How To Make Magnesium Oil

APRIL 10, 2013 BY LORI KLEIN 79 COMMENTS

 

Make Your Own Magnesium Oil

Over the past year or so I have been pretty much been obsessed with Epsom salts, which are used to boost your magnesium levels. Even though I had come across many posts and comments on magnesium oil, it wasn’t until about three months ago that I started researching what it is and how to make magnesium oil. I know what you’re thinking, where have I been right?, how could I not know about magnesium oil?!  Well, after this post, now you will know all about it too!

Why You Need Magnesium

It is estimated that 90% of Americans are deficient in magnesium. Unfortunately, even when eating an optimal diet it is hard to get enough magnesium due to difficulty absorbing the mineral and the minimal amount in our farming soil.

Magnesium is also depleted from our bodies when we are under stress, experience anxiety or have a lack of sleep. Anxiety is one of the reasons why I am always trying to increase my magnesium levels while trying to maintain a good balance.

Between the factors of diet, stress, and those we can’t control such as low levels of magnesium in farming soil, it is easy to see why so many are deficient in this mineral.

A Few Of The Most Common Symptoms Of Magnesium Deficiency Include:

Fatigue
Low Energy
Difficulty Sleeping
PMS and Hormonal Imbalances
Headaches
Anxiety

There are a couple of ways you can increase you magnesium level, you can use Epsom salts, magnesium oil, take a dip in the ocean (the ocean is a great source of magnesium and trace minerals), take a magnesium supplement, increase your intake of magnesium rich foods, or do a combination to make sure you are getting optimal absorption.

Using trans-dermal magnesium (applied to your skin) is the most effective way to boost your magnesium level and ensure absorption, such as using magnesium oil or Epsom salts.

Magnesium Oil Vs. Epsom Salts

Epsom salts, which are magnesium sulfate is most commonly added to baths and significantly increases your level of magnesium. Magnesium Oil is actually magnesium chloride, it is a different form of magnesium which has been noted to be more easily absorbed. The funny thing is, it actually isn’t an oil at all! It is just a mixture of magnesium flakes and water. Magnesium Oil has been said to be even more readily absorbed than Epsom salts.

Why You Should Make Your Own Magnesium Oil

Magnesium oil can be quite expensive, making your own magnesium oil will help cut back the cost. Also, another very important benefit of making your own magnesium oil is that you can adjust how potent you make the mixture. You can do this by adjusting the amount of magnesium flakes in your mixture for magnesium oil. When you are first starting out you may want to start with ¼ of magnesium flakes and see how your body responds to the magnesium oil and adjust the amount until you find the right one for you.

How To Make Magnesium Oil

-What You Need

-1/2 cup of Magnesium Flakes
-1/2 cup of Water
-Jar or Spray Bottle to Store the Mixture

-Magnesium Oil Directions

1. Heat up ½ cup of water (not to the point of boiling)
2. Pour the water over ½ cup of magnesium flakes
3. Stir the mixture until the magnesium flakes are dissolved.
4. Let the mixture cool and store in a spray bottle or jar
5. You can apply the mixture to your skin after it has cooled enough to a comfortable temperature. You can also store the magnesium oil for future use

*Many use the magnesium oil several times per day, using anywhere from 10 to 20 sprays spaced throughout.

*For optimal absorption spray/apply the magnesium oil to your stomach area and arms and legs.

*If you find that the application of magnesium oil tingles or stings, you can dilute the mixture by adding more water.

How Magnesium Oil Has Worked For Me

My results with magnesium oil have been absolutely amazing, which is why I couldn’t wait to share this post with you! I use the magnesium oil daily, since I’m not a huge fan of using plastic spray bottles, I keep my magnesium oil stored in a jar and use a small cloth to apply it to my skin. After starting to use magnesium oil, I have noticed a huge improvement, well actually, many improvements, I have less difficulty sleeping and my anxiety/nervousness is almost non-existent!  Since I was using Epsom salts for almost a year and my results were not quite as stellar, as many have noted, the magnesium oil can provide more benefits as it can be more easily absorbed. Not to say that Epsom salts are not effective, they are absolutely helpful and I continue to use them at least once a week.

Do you use magnesium oil or Epsom salts? Have you seen any improvements from using magnesium oil?

