Magnesium for skin: why it’s the best acne and wrinkle fighting supplement
By: Denish Ghayal
Tags: Health Foods, Skincare, Health, Nutrition, Skin

Most supplements out in the marketplace are unnecessary and don’t offer the powerful benefits they promise. Why? Because they’ve been well documented to offer nothing of value as a long-term health solution. Majority of the minerals and vitamins your body needs are typically received from a well balanced diet. Apart from what you should eat, what you shouldn’t eat is also just as important in maintaining a healthily lifestyle and managing healthy acne-free skin.

Still, our diets can sometimes get off track and that’s when we must consider taking necessary supplements. In this case, we’re talking about magnesium. Much of the research on magnesium to date suggests it does a great job when it comes to battling the root causes of acne and most other skin disorders.

Nearly 80% of the population is deficient in magnesium. This is an astounding fact when you consider that magnesium is responsible for a over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, some of which include helping your body digest food, promote a healthy heart, and even ease migraines. The mineral also helps the body regulate blood pressure, lower the risk of cardio-vascular disease, and even reduce menstrual cramps.

How stress can cause acne and wrinkles

Have you noticed that when you’re stressed, acne almost always tends to make an appearance? This is not coincidental. Under a flight or fight situation, your body releases hormones known as adrenaline and cortisol that cause us to take action in the presence of danger. Unfortunately, the type of stress we deal with on a day to day basis these days is not temporary. Work, kids, late nights, gym, all sorts of things lead to stress unless we learn to manage them. This is also the start of our long term battle against acne. This state of chronic stress leads to a build of cortisol, causing the skin to get clogged with a build-up of excreted oil also known as sebum.

Magnesium is also necessary for the enzymes that manage DNA repair and replication. Without the mineral, the skin would also be subject to a variety of harmful free radical damage and inflammation that would ultimately lead to wrinkling and skin damage.

How magnesium can help battle acne causing stress

Magnesium helps to support your adrenal system and function. Your kidneys release magnesium when cortisol is present in released in to your system, suppressing the effects of the hormone. By increasing your magnesium intake by supplementation, your body is better able to manage anxiety and stress, ultimately helping to clear your skin of acne. But make sure to self manage your stress levels because chewing a bunch of magnesium pills alone will not solve your skin woes.

Nutritionist and author of The Magnesium Miracle Carolyn Dean links the shortage of magnesium to the shortage of minerals found in our dirt, stating “Magnesium has been farmed out of the soil, so it’s not in vegetables, and animals don’t get it from the plants that they eat.”

While we’ll go over topical methods of supplementing magnesium into your routine, try to include the below foods into your diet for gaining the most benefits.

Magnesium-rich foods that are great for the skin:

Dark green leafy vegetables such as kale, spinach, collard greens and swiss chard

Spirulina, kelp, and seaweed

Fish: sardines, mackerel, tuna

Avocados

Figs, prunes, raisins, apricots

Bananas

Chocolate, preferably higher cocoa content

Nuts and seeds

Beans and lentils

Whole grains

While most oral magnesium products have a laxative effect and people are sensitive to that, try applying magnesium to your skin. According to the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institute of Health, the recommended about of magnesium is 310 to 320 milligrams per day. While topical application may not deliver the most potent amount, creams and lotions with magnesium can help.

Transdermal magnesium for dramatic results

Other benefits include improving your skin’s overall appearance by inhibiting the over production of sebum that leads to acne and other disorders of the skin. To get a clear and even skin tone with the highest level of magnesium absorption, transdermal magnesium may be for you. People with redness or rosacea tend to rely on it because of its calming agent on sensitive skin.

Below are some transdermal magnesium gels you can try to achieve the most benefits or scroll down below to see DIY solutions with basic ingredients.

Our favorite recommendations:

Raw Releations Magnesium Gel ($18)

BetterYou Magnesium Body Lotion ($12.93)

Natural Vitality Natural Calm Cream ($28)

First you get a deep face cleanse followed by exfoliation. Then extracts are administered before a magnesium gel is applied to ensure the most effective absorption. Applying it as a leave-on treatment allows it enough time to absorb. It absorbs almost immediately upon contact so I recommend leaving it on the skin for a minimum of 25 minutes to ensure the body gets a chance to utilize as much of it as possible. Also, massaging it into your skin will speed up the rate of absorption. Best of all, the fact that magnesium has no odor is a great plus.

DIY magnesium oil

Here are some simple at home magnesium oils and creams you can make:

You Will Need

½ cup Distilled Water

½ cup Magnesium Chloride Flakes

A Glass Spray Bottle

A Glass Bowl or Glass Measuring Cup

Directions

Boil the distilled water.

Add magnesium chloride flakes to the glass bowl. Next, pour the boiling water over the flakes.

Stir mixture until completely dissolved.

Let it cool. Next place in the spray bottle.

Store in a dark room for unto six months of use.

Usage

Spray the mixture over your arms and legs and stomach daily or as desired. You may notice some tingling at first. This is normal as the skin is getting use to the new topical solution. If after a few applications the tingling persists, you can dilute the with more water. Leave the areas that you spray for 20–30 minutes to fully absorb. You can leave it on or wipe off afterwards.

DIY Magnesium Body Cream

You Will Need

1/2 c. Magnesium oil (use the above recipe for your own)

1/2 c. Avocado oil. NOTE: For a harder texture, use oils such as coconut, almond, olive, or jojoba.

1/2 c. Unrefined Shea butter.

2 tbsp. Beeswax.

4–6 Drops of any essential oil (we like Frankincense)

Directions

Melt shea butter and beeswax in a saucepan over low heat. Add avocado oil.

Bring to room temperature (or same as magnesium oil). Add to a blender.

Add magnesium oil to the blender. Pulse on low for the first few intervals. Then turn it up so the lotion turn thick and opaque.

Pour into a glass jar.

The lotion/cream mixture should lasts for 3–6 months in a dark storage space.

Uses

Rub it all over your body to let absorb completely for instant pain relief and also as a long-term skin treatment.

Use it as a massage oil, using almond oil as a carrier/base oil.

Alleviate headaches by rubbing a small dime size along the side and back of your head.

Hopefully by now you’ve learned a little bit more about magnesium and the great benefits it has. Proven not just for your joints and muscles but also your skin complextion. As always, nothing works over night. Seeing results will require some patience. I would say that at least 1 to 3 month of increasing your magnesium intake should show results. If you found this useful, share this post with a friend or simply comment with your thoughts below.