Emulsified Magnesium Lotion

This post may contain links but they are not affiliate links. I am not in any sort of affiliate program at this time. They are links to things I actually use.

Magnesium lotion has been a life saver. OK not to be dramatic but once I started to use it I did notice my quality of sleep drastically improving as well as helping to address some restless legs & even lowering my anxiety levels.

I was not aware of the importance of magnesium for the body until I started to notice how good I felt just using this lotion before bed.

What are some benefits of magnesium for the body?

Magnesium assists with over 300 enzyme reactions within the body but the body can’t actually make this very important & much needed mineral which means we have to get it from our food. However there is a slight issue here.

Our food is not as nutritious as it used to be. This can be attributed to poor farming practices which are more concerned with their bottom line than regenerating the soils. Growing food in soils that are stripped produce an inferior product. If you want to do your own research on this topic just know it can be a fun rabbit hole to go down but make sure you bring a long piece of rope to bring yourself back.

That’s enough about that, I’ll let you do your own research & let’s get back to learning about the benefits of magnesium to see why it is such an important mineral

Regulates blood sugar
Maintains blood pressure & heart function
Reduces stress & helps to improve symptoms of anxiety & depression. When we don’t have enough magnesium there will be an impact on your ability to deal with stress
Helps maintain bone health. When we don’t have enough magnesium we inhibit the activity of bone forming cells & calcium regulation. 60% of the body’s magnesium is stored in the bones
Important for nerve function & can help improve certain types of headaches or migraine. Magnesium deficiency is considered one risk factor for migraine headaches
Helps improve sleep due to magnesium relationship with our central nervous system helping you to fall asleep faster & stay asleep longer

What are ways to get magnesium into the body?

We have a few different options & this list is not exhaustive

Eating foods that are naturally rich in magnesium such as properly prepared nuts & seeds, legumes, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, milk & yogurt. I will be sharing a few methods on how to properly prepare nuts & seeds in the near future.
Avoiding diets that are too restricted. These diets can leave you deficient in many key nutrients & minerals including magnesium
Use wholesome sweeteners that still have their mineral content. The body requires magnesium to digest sugar. Wholesome sweeteners still have the magnesium present that the body needs to digest it. If the magnesium is not present in the sweetener your body will take from anywhere it can find it & that can help lead you to magnesium deficiency
Drink Sole Water which is a source of 84 key vitamins & minerals your body requires
Absorb magnesium transdermally through something like this lotion or a bath by taking a bath in magnesium flakes (AKA Magnesium chloride) or Epsom salt (AKA magnesium sulfate)

What are some signs of magnesium deficiency?

Loss of appetite
Nausea or vomiting
Fatigue or weakness
Muscles cramps
Numbness & tingling
Seizures
Abnormal heart rhythms

People at risk of magnesium deficiency include those with gastrointestinal diseases such as crohn’s or celiac disease, those with type 2 diabetes, those with alcohol dependence & older adults

Emulsified Magnesium Lotion

To make our lotion we will be using something called Emulsifying Wax NF (National Formulary) which helps bond oil & water based ingredients together.

It has a non-ionic or no charge. Emulsifying waxes can be anionic (negatively charged) & cationic (positively charged). Anionic & cationic substances are not compatible so if you are choosing a different emulsifier make sure it is another non-ionic product or the formulation might not work as you are expecting

I’ve seen a few different formulations that use beeswax as an emulsifier. Here’s the thing: beeswax is not an emulsifier & if you wanted to use beeswax as an emulsifier you would have to add borax which is an alkaline material that saponifies beeswax to soap & it’s that resulting soap that creates the emulsion. Saponification is the chemical reaction that turns oils into soap.

I am all for using ingredients you have on hand & not necessarily running out to purchase more ingredients. However with that being said if you are wanting to use a different emulsifying wax just know that you may get slightly different results but feel free to try it out & let me know what you used & how it turned out. A different emulsifier will give you a different texture, some thicken more than others & some will feel heavier or lighter on the skin.