How To Use Peppermint Essential Oil For Headaches

AUGUST 18, 2014 BY LORI KLEIN 4 COMMENTS

 

About three years ago I didn’t know much about Essential Oils and I thought that peppermint was only something in toothpaste, gum or candy. Little did I know that finding out how to use peppermint essential oil for headaches would save me from the awful headaches that I get a few times a year. When I would get headaches, I would have done anything to get relief and that used to include taking over the counter nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAIDs) drugs, like Motrin. I hate to admit it, but I used something “unnatural”! I would throw my principles out the window to find relief!

But, I soon found out that taking these causes horrible side effects! NSAIDs, which include ibuprofen, are not only unhealthy because of their chemicals, but are damaging to the body, especially the longer you take them. All NSAIDs I took upset my stomach and made me feel much worse! When I began researching why ibuprofen caused stomach aches, I found that stomach problems are actually common.

Dangers Of Over The Counter Pain Relievers

There is much documentation that NSAIDs can damage the stomach lining and cause significant damage in the gut as they stop healing and reduce the protective mucus layer. This can even lead to leaky gut and contribute to triggering an autoimmune disease.

Did you ever really look at the warnings and precautions listed for NSAIDs? They are too numerous to list here but include stomach bleeding, liver damage, fatal gastrointestinal bleeding and damage to kidneys. So if at all possible, it’s best to avoid these pain medications.

I Turned To Essential Oils

So… what do you do? Luckily, there is a great answer, essential oils! I was so happy when I found peppermint essential oil and tried it for my headache. It is truly a miraculous solution to pain and gives relief in less than 30 minutes. And it’s all natural! Essential oils have been used for centuries; they were used by the ancient Egyptians for medicinal purposes and beauty. Since the 20th century essential oils have gained popularity and today many people reap the numerous health benefits.

How Do Essential Oils Work?

Essential oils are extracted from plants and are basically the “life blood” of the plant because they help cleanse breaks in the tissues of the plant, help deliver nutrients and oxygen and protect the plant from bacterial and viral infections.  They help the plant to survive!

Essential oils are made up of very tiny molecules, in fact, in one drop of essential oil there can be nearly 40 million trillion molecules. This is what enables us to smell the essential oils so easily and the smell of the essential oil seems to fly right out of the bottle.

Essential Oils have an enhanced ability to penetrate the skin. In fact they can be applied to your foot and dispersed to all the cells in the body in nearly 21 minutes!

I Was Convinced!

One night, I was suffering with one of my atrocious headaches and my mom started researching online natural remedies for headaches because I knew I couldn’t handle pain medications like Motrin anymore. She found people commenting about how to use peppermint essential oil for headaches and their great results. She remembered that she had some! It was pure luck that my mom had picked up a bottle of peppermint essential oil because she wanted to chase spiders out of our garage! At that time, I didn’t even know what essential oils were and when I first starting reading how they help many common ailments, I was highly skeptical at first. I thought no way rubbing some of this oil on your skin would help a headache! Apparently, all I had to do was rub some peppermint essential oil on my forehead near the scalp line and it would relieve the headache.

But, seriously, when I tried the peppermint essential oil, I was in shock at how powerful and effective it was! However, I made a mistake as a newbie user. We had no idea how to use essential oils, so I used way too much that time and it turned my skin pink… but we’ve become much more experienced now. But even so, in less than 30 minutes my headache was completely gone.

I was thinking this peppermint essential oil is like a miracle! But, I wasn’t fully convinced until using it for over a year. I’ve been using the same method on 3 separate occasions when I’ve had headaches. And it worked every single time!

So, now anytime I get a headache it’s my go to remedy and I tell anyone who has one they have to try using peppermint essential oil for headaches! Why not, it’s all natural and so simple to do, plus it really works! Not even just for mild headaches, but worse migraines as well.

Above I shared with you a quick description of how I used it, but just so you don’t make the same mistake I initially did by using it too highly concentrated, here’s the simple directions for how to use peppermint essential oil for headaches effectively.

How To Use Peppermint Essential Oil For Headaches:

What You Need:

• 3 drops of peppermint essential oil
• 1 tablespoon of water or carrier oil, such as coconut oil
• bowl or cup to mix them in
• cotton ball or cloth to apply it to your forehead

Directions:

1. Add the water and peppermint essential oils to a container, I just use a glass cup and mix them.
2. Dip a cotton ball into the mixture and rub it across the top of your forehead right next your hairline. I always do it along my hairline, but some say to also put it around the temples.
3. I usually dip the cotton ball back in the mixture again and reapply it 2 or 3 times in the same way.

This should provide relief in about 30 minutes. If within an hour you’re not getting relief from your headache, you can reapply the peppermint essential oil using the same method.

