As many of you will already know, I’m passionate about magnesium - it’s an essential nutrient for many bodily processes - in fact every cell in our body needs it to function efficiently. You can take it in tablets, capsules, powders and also apply it directly to the skin in oils and creams. But while I knew it was an essential mineral, and I even knew some brands used it in creams and lotions, I hadn’t focussed on how applying magnesium benefits the health of our skin. 

My experiment with magnesium as skincare

But this summer I’ve been experimenting with applying a magnesium gel as part of my facial skincare routine every night and I think it’s having a really powerful effect.

We took a family sailing holiday for 2 weeks around West Cork and I didn’t take much with me except some facial sunblock and my magnesium gel - but instead of coming home feeling like the sun and sea had dried out my skin, it felt really good. This intrigued me so I did some research. 

Why try magnesium on my face now?

The reason I decided to try a magnesium gel on my face was that we have a new Irish brand of Magnesium in Organico and they make a gel that’s suitable for use on sensitive facial skin.

Until now we had had the BetterYou brand of topical magnesium which is great for the body, but the gel and oils sting a little when they are applied, so I wasn't keen on trying them on my face. But the new Oriel Magnesium gel contains glycerine and the formulation is soothing (plus they called it a ‘Skin Repair’ formula) so I thought I’d give it a try. 

After using it every night for about 6 weeks, I really love the way my skin feels - it feels like I have just had a facial, except I haven’t had one for ages. 

The effectiveness of Oriel magnesium gel

It turns out that Oriel Magnesium gel is used as an ingredient by Neals Yard Remedies, GOSH, ESPA, Elemis, Pestle & Mortar and lots of other cosmetics brands.

Oriel says “Beautiful skin begins with healthy cells for healthy skin. This is our science. Improving the health, recovery and regeneration of skin cells.”

They have a number of studies showing the benefits of their Magnesium in skin health - for example there’s a study showing that their magnesium improves the efficiency of Hyaluronic Acid and another that shows it up-regulated collagen. It’s also been shown to increase our natural hyaluronic acid production, and help reduce scarring. 

Magnesium deficiency and your skin

I always knew that magnesium had a role in healthy bones, teeth and nails but skin wasn’t high on my list of benefits until recently.

However it makes complete sense that there would be benefits, because magnesium is essential in nearly all cellular functions, and over 40% of our magnesium is stored in skin and soft tissue. 

Also, having low levels of magnesium can result in a deficiency in essential fatty acids that support the skin. These acids play an important role in keeping skin moisturised and maintaining elasticity. 

Without fatty acids, the skin dries out faster and can lose its toned appearance, and wrinkles often start to appear early.

Magnesium helps the skin maintain healthy levels of these fatty acids by regulating the production of sebum, an oil that helps to hydrate your skin. 

So supplementing magnesium makes a lot of sense for many reasons - but what about using it topically?

Benefits of applying magnesium topically on our skin

What I found when I did more reading was that transdermal Magnesium's benefits for your skin are as extensive as the benefits for your health, and it’s very popular amongst US Dermatologists.

"Magnesium helps improve your skin's overall appearance, reducing acne and other skin disorders by lowering cortisol levels, stabilising hormonal imbalances, and improving cellular processes," says Dendy Engelman, a dermatologist in New York City.

Dr Engleman is also quoted as saying “Magnesium oil has absorption properties that make it a powerful humectant to keep skin hydrated and supple.” 

For the treatment of rosacea

One thread I wanted to follow was about extremely dry skin conditions such as Rosacea.

I had a customer in the shop a while ago who used a magnesium body lotion on her face, and she said her Rosacea had disappeared (you wouldn’t have known she had it).

She had read about using a magnesium-based face cream and since that was hard to find she went with a body lotion instead. Her story had stuck in my mind. And sure enough that was documented when I went looking for information.

It turns out that using magnesium topically calms sensitive skin and rosacea - “Magnesium is efficient at soothing redness and inflammation - which is why it's often used in formulations for the treatment of acne and rosacea” according to Dr Engleman. 

For sun-damaged skin

Magnesium gel treats dry skin and improves the skin's overall appearance, and it also reduces sun damage - "In a small human study, topical treatment with magnesium chloride affected the inflammatory response in the skin post-UVB radiation," notes Dr Hadley King, another US Dermatologist.

Maybe this was why my skin felt unusually good after my holiday?

For acne and oily skin

Magnesium can be helpful in controlling acne and oily skin, as it can help in regulating sebum production.

This isn’t something I’ve tried personally but it comes up a lot in my research, so my next plan is to try it with my teenager. I’ll let you know how that goes! 

Magnesium has earned its place in my skincare routine

So overall, both from what I’ve read and from the extremely positive experience I've had so far, I’m going to continue using the Oriel Magnesium gel at night.

Because it’s not oily, it ties in with the philosophy that Dr Hauschka suggests which is to avoid oil at night so that your skin generates its own. This means no rich night creams, but the light, non-greasy magnesium gel is perfect.

And because I now understand more about how it works to improve the efficiency of collagen and hyaluronic acid I’m going to carry on taking it internally also.

Oriel also makes drops for internal use, for menopause, Sleep, and Sports recovery.

Their magnesium is hugely bioavailable so you don't need a huge dose that can upset some people’s stomachs. And since they make their magnesium from seawater harvested off the Irish coast it’s a win-win - Irish, local, nearly zero waste and very pure.