Ingredient Library
Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium chloride
Magnesium chloride is a highly absorbable mineral salt that replenishes and soothes tired skin and muscles. Restorative, it suits body care and soaking.
A natural history
Magnesium chloride is drawn from the mineral riches of the sea and from ancient underground salt beds. It is the most abundant salt in the Dead Sea, making up nearly half of that famous water's mineral wealth, and it is also harvested from the Zechstein deposit, the bed of a prehistoric sea that dried more than two hundred and fifty million years ago and lay sealed deep beneath Europe ever since.
Magnesium is a soothing mineral with a long place in the bathing and spa traditions of the world. The very waters that have drawn people to soak for the sake of their skin since antiquity owe much of their character to it. The silky substance sold as magnesium oil is, fittingly, no oil at all but a concentrated mineral brine.
What it does for your skin
Magnesium is a soothing mineral long associated with the skin. In a controlled study, bathing in a magnesium rich salt solution supported the skin's barrier and hydration and left it looking calmer and smoother than plain water.[1] In further research, magnesium chloride helped a hydrating ingredient settle into the skin's surface without disturbing the barrier.[2] In a formula it is a gentle, soothing mineral that helps stressed skin feel calm and comfortable. The idea that magnesium soaks into the body through the skin is debated, so the real gift here is comfort.
References
[1] Proksch E, et al. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. Int J Dermatol. 2005;44(2):151-157. doi:10.1111/j.1365-4632.2005.02079.x
[2] Fujii MY, et al. Biocompatible topical delivery system of high-molecular-weight hyaluronan into human stratum corneum using magnesium chloride. Sci Rep. 2023;13(1):10782. doi:10.1038/s41598-023-37718-5
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It is a soothing mineral that supports the skin's barrier and a calm, comfortable, hydrated feel, the same magnesium that makes mineral spa waters so prized.
This is much debated and not well proven, so a magnesium soak is best enjoyed as a soothing, comforting ritual for the skin.