Note: Peppermint essential oil is highly concentrated and not recommended for infants or small children.

12 Signs Your Health Problems Are Actually Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms

OCTOBER 22, 2013 BY LORI KLEIN 91 COMMENTS

Could your health problems actually be magnesium deficiency symptoms? The symptoms can be anything from headaches to PMS.   Chances are you may deficient in this mineral as according to Natural News, more than 80% of the population is not getting enough magnesium.

Low magnesium is often over looked, especially by doctors who rarely consider the role of nutrition and vitamins. Yet, there are hundreds of magnesium deficiency symptoms that this can cause, in addition to many diseases that can be exacerbated.

Almost a year ago, I went to my family doctor because I was having painful menstrual cramps every month.  I asked him what could be causing this and what I should do about it. His response was that it was genetic; there’s nothing that can be done. His only suggestion was to take an over the counter medication to deal with the pain. But, after researching this online, I found that menstrual cramps are one of the common magnesium deficiency symptoms. Eager to try this, I corrected my ratio of calcium and magnesium and within a month voila! No more cramps!

Sadly, doctors today know little to none about the importance of magnesium in the body and the resulting magnesium deficiency symptoms. Your best hope is to be your own doctor and do research on  magnesium deficiency symptoms to find out if this could be the cause.

Why Are We Not Getting Enough Magnesium?

It is very hard to get enough magnesium through your diet, no matter how healthy you eat. This is because modern farming processes have depleted our soil of adequate natural magnesium. Also, there are many other factors that significantly decrease the amount of magnesium absorbed in our bodies. These include:

• Stress – Many of us experience high levels of stress on a daily basis. When we experience stress or anxiety, this causes our bodies to deplete our magnesium.
• Diet- Certain foods can also result in a decrease in magnesium such as caffeine, alcohol, and sugar. It has been estimated that it takes 287 molecules of magnesium to metabolize one glucose molecule.
• Medications- There are many over the counter medicines and prescription medicine that deplete magnesium. These include: birth control pills, diuretics, insulin, and antibiotics.

Why You Need Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that is responsible for numerous bodily processes. It is the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies and is essential for carrying out over 300 reactions within the body.

Magnesium is commonly known for helping relieve constipation, but that is just one of it’s many crucial roles in the body. Magnesium is important for the functioning of your heart, muscles, kidneys, and balancing many other nutrients such as calcium and potassium. Having adequate magnesium levels has been found to ward off diabetes, prevent osteoporosis, and improve blood pressure.

12 Common Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms:

1. Anxiety
2. Weak Bones
3. Low Energy
4. Weakness
5. Inability to Sleep
6. PMS and Hormonal Imbalances
7. Irritability
8. Nervousness
9. Headaches
10. Abnormal Heart Rhythm
11. Muscle Tension, Spasms, Cramps
12. Fatigue

These are just a few of the most common magnesium deficiency symptoms. Additional  magnesium deficiency symptoms include: constipation, vertigo, stiff and achy muscles, insomnia, and muscle weakness. There are many more health problems that having low magnesium can cause. If you think you may be experiencing a magnesium deficiency symptom, but it’s not listed above, make sure to do a thorough search online.

Additional Conditions/Diseases Associated With Magnesium Deficiency:

Much research has found that individuals with magnesium deficiency are at an increased risk for developing diabetes, high blood pressure, Parkinson’s, kidney stones, and restless legs syndrome, just to name a few.

How To Find Out If You’re Truly Deficient In Magnesium

When comes to determining if you have a magnesium deficiency, unfortunately, there is not a great way to find out, such as from a test. There are blood tests that can be used to check the level of magnesium in your body to evaluate if you have magnesium deficiency; however, they have been found to be inaccurate. This is because the blood serum tests only give a reading of the level of magnesium in your blood and only one percent of the magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood. Thus, you have to rely on making a diagnosis for magnesium deficiency based on magnesium deficiency symptoms, not a blood test.

It is best to look at the symptoms your experiencing and try supplementing with magnesium and evaluate whether it helped or not.

For me, after looking at the list of magnesium deficiency symptoms, I knew there were at least 3 that I had and it was likely that I had a magnesium deficiency. I also have some anxiety and I’m sure that was contributing to my decreased magnesium.

How To Increase Your Magnesium:

There are several ways you can increase your magnesium.

1. Use Epsom salts – Add Epsom salts to your bath or make a foot bath. Magnesium is highly absorbed through the skin (transdermally) .

