I'm currently reading The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, and I'm now a bit confused about my magnesium supplementation routine.

In the chapter about transdermal magnesium, she reccomends using transdermal magnesium along with oral magnesium, rather than using transdermal magnesium on its own.

She reccomends using a spray of 25% to 35%  magnesium chloride, after explaining that magnesium "oil" is a supersaturated solution of magnesium chloride in water. It's not clear if the supersaturated solution of mag chloride comes out to approxiomately 30%, or if the mag oil from Swanson's should be diluted before use.

If each spray has about 13-18 mg of mag, then my 38-40 sprays  would give me 498- 720 mg of magnesium. I do this usually once a day, twice if I'm especially sore.  Could I be taking too much?

She also says to leave it on for 30 minutes before washing it off. People on this site have said 20 minutes. Have I been washing it off too soon? Leaving it on all day leaves me too itchy.

Also, in the list of types of oral magnesium to use, magnesium chloride is on the list as being very absorbable. Could I use the mag oil I already have orally instead of fussing with the transdermal application every day? The routine IS more annoying in the winter, when it's too cold to want to shower so often.

My mag oil is on my body for an hour in the AM....and it's because the minute I wake up I spray myself
(40 sprays) and go back to sleep for an hour...or else I listen to a meditation CD and just relax before
I shower..

You can use mag chloride orally...but not sure you're going to absorb it the same way or get as much.

I find even using the mag spray I need to take 2 magnesium citrate pills before I go to sleep...Some
people are so severely deficient that they need to do both.  Needs to be balanced with other minerals.

I don't think you're going to get too much magnesium oil transdermally....but I suggest you take a
multi mineral formula to insure you're getting other minerals besides mag.... I take the multi mineral for all types from DPN.

Another way to do mag oil spray is to pour some into a foot bath...and just soak your feet...I
discovered a clever alternative way to do this...I saturate the bottoms of my feet with mag oil....put zip lock bags over my feet and just keep it on until I'm ready to shower.  I can even tuck my feet into my fuzzy slippers, baggies and all.  Just have to be careful not to fall...Kind of slippery with  feet in baggies.  Sometimes I just do one foot.  You can also soak your hands in
a hand bath.  Any part of your body will absorb magnesium oil transdermally.

You can stop the mag oil for awhile and see if you notice a difference....and just use the oral....
I just think that people with fibromyalgia have a severe magnesium deficiency.

And I would never leave the mag oil on all day.....Twenty minutes has never seemed like enough time for me...My body needs an hour to feel my muscles start to relax.

I used magnesium oil topically and had a severe reaction. Terrible Terrible itching and burning! I even diluted it with a lot of water.

I was really bummed because I heard the benefits were so good.

Many people say that the tingling and burning diminishes and even disappears after using for a while.

I do not wash mine off all day

nights before bed, I spray some on my legs

sleep like a baby!!!

Quoted from 14922

I used magnesium oil topically and had a severe reaction. Terrible Terrible itching and burning! I even diluted it with a lot of water.

I was really bummed because I heard the benefits were so good.

That may mean you really need it.  I could hardly stand the burning when I first started using it, but now I only feel a very slight sensation.

I am now taking the magnesium in supplement form because I found the spraying and washing off a bit time consuming.  If I left it on, my skin felt dry and salty.  I did have the terrible burning when I first started, but it did go away after a while.  

Quoted from brinyskysail

That may mean you really need it.  I could hardly stand the burning when I first started using it, but now I only feel a very slight sensation.

Really? Wow. Maybe I need to try it again. Thanks for the tip!  

OK, I'm looking at the swanson's website now, and I see that they now sell magnesium chloride flakes as well as the "magnesium oil" which is magnesium chloride liquid. I'm trying to figure out if it would be cheaper to buy it in dry form and dissolve it in water myself, refilling the empty spray bottles from mag oil I've bought in the past.

Any thoughts on this?

Quoted from ruthiegirl

OK, I'm looking at the swanson's website now, and I see that they now sell magnesium chloride flakes as well as the "magnesium oil" which is magnesium chloride liquid. I'm trying to figure out if it would be cheaper to buy it in dry form and dissolve it in water myself, refilling the empty spray bottles from mag oil I've bought in the past.

Any thoughts on this?

It's essentially the same....the flakes and the spray.  They work the same.  It's a question of
doing the math.  Just don't know how many bottles of spray you're going to get from a container
of flakes.

How many bottles of spray are you using per month?

PS...edited...

Just realized I have the flakes...but I can't tell the proportions of mixing flakes with water to equal what's
in the prepared mag oil spray.

It's got to be cheaper to buy the flakes...It's got many cups which would make many bottles for less than
half the price for a larger bottle.

I'm trying an experiment...Took one cup of flakes and mixed with one cup of water....It's not easily dissolving
in water because water wasn't warm...but going to see how well it dissolves just by leaving it sit...and want
to see if it separates once dissolved. (probably not)

I just mixed one cup of water with one cup of flakes thinking it might be the most logical way to do this.
Have no clue if one cup of dehydrated magnesium chloride plus one cup of water is equal to one cup of already prepared mag oil. But what difference does it make....If I get a stronger product, so be it...if it's weaker, I probably won't be able to tell the difference.  It's just got to be cheaper buying it without water
already added, don't you think?

I'm using about one bottle per month. It's hard to say exactly, because I have one bottle in the bathroom and one in the  bedroom, and which one I use depends on which room is more convenient at the time I'm ready to use the spray. I may increase my intake, though.

