

A peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole wheat plus a glass of soy milk puts you at 188 milligrams of magnesium, and a typical multivitamin may give you another 100 milligrams towards your recommended amount of magnesium. You don't often get 100% of your magnesium in a standard multivitamin because magnesium supplements could have interactions with many medications.

If you're generally healthy and can't get enough magnesium through your food, you could consider adding a magnesium supplement. You may want to check with your doctor first to see if you have a magnesium deficiency and see if a magnesium supplement is safe for you. Many magnesium supplements come with side effects such as diarrhea and nausea. Take a good look at how much magnesium is in your supplement, because NIH recommends no more than 350 milligrams of magnesium through supplements. Remember that different forms of magnesium are also found in laxatives and heartburn medications.