2. Apply magnesium oil – Similar to Epsom salts, magnesium oil is made from adding the magnesium flakes (see them here) to water. You can add them to your bath, make a small mixture and spray it on your skin or rub it on with a washcloth. You can also, buy it pre-made.

3. Eat foods high in magnesium – such as leafy green vegetables and nuts. (however, with magnesium deficiency, it would be tough to raise your levels enough solely through diet) This is a helpful chart that lists foods high in magnesium.

4. Take a magnesium supplement.

My Experience With Treating Magnesium Deficiency:

After I started researching magnesium deficiency, the more I explored it, the more I thought I found the cause of my health issues. However, my doctor ignored me when I brought up the fact that magnesium deficiency may be behind my anxiety, menstrual cramps, or difficulty sleeping, so I had to find out for myself if my self-diagnosis was right. I started to increase my magnesium slowly, first by adding more green vegetables into my diet and taking baths with Epsom salts. This did make a great improvement and decreased the occurrence of my magnesium deficiency symptoms; however, I still felt that I wasn’t getting an adequate amount. So, I started making and applying magnesium oil, once every morning and this helped very much. After a full month, nearly all of my symptoms had been resolved.

When trying to increase your magnesium levels, you may need to use a combination of ways to ensure you’re getting enough. You can base this off your symptoms. Also, one sign to watch for, while you increase your magnesium, is diarrhea, if you’re getting too much this will occur.

Do you think you’re not getting enough magnesium? Have you experienced any of the magnesium deficiency symptoms?

Sources:
http://umm.edu/health/medical/altmed/supplement/magnesium
http://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/magnesium-supplement-oral-route-parenteral-route/description/DRG-20070730

Magnesium Oil 101: How to Make and Use It

February 24, 2014 by Lauren 77 Comments Affiliate Disclosure

Nutrients applied to the skin are efficiently absorbed into the bloodstream. That is why we shouldn’t put anything on our skin that we don’t want coursing through our blood. And that is also why this homemade magnesium oil works so well: it’s a supplement we take through the skin.

What is magnesium oil?

Actually, it’s not an oil. It feels slippery like oil, but it is a solution of magnesium chloride flakes in water. (I recommend Ancient Minerals magnesium flakes.) You can purchase magnesium oil, but making it yourself provides a WAY more economical option. It provides the benefits of magnesium supplementation in an absorbable form.

Additionally, the body will only take what it needs through the skin. Whereas taking some supplements orally can cause an over-abundance in the body, this is not usually the case for transdermal therapy.

Benefits of magnesium oil

Magnesium deficiency is widespread and the use of magnesium oil can restore healthy magnesium levels in your body. Dr. Sircus, a leading magnesium researcher and author of Transdermal Magnesium Therapy, says

After oxygen, water, and basic food, magnesium may be the most important element needed by our bodies, vitally important yet hardly known. It is more important than calcium, potassium or sodium and regulates all three of them. Millions suffer daily from magnesium deficiency without even knowing it. (Read more in his article on magnesium deficiency.)

Another interesting connection Dr. Sircus makes is how excessive thirst often signals magnesium deficiency and mineral imbalance. I wanted to point this out to you because I’ve had many readers ask why they suffer from excessive thirst:

In fact there happens to be a relationship between what we perceive as thirst and deficiencies in electrolytes. I remember a person asking, “Why am I dehydrated and thirsty when I drink so much water?” Thirst can mean not only lack of water but it can also mean that one is not getting enough nutrients and electrolytes. Magnesium, Potassium, Bicarbonate, Chloride and Sodium are some principle examples and that is one of the reasons magnesium chloride is so useful. (Read more)

These are just some of the vital roles magnesium plays in the body:

• Necessary cofactor for more than 300 enzyme reactions in your body
• Needed for the relaxation of muscles so it is a key treatment for muscle cramps
• Required for stable blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. Consumption of refined sugars deplete magnesium.
• Vital for cardiovascular health
• Key for balancing hormones for both men and women because it supports balanced minerals in the body
• Needed in increased quantities during periods of increased emotional or physical stress, since stress burns through magnesium stores
• Essential for mood regulation, particularly reducing anxiety and promoting a sense of wellbeing

How can you benefit by using magnesium oil? These are a few of the ways magnesium oil therapy works to improve symptoms by reducing the magnesium deficiency in your body:

• Supports overall health and a suitable supplement for most individuals
• Reduces (and should eventually stop) muscle cramping, including menstrual cramps
• Improves sleep, because magnesium is a “calming” and “soothing” mineral
• Very helpful in reducing symptoms of PMS including bloating, mood swings and breast tenderness
• Widely helpful for headaches and even migraines, according to Dr. Sircus. Many individuals have reported profound improvement in migraines when they use magnesium oil regularly.
• A key part of any hormone-balancing protocol, because magnesium helps balance the other minerals and hormones in the body
• As an anti-stress agent in the body, it often promotes a sense of peace and wellbeing. It is very helpful in depression and anxiety.

