Magnesium Chloride: A Complete Guide to Its Uses and Benefits
Magnesium chloride soaks are the latest trend in health and beauty, and for good reason. Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays an important role in over 300 biochemical functions in the body. It is extremely beneficial for everything from soothing sore muscles to revitalising the skin.
Magnesium chloride is hugely beneficial for everything from detoxifying the skin to revitalising muscles after exercise.
Magnesium is also one of the most common mineral deficiencies found in adults, and many health professionals recommend taking a supplement to ensure our bodies are getting enough. A great way to do this is taking a bath in a magnesium-enriched bath.
While magnesium is an important part of a balanced diet, absorbing the mineral transdermally is a great way to directly benefit from its soothing properties. Let’s take a look at the benefits and uses of magnesium chloride - aka magnesium flakes.
About The Transdermal Absorption of Minerals
The skin has three primary functions: controlling body temperature, serving as a barrier between our bodies and the outside world, and detoxification. And all three of these functions rely on the passage of substances through the dermis. Our skin is very porous, and these tiny openings allow sweat, oils and toxins to exit the body, and for substances to be absorbed.
The Beauty Benefits of Magnesium Chloride Bath
Magnesium chloride baths have a range of benefits for your body. Your skin is your body’s largest organ, and soaking in magnesium-enriched water is an incredibly efficient way to absorb the mineral and reap its rewards.
A magnesium salt bath can help:
• Reduce inflammation in the skin
• Remove toxins and heavy metals at a cellular level
• Improve circulation and blood flow
• Soothe skin conditions like eczema, acne, psoriasis and dermatitis
• Improve skin hydration
The Importance of Magnesium For Muscle Recovery
Magnesium chloride has also been making waves in the health and fitness world too, with people recognising its powerful rejuvenative properties.
Magnesium is required by almost every cell in our body and is especially important to cells in our muscles, particularly during exercise and for post-exercise recovery.
When you exercise, your body’s magnesium levels drop rapidly. This is because it is an electrolyte that is used to conduct electrical impulses and action potentials, such as the contraction of a muscle. When you stop exercising, magnesium continues working, preventing muscles from cramping and spasming, replenishing red blood cells (which have been hard at work providing your body with oxygen), and reducing inflammation
When you take a magnesium salt bath after exercise, the minerals in the water are absorbed into your body transdermally. As a result, blood magnesium levels are replenished directly via the skin, helping to relax muscles, reduce cramping and spasms, restore red blood cells and reduce inflammation.
Magnesium Oil Spray for Targeted Relief
While magnesium chloride flakes are most often used in baths and foot soaks, magnesium oil spray offers a more targeted way to apply magnesium directly to specific areas of the body. Despite the name, magnesium oil spray is not actually an oil. It is a concentrated magnesium chloride solution that feels slightly silky on the skin, making it ideal for quick, convenient use at home or after exercise.
Why People Use Magnesium Oil Spray
Many people use magnesium oil spray when they want the benefits of magnesium without committing to a full bath soak. It can be sprayed directly onto areas that feel tight, tired or overworked, such as the calves, shoulders, neck or lower back.
This makes it especially popular with active people, those prone to muscle cramps, and anyone looking for a simple way to support relaxation as part of their daily routine.
How To Use Magnesium Oil Spray
To use magnesium oil spray, apply a few sprays to clean skin and gently massage it into the desired area. Leave it on for around 20 minutes before rinsing if needed, especially if you are new to topical magnesium.
Some people may notice a mild tingling sensation on first use, but this often settles quickly as the skin adjusts after a few uses. For best results, magnesium oil spray can be used regularly alongside magnesium baths or foot soaks as part of a broader wellness routine.
Additional Health Benefits of Magnesium Chloride
While magnesium chloride is widely known for its role in muscle recovery and skin health, its benefits extend well beyond the bath. Understanding what magnesium chloride is used for helps highlight why it has become such a valued mineral in both natural health and wellness routines.
Many people first discover magnesium through soaking, as the magnesium salt bath benefits are often felt quickly – from improved relaxation to reduced physical tension. However, magnesium also plays a crucial role in supporting key systems throughout the body.
Supports Heart and Cardiovascular Health
One of the lesser-known magnesium chloride health benefits is its contribution to heart health. Magnesium helps regulate heart rhythm and supports healthy blood pressure levels. Maintaining adequate magnesium levels may assist in keeping the cardiovascular system functioning efficiently, particularly for people who are deficient in this essential mineral.
Helps Regulate Blood Sugar and Metabolic Function
Magnesium is involved in insulin activity and glucose metabolism. Research suggests that balanced magnesium levels may improve the body’s ability to process sugar effectively, supporting stable energy levels and overall metabolic health (this is another important example of the broader magnesium chloride uses that extend beyond topical application).
May Support Bone Strength and Density
Magnesium works alongside calcium and vitamin D to support bone structure. A significant portion of the body’s magnesium is stored in bone tissue, where it contributes to strength and density. Regular exposure to magnesium (including through bathing) may play a supportive role in long-term bone health.
Promotes Nervous System Balance and Emotional Wellbeing
Magnesium plays a key role in nervous system regulation and neurotransmitter activity. Many people report feeling calmer and more relaxed after soaking, which highlights some of the mental and emotional magnesium chloride health benefits. By supporting nerve function, magnesium may assist with stress management, sleep quality, and overall mood balance.
Supports Digestive and Cellular Health
Magnesium is essential for hundreds of enzymatic processes in the body, including those involved in digestion and energy production. While oral supplements are commonly used for digestive support, transdermal absorption through bathing provides an alternative way to maintain healthy magnesium levels.
This further demonstrates the versatility of different magnesium chloride uses in daily wellness routines. When used as directed, bathing remains one of the gentlest and most enjoyable ways to experience what magnesium chloride is used for: combining relaxation with meaningful support for physical and mental wellbeing.
How To Use Magnesium Chloride Flakes in a Bath
A long soak in a magnesium chloride-enriched bath is an incredibly soothing way to utilise the therapeutic benefits of magnesium. There are two ways that you enjoy a soak: in your bathtub, or in a foot bath.
For a relaxing bath soak, add roughly two cups of magnesium chloride flakes to warm water in a standard-sized bathtub. Double the amount for an oversized garden tub. Soak for 20 minutes or more. For specific symptoms, repeat 3 times per week for 2-4 weeks.
For a restorative foot bath, fill a tub with warm water, add roughly ¾ of a cup per 10 litres. Once the flakes have dissolved, immerse your feet for 20 minutes or more then pat dry with a soft towel. Again, if you have ongoing symptoms, repeat 3 times per week for 2-4 weeks.
If you enjoy a very hot bath, tone it down if you’re using magnesium flakes, as this can affect the efficacy of the minerals.
Check out our range of magnesium chloride flakes here.