Magnesium cream - how to make it and use it
From DoctorMyhill
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This page has been written by two CFS sufferers, Joe Olmi and Terry Ellison, for the benefit of all those who struggle with low magnesium levels. Many thanks!
Dr Myhill explains benefits of therapeutic levels of Magnesium in combating some of the symptoms of Chronic Fatigue in Magnesium - treating a deficiency. She also recommends magnesium by injection as the most effective method of achieving this, however this has the disadvantage of requiring routine injection and some patients can generate an intolerance or painful reaction over time to these injections.
A 2004 paper [1] describes an investigation into the transdermal absorption of magnesium sulphate by soaking in a hot bath containing a 1% solution of Epsom Salts. The author demonstrates that this is effective alternative (and pain-free) method for raising both blood and urine levels of both magnesium and sulphate. However, this method also has potential disadvantages:
- You need to be capable of tolerating a hot soak, and many CFS sufferers cannot.
- You need 0.5-1 Kg of Epsom salts per bath to achieve this concentration of salts.
This article describes a simple and extremely effective alternative that two CFS patients, Joe Olmi and Terry Ellison, have adopted and refined.
Transdermal absorption by topical cream
To use this technique, apply a suitable topical cream following a shower, bath and / or FIR sauna. You can simply make this cream up yourself.
Making up the basic cream
The basic constituents are Epsom salt, water and a simple dermal cream (such as E45) in a 2:1:2 mix. You will need to experiment with the optimum batch size and mix to suit your own preferences, but a good starting point is a 150g:75g:150g mix and this will last perhaps 15-20 applications.
First dissolve the Epsom salt in the water and stand for 5mins to cool. Pour the solution into a pot (for example a large MMMs tub is good for this) and add the 150g cream. Beat with a hand whisk. This will rapidly turn to the mousse-like consistency of loosely beaten egg-whites. Once beaten like this, the cream can easily be applied directly to the skin.
The cream does tend to separate into a milky Guinness after a day or so. That's because it doesn't contain significant emulsifiers and stabilisers. So keep a cheap hand whisk (the sort you can buy from the supermarket for £2 or so) next to the pot, and 30 secs of beating will freshen up the cream for application.
The base cream is a matter of personal preference and skin-tolerance. Simple aqueous cream is a lot cheaper than E45, but the lanolin in E45 does seem to give better absorption and feel. In general, the less water you add and the cooler you mix the salt solution into the cream, the less it will separate, so experiment with the mix and methods of preparation yourself to find your own preferences. Start with a cream that you like and can apply without skin reaction. If you are concerned about dosage, then start with a leaner mix such as 2:1:10.
Also try different methods to dissolve the salts such as
- By microwave: put the 150g of salts in a pre-warmed cup and top up with the 75g of boiling water. Stir and microwave for 30 seconds. Repeat until all of the crystal are dissolved. Note that the boiling point of the Epsom salt solution is quite a lot higher than 100°C so be careful not to scald yourself when handling this solution. A 2:1 mix will fully dissolve. This is a good technique to start with.
- By boiling in a small pan. This has the advantage that you can make a solution with less water or even boil off most of the water. Remember to keep stirring especially as the solution cools to prevent it forming large crystals which will feel gritty in the cream. Do this well any you should be left with a white paste that looks a little like toothpaste which can then be beaten into the cream.
- Use magnesium chloride, which is a little more difficult to obtain, but this is an anhydrous powder rather than a crystal form and it therefore can be incorporated in the cream without pre-dissolving.
See also Dr Myhill's article Minerals and vitamins in creams which is based on this approach.
Applying the cream
The best time to apply the topical cream is immediately after a shower or bath. The more sweat and natural skin oils that you have removed the better, so it is better to apply it after a long soak or an FIR sauna. Avoid using one of the soaps that contains additives to give your skin a smooth soft feel, as the complex polymers which give this nice feel also tend to clog up your skin pores; stick to a plain bar soap or a baby soap. Dry yourself off and then apply a thin coat of cream over your full body. Just gently massage it into your skin until nearly dry. You might find it easier to get a partner or helper to do this for you. If you find this tiring, then lie in bed on a towel after application to allow the moisture to be absorbed / evaporate before you dress.
The cream is absorbed into surface layers of skin within 10-15 minutes if correctly applied. It leaves no visible residue on the surface of the skin, and the general skin condition seems to benefit from its application. Note that you will find that it takes a lot longer, perhaps 12+ hours to be fully absorbed into the bloodstream.
The one thing that we definitely wouldn't recommend is applying the cream after an Epsom salt bath, because you will find that because your skin is already saturated in Epsom salts when you do this, so none of the salts in the cream will be absorbed and you will find yourself left covered head-to-foot in a ghostly white powder as the cream dries! If you find any surface powder after normal creaming, then you are probably applying the cream too thickly.
Dosage
As a comparison the 0.5ml daily injection delivers perhaps 0.3g magnesium sulphate. Clearly only a percentage of the dermally applied Epsom salt is absorbed by the body, however, a typical per application surface dose is perhaps 7g magnesium sulphate, so the internally absorbed amounts may be comparable.
Personal experiences
Both authors recommend this as a cheap, easy and highly effective method of taking magnesium.
One of the authors has found that he especially needs magnesium supplements to help combat "mitochondrial stress" for example in that extended fatigue/exhaustion that can last for weeks after pushing himself too hard. The problem with such fatigue is that your cability to do higher exertion activities really falls off. Regular bathing and showering become a trial, and the need to cream after showering doubly so. However, the benefits of a full body cream in such circumstances are also noticeable within hours. So if you don't have the energy to shower, then still routinely apply the cream anyway; this might only be partially effective but it is still a lot better then going without the magnesium supplement.
The other author finds that application of magnesium cream to the entire body each day also acts as an effective anti-anxiety agent. Like many CFS patients, he also suffers with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD). In such cases the regular use of transdermal magnesium cream can be very beneficial, as magnesium deficiencies in the brain and nervous systems are known to exacerbate GAD.
References
- ↑ Waring, RH, "Absorption of magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) across the skin, 2004, Epsom Salt Council