Magnesium Oil Recipe

• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/2 cup magnesium chloride flakes (the most widely recommended brand, and the one I use,  is Ancient Minerals and you can buy it here)
• Spray bottle (I used a 4oz cobalt bottle, like this one)

1. Bring the water to a boil in a non-aluminum saucepan. Turn off the heat and stir in the magnesium flakes until dissolved. When cool, pour into your spray bottle. No refrigeration is necessary.
2. Spray it on to the body (details below) and lightly rub it in. It may still feel a bit greasy or moist on the skin. For me, it is fully absorbed without a residue within a few minutes. Use anywhere from 10-30 sprays per day. 

How to apply magnesium oil

Expect a tingling sensation when you first start to use magnesium oil. If this is your first time using magnesium oil, apply it to a small test patch first, to gauge the intensity of the tingling. (P.S. – I’m using the term tingling as a euphemism forstinging.)

Many people say that the tingling will decrease over time, as your body becomes less deficient in the nutrient. This was definitely true for me, although it still feels slightly unpleasant for a few minutes after application. But the health benefits are totally worth it!

Although it varies from person-to-person, there are general areas that are less sensitive to the magnesium oil and make better application sites. In my experience, areas with more adipose tissue (a.k.a. the plump areas) are less sensitive. Try the thighs, hips and belly. Shins and forearms also work well for me. Try to avoid the creases of the elbows, behind the knees, creases of the bottom, and the neck if you are experiencing tingling. These areas are usually more sensitive.

Do NOT apply magnesium oil to your legs after shaving them – ouchie! I recommend waiting at least 12 hours before applying to shaved legs. If you experience no tingling when applying magnesium oil, you may be able to tolerate post-shave application.

Dry brushing makes the skin more sensitive to magnesium oil. (Dry brushing is a practice to simulate the lymphatic system and improve skin tone). I dry brush in the evening, before my shower, and I find that applying the magnesium oil immediately post-shower creates intense tingling. So, I wait until the morning to apply magnesium oil, which gives my skin a period to “de-sensitize” from the dry brushing.

You may notice a slight white film or powder on your skin after the magnesium oil dries. You can wipe or rinse this off, or briskly rub your skin and it will disappear.

Wait at least 30 minutes before showering or bathing after applying magnesium oil, to ensure that the magnesium has absorbed into the skin and will not be rinsed off.

Additional magnesium oil uses

• Homemade magnesium oil makes a cheap and non-toxic deodorant! Again, if you experience any tingling with the oil on other body parts, do not apply it after shaving your pits.
• Get beachy waves by spritzing your damp hair very lightly with your magnesium oil. This doesn’t work for all hair types, but if you have a natural wave to your hair, magnesium oil can add volume and beachy texture. You’ll probably notice your hair looks like you just came back from an ocean dip.
• Take your bottle of magnesium oil with you to a massage. The masseuse can use then oil as a massage lotion and you will get a double whammy of relaxation from the magnesium and body work. Only do this if you are not having tingling after applying the oil or request that the oil only be massaged onto non-sensitive areas, such as the thighs.
• Dr. Sircus says that magnesium oil boosts healing after a sports injury. Applying it anywhere will support muscle healing, but you can also apply it to the area of a sore muscle.
• Muscle cramps? Immediately reach for your magnesium oil! Frequent muscle cramps will disappear as you use magnesium oil long-term and improve mineral balance with unrefined salt. But immediate application of magnesium oil can help instantly reduce a muscle cramp. I keep a small bottle of magnesium oil in my ballet bag, just in case I experience a calf or foot cramp.
• Add magnesium oil to your bath. However, it’s easier to just add the magnesium flakes directly into your bath instead of first making magnesium oil with it. Use the equivalent of 1/2 cup (or more) magnesium flakes per bath. Magnesium in the bath is absorbed into the skin and magnesium baths are deeply soothing and relaxing before bed.

Do you use magnesium oil? Have you noticed a difference after using it?