People often say that magnesium oil spray can help with a lot of health issues, such as easing muscle cramps, helping you sleep better, and lowering stress.
But even if there are a lot of claims, not all of magnesium oil spray benefits are backed by strong scientific proof. It’s crucial to know what magnesium oil can and can’t accomplish based on the latest research as more and more people are interested in alternative and topical treatments.
What Do The Researchers Say About Magnesium Oil Benefits?
To make magnesium oil, you mix magnesium chloride flakes with water. The liquid that comes out seems slick to the touch, but it isn’t really an oil in the usual sense. 
Magnesium is an essential mineral that is required for hundreds of metabolic activities in the body. Stephanie Schiff, RDN, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at Huntington Hospital in Huntington, New York, says,
“I can’t think of a body part that magnesium doesn’t affect.”
She also says that many Americans don’t receive enough magnesium in their diets because the typical American diet doesn’t include enough foods high in this important vitamin, like leafy greens, legumes, whole grains, and nuts.
Magnesium is important, but there isn’t much proof that topical magnesium treatments, like magnesium oil sprays, help people get the recommended daily amount (RDA).
People usually spray these on their skin to help them absorb magnesium chloride and an oil-based emollient. Research has not yet established that transdermal magnesium absorption is as effective or reliable as dietary or oral supplementation.
Magnesium Spray Uses
Magnesium has a number of well-known medical purposes, especially when taken by mouth or given through an IV:
- Oral magnesium is often used to clean out the bowels before medical procedures like colonoscopies.
- Antacids that contain magnesium can help ease the symptoms of heartburn and indigestion.
- Magnesium is a good laxative when taken by mouth, which might aid with occasional constipation.
- Magnesium is the best treatment for eclampsia during pregnancy. It is given through an IV or injection and lowers the chance of seizures.
Here are 5 potential health magnesium oil benefits:
Neuropathy Linked To Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
A 2023 study looked at how transdermal magnesium oil affected peripheral neuropathy in 26 people with CKD. For 12 weeks, participants sprayed a magnesium chloride solution on themselves five times a day. Even though the body’s overall magnesium levels didn’t alter much, many people said their neuropathic pain got better and their symptoms got better.
Promote Better Sleep
There is conflicting research on whether magnesium enhances sleep quality. Some research say that having more magnesium is connected to better sleep, but others do not.
People on social media and doctors say that magnesium oil spray can help you sleep. For example, on March 16, 2024, a Tiktoker who is a plastic surgeon by profession, Daniel Barrett, MD, posted an interesting TikTok video of himself pouring magnesium oil on his feet and then falling asleep right away.
The video got almost 2.8 million views. In the same way, TikToker @mommyhasntshowered posted a unique video dated April 5, 2024, that gained almost 91,300 views.
In the video, she talked about how magnesium oil spray helped her and her teenage daughter sleep. There is still no scientific proof that magnesium oil spray directly helps people sleep better.
Fibromyalgia
A study from 2015 found that putting magnesium chloride on the arms and legs of persons with fibromyalgia helped ease symptoms like discomfort. Participants sprayed magnesium chloride on each limb four times a day for one month, and they saw that their symptoms became better.
Magnesium Oil Benefits For Muscles Pain And Aches
Some athletes use topical magnesium solutions to try to ease muscular pain and speed up recovery after working out. Even though many people use topical magnesium for pain relief, there isn’t enough scientific evidence to say for sure that it works.
Magnesium can change how people feel pain by inhibiting or lowering the activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which send pain signals all over the body.
“So, the mineral may help to dull some of that pain,” says Joaquin Villegas, MD, MPH, a family care doctor and assistant professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston who specializes in holistic medicine therapies.
Boosts Skin Health And Hydration
Some people use magnesium oil to make their skin healthier. Cosmetic companies say it helps calm inflammation or help keep skin from ageing too quickly. But study hasn’t yet shown that these benefits are real.
Magnesium can calm inflamed skin and assist balance moisture levels, making the skin smoother and more moisturised. It also helps the body make collagen, which is important for keeping skin healthy and flexible.
The skin probably absorbs some magnesium, especially when it is put on top of hair follicles, although the specific benefits are still not known. Stephanie Schiff, RDN, says
“Things do get through our skin, through our pores and hair follicles.”
She also says that magnesium oil spray is often used on points like the armpits, which have a lot of hair follicles and pores.
It’s always a good idea to test magnesium oil spray on a tiny area of your skin first if you want to try it.
Magnesium Spray Side Effects
Here are some of the magnesium oil side effects in detail:
- If you take magnesium the right way, it’s probably safe for most people. For adults, dosages of less than 350 mg per day are safe and usually well-tolerated.
- Some people, on the other hand, may have moderate side effects like stomach distress, nausea, vomiting, or diarrhoea.
- Magnesium can be dangerous if you take too much of it (more than 350 mg a day).
- Taking too much magnesium can cause a harmful buildup in the body, which can lead to major side effects such an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, sluggish breathing, coma, and even death in the worst situations.
Conclusion
There are a lot of promises about what magnesium oil spray benefits can do, such easing muscle pain, helping you sleep better, lowering anxiety, relieving headaches and migraines, and easing the symptoms of restless legs syndrome. But science hasn’t yet shown that these things happen.
It’s best to talk to your doctor first if you’re worried about not getting enough magnesium or are thinking about utilising magnesium oil spray or an oral supplement for a certain health problem.