I’ve also seen some formulations floating around on the internet saying that you don’t need a preservative & that the magnesium acts as a preservative. This is just not true & can be dangerous. We use preservatives to inhibit bacteria & fungi as well as to ensure shelf stability. By not using a preservative you run the risk of getting sick by using a contaminated product on your skin.

I just want to ask you two questions to consider before choosing not to use a preservative.

If we can’t always see bacteria or fungi with the naked eye, is that really a risk you want to be taking?
How comfortable are you using or giving this product away that has the potential to be contaminated?

For this formulation you will require a broad spectrum preservative. If you have a different broad spectrum preservative than the one mentioned be sure to follow the manufacturer's recommended usage rates. If the recommendation is different from the 1% called for with the preservative I used, just take away or add more into the distilled water portion so you reach 100%

Formulation:

100 g batch

Phase A- Oil phase

8% Emulsifying Wax NF (Canada)

15% Liquid oil

10% Refined or unrefined Shea butter (Canada)

Phase B- Water phase

40% Magnesium brine/oil * see note (Canada)

24.5% distilled water or distilled water & hydrosol combination

Phase C- Cool down phase

1% Geogard ECT (Canada)

.5% Vitamin E MT-50 (optional antioxidant) (Canada)

1% allantoin powder (optional to help moisturize & sooth the skin. It is naturally found in the comfrey plant) (Canada)

Equipment:

Digital scale

2 heat resistant measuring cups or bowls
Stove or hotplate
Pot(s) to make water bath
Whisks
Immersion blender
Small beakers or containers for measuring
Pipettes
2 pieces of foil to cover phase B when heating & phase C so it stays free from debris

Instructions:

Weigh out Phase A into a heat resistant bowl & set aside

Weigh out Phase B into a heat resistant bowl, cover with foul so you don’t lose any liquid through evaporation & set aside
Weigh out Phase C into a beaker & cover with foil to keep clean
Place Phase A & B into a simmering water bath & heat until both phases are at 70-80C. Be sure to stir both phases as they heat up.
Once melted carefully pour Phase B into Phase A stirring gently with a spatula or whisk. The mixture should turn milky white to signify the emulsion has begun
Remove from the heat & give a quick burst with an immersion blender
Allow the mixture to cool for a few moments
Emulsify the lotion going slow, careful not to splash the hot lotion, resting for 2 seconds every 30 seconds. If you don’t rest your blender you will burn the motor out regardless of how high quality your immersion blender is
Blend until it turns thick & creamy like yogurt. If it is not thickening up allow to cool for a few more minutes & try again
Place the lotion in the fridge & allow to cool for 10 minutes
Go back every 10 minutes or so & blend again as it cools. Keeping a thermometer in the lotion will allow you to see what the temperature is at. Be sure to remove the thermometer when you blend
After about 30 minutes & once the lotion is under 40C add phase C & blend again
Pour the lotion into storage jars & allow to fully cool in the fridge for a few hours or overnight to avoid any potential graininess from the shea butter

Dosage:

Rub desired amount into calves before bed

Notes:

To make magnesium brine/oil: dissolve 2 cups of magnesium flakes in 2 cups of simmering distilled water. Stir until dissolved

If you are deficient in magnesium this lotion can cause a tingling/mild burning feeling but it will pass after 20 minutes or so. That was just your body’s way of telling you it needed this extra magnesium
This lotion is not a substitute or supplement for magnesium. It is meant to be a support not the main way you get magnesium.
Do not use on an open cuts or wounds
This lotion is also great to use for muscle cramps in the legs
Not cooling the lotion in the fridge will result in grainy lotion because of the Shea butter

Comment down below & let me know how you like to get in your magnesium?

Be sure to come back next week & learn how to make a horse chestnut tincture that can help support your cardiovascular & vein health.

Until next time, may you find Peace wherever you are!