I have been using Ancient Minerals Pure Magnesium Oil for six months. It was recommended by a close GAPS friend. My goal is to use it every night before going to sleep.
I began using magnesium oil because of the trouble I was having sleeping and staying asleep through the night. Some people find they sleep better at night when they take magnesium. I do find that I sleep better when I use it.
Now this product does state that it may sting slightly when you first begin using it, and that did happen to me. You can dilute the product with 50% water – be sure to use “clean” water. You don't want contaminated water absorbing into your skin. Spray the magnesium oil spray onto your skin (with the half gallon jug you will need to use your own spray bottle), rub it in and it disappears pretty quickly. Some people wait for twenty minutes and rinse or shower. I usually spray it on after showering or taking my detox bath which is usually just before I go to bed, and then go to sleep with it on my skin. My friend Patty from Loving Our Guts says:
“When I am detoxing I get a lot of muscle cramps and spasms and spraying magnesium oil spray right onto those areas helps to relax the muscles. It can sting when you first start using it. If it does and you can't bear it simply dilute it and over time as your levels get higher it won't sting any more.”
At Patty's advice on her blog I tried using Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil for muscle spasms, in fact yesterday my neck was hurting as if I had strained it, and I tried spraying the magnesium oil on my neck and it helped quite a bit.
Here are the signs of low magnesium from the Ancient Minerals site:
Neurological:
- Behavioral disturbances
- Irritability and anxiety
- Lethargy
- Impaired memory and cognitive function
- Anorexia or loss of appetite
- Nausea and vomiting
- Seizures
Muscular:
- Weakness
- Muscle spasms (tetany)
- Tics
- Muscle cramps
- Hyperactive reflexes
- Impaired muscle coordination (ataxia)
- Tremors
- Involuntary eye movements and vertigo
- Difficulty swallowing
Metabolic:
- Increased intracellular calcium
- Hyperglycemia
- Calcium deficiency
- Potassium deficiency
Cardiovascular:
- Irregular or rapid heartbeat
- Coronary spasms
Among children:
- Growth retardation or “failure to thrive”
If you have digestive problems it can be easier to get your magnesium by absorbing it through the skin, and magnesium is one of the minerals you should supplement if you have the genetic mutation MTHFR. This is the most reasonable price I've found and while I could likely save money making my own I have heard this product is much nicer than the homemade versions.
Have you tried using magnesium oil? Have you found it to be beneficial?
A month or so ago, I bought magnesium flakes and made my own, ala Cheeseslave. I just couldn’t get myself to pay the $$ for the Ancient Minerals premade spray. I know the premade is reportedly a bit different than the DIY but I’m happy with the results so far. I’m sleeping a bit better (but that could be due to other changes I’ve made) and my muscles cramps have disappeared. I stopped using the mag oil for about a week and the cramps returned. I started spraying again and the cramps once again ceased.
Knowing how long the spray lasts, I might pony up for the “real” stuff when I run out of my DIY mag oil. Thanks for letting us know how long it’s lasted you!
I also made my own magnesium oil using Cheeseslave’s directions. I think you already bought your giant bottle, but I just wanted to chime in and say that making the magnesium oil myself was so easy. I just dumped a cup of magnesium flakes into a cup of water and brought it to a boil, at which point the flakes had dissolved on their own without me even having to stir them. I waited for it to cool and then poured it into a spray bottle. I was initially intimidated about making my own oil but the price difference made me try it and now I’m glad I did.
I am curious, though, about this brand being nicer than homemade magnesium oil. Do you know what was nicer about it, exactly? The only thing I don’t like about my oil is that it leaves an oily, powdery residue on my skin so I don’t like to leave it on under my clothes or pajamas. I have been spraying it on at the beginning of my detox baths, which was been working well, but I would be interested in an oil that didn’t leave a residue.
Hi @Diane, I am usually one to make my own and I think if I weren’t dealing with adrenal fatigue I would have. I’m glad to hear that the homemade is helping you. We had the half gallon shipped to my mom’s house since I still have a few ounces left in my bottle. She’s started using it and she is sure she is sleeping better. Last night she slept almost six hours straight and she hasn’t had that happen in decades. I do also seem to sleep better myself when I make sure to use it! I was stunned at the price difference when buying eight ounces vs. 64 ounces. Amazing. Thanks for visiting and commenting! 🙂
Hi @Meghan @ Whole Natural Life, actually a friend of mine who makes lotions told me she tried making her own and it wasn’t as nice as the Ancient Minerals brand. I’m usually one to try doing it myself, and there is also another recipe on Dr. Myhill’s site http://drmyhill.co.uk/wiki/Magnesium_cream_-_how_to_make_it_and_use_it which my mom and I were looking at and between the two recipes we were both just feeling overwhelmed so we just decided to buy the premade. Do you wait for 20 minutes before taking your detox bath? I heard we should leave it on about 20 minutes. I usually put it on after my shower or detox bath and it does feel kind of oily for a while but by morning I can’t tell and there is no residue at all. Thanks for sharing how the homemade went for you, I really should try it sometime. Actually I thought I could just use regular Epsom salts so that was one more thing, it was like, oh now I have to buy something else altogether different. Thanks again!
@Starlene, actually I spray on the magnesium oil while I’m taking my detox bath. So I spray whatever parts of me are not submerged in water. Our bathtub is on the shallower side, I think, so that ends up being my chest, upper arms and back. I then leave the oil on while I’m in the tub (usually 20 to 30 minutes) and then rinse it off.
Now, I’m not certain whether the magnesium oil is supposed to dry on your skin in order to be effective. It usually stays wet on my skin because the bath is hot and/or I’m sweating. Since your body can absorb Epsom salts through the bath water, however, I’m hoping that it should also be able to absorb wet magnesium oil.
Oh, and these are the magnesium flakes I bought: http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Minerals-Magnesium-Fakes-Single/dp/B005F1ATJQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=hpc&ie=UTF8&qid=1330358707&sr=1-1
I think there’s a bigger size but one cup of this makes one cup of magnesium oil so it should last quite a while as is.
Hi Starlene,
After reading about this product here, I did some more reading on this product and decided to order the magnesium flakes instead of the liquid. I just made some of my own “oil”, it’s super easy and it works. I am amazed! The mix is 1/4 C Mg flakes added to 1/4 C warm/hot water. It’s a 1:1 ratio Mg to water. Put it in a spray bottle, and voila! Works like a charm. I couldn’t sleep becaus me RLS was driving me crazy. It was gone in minutes – really a Magnesium miracle. You may want to check my latest post about what I learned about Mg.
Mary, thanks for sharing with me. I shared your post on Facebook, it was great and I hope some others will find help with this condition as easily as you have. I should try the magnesium flakes next time. My mom and I went on halves on the gallon and it was much less costly than it is currently. Thanks for letting me know about this. 🙂 ~Starlene
Why focus only on Ancient Minerals? There are other products like Life-Flo and Now, also sourced from Zechstein. Honestly, it makes it seem like you’re promoting for the manufacturer. Maybe I missed a comparison. Thanks.
Hi Lily, thanks for your comment. My review was specifically for Ancient Minerals as it is the only magnesium oil I have used. I purchased this item myself from Amazon, it was recommended by my friend Patty to help some of the symptoms I was having. I cannot speak to the other products you mentioned as I have not tried them and in fact have never heard of them. Thanks for mentioning them. Regards, Starlene