What I can't seem to find online anywhere is just how much magnesium is in the flakes vs the oil. I found one source that claims 15 mg mag per cup of flakes, and 15 mg per teaspoon of mag oil (interstingly, when multiplied out, this makes the liquid more concentrated even though it has water added) but the flakes are sold by the pound, not the cup and it doesnt' say how many cups per pound.

Quoted from ruthiegirl

I'm using about one bottle per month. It's hard to say exactly, because I have one bottle in the bathroom and one in the  bedroom, and which one I use depends on which room is more convenient at the time I'm ready to use the spray. I may increase my intake, though.

What I can't seem to find online anywhere is just how much magnesium is in the flakes vs the oil. I found one source that claims 15 mg mag per cup of flakes, and 15 mg per teaspoon of mag oil (interstingly, when multiplied out, this makes the liquid more concentrated even though it has water added) but the flakes are sold by the pound, not the cup and it doesnt' say how many cups per pound.

Mag flakes container says 35 oz.....which is equal to 4 cups....I know, measuring oz isn't the same as weighing oz...but I was able to create a mag oil out of one cup of mag flakes to one cup of water.....Sprayed it on my hands and it slightly burns...which tells me it's pretty strong....

If I was able to fill 2 empty bottles from just using one cup of mag flakes and one cup of water, and one bottle of mag oil costs $8.99.....then right there, I saved a fortune.  A container of mag flakes is $14.99.....and it seemed that I barely used any of the container of mag flakes when I removed one cup.  Let's just say the container holds 4 cups (and I'm sure it's way more)....but if I could make two bottles of mag oil out of every cup of flakes, then I'd be getting $72.00 worth of
mag oil from one container of mag flakes.   I'm just multiplying the cost of 8 bottles of mag oil times 4 cups of mag flakes.  It's a great deal to make it ourselves.  I'm going to start doing that.
I use about one bottle per month too...maybe a little less.

Thanks Chloe. I'll go place my order now. I emailed Swanson's but they haven't gotten back to me yet, and may not before tomorrow. I don't want to delay any longer with my kids' supplements.

I buy the magnesium flakes in bulk at my health food store.  It is sold as "Nigari", which is used for making tofu.  I keep adding the flakes to water until the water won't dissolve any more.  This is a very strong super-saturate solution.  

if "Nigari" does that to soy bean paste, I am going to experiment doing faux tofu using my compliant beans.....it has to work
need to watch some utube videos to learn the process

Quoted from 14922

Really? Wow. Maybe I need to try it again. Thanks for the tip!  

Yeah so I tried it again. I use Ancient minerals brand. I only get a little bit of tingling. Good stuff.

Quoted from Lola

if "Nigari" does that to soy bean paste, I am going to experiment doing faux tofu using my compliant beans.....it has to work
need to watch some utube videos to learn the process

Just wondering if you figured it out, Lola.  By the way, when I made soy tofu, I cooked the beans for hours, ground the beans into a paste, stirred back into the liquid, then strained off the solid matter.  The Nigari was added to the liquid only,  It caused it to curd and then the curd was strained through cheesecloth.  

Hope it worked for you with other beans.  I just now saw your post.  

How do the magnesium flakes (magnesium chloride) used to make the spray, differ in absorbancy & availability to the body, when compared to Epsom salts (mag. sulphate)?
If you suffer from sensitivity to sulphites &/or salicylates, apparently the mag. sulphate has good benefits to combat that sensitivity...

Btw has anyone ever made Epsom Salts?

You Need
1/4 cup epsom salts (magnesium sufate)
1/2 cup water
shallow bowl or dish
sponge (optional)
Boil the water on the stove. Remove the water from heat and add the epsom salts. Stir the mixture until the salt is fully dissolved.
Pour the mixture over a piece of sponge (optional) or into a shallow container. You need just enough liquid to cover the bottom of the container.
Place the container in a warm or sunny location. Crystals will form as the water evaporates.
Tips:
The sponge provides extra surface area to allow the crystals to form more quickly and helps make them a bit easier to view and handle.


    

Quoted from Possum

Btw has anyone ever made Epsom Salts?

You Need
1/4 cup epsom salts (magnesium sufate)
1/2 cup water
...

I guess I don't understand why you are going to all of the work to make Epsom salt crystals in a sponge when you already have Epsom salt crystals supposedly in a container...

Cost...& assurance that there is no arsenic contamination...

Quoted from Possum

If you suffer from sensitivity to sulphites &/or salicylates, apparently the mag. sulphate has good benefits to combat that sensitivity...

Yeah good idea. I do have sulfur sensitivity due to the fact that I have high levels of tungsten in my body- it inhibits sulfur metabolism. That solved the mystery as to why I could not eat onions, garlic, etc.

I'm using some ionic in the eating form. I guess it absorbs 100% and so far hasn't been a laxative.

Quoted Text

I just now saw your post.

better late than never!! haha

hope I get around to doing this with my diamond deep blue legumes ....

you ll hear from me.....not soon though

I can't use mag oil. I get UTI's from it for some reason. I guess it dehydrates me. I drink a lot of water too. My sister doesn't have that problem.  I just take 325mg a day orally with my minerals.

I haven't read posts in full, so if I'm repeating, apologies.

I buy cheap Epsom Salts, put a dollop in a glass jar, add warm water, put on lid and shake or wait until as much as will dissolve, has.
Tip saturated liquid into a clean pump dispenser which I keep in the bathroom.

At night and in the morning I pump some into my hands, spread it on my body.... almost anywhere you like though it can sting on a sensitive spot!!!
Only wash it off [though never notice it by then] until just before next application.

I also know someone who made skin patches with it, but personally don't find the need.