Topical Magnesium Cream for Muscle & Joint Pain

Recently we’ve been seeing an uptick in customers asking all kinds of questions about the benefits of topical magnesium – does it really help with joint pain? Is it really safe for children? Why does it work or how does it work? And I get it, it almost seems too good to be true!

To answer the question quickly, YES topical magnesium really helps with joint and muscle pain … and yes it is safe for children (you can read our article about how we used it to help our toddler in the summer of 2023). 

It has been known to help with muscle cramps, tight muscles to release their tension after exercise, and even rheumatoid arthritis. External use allows for the magnesium to absorb straight through the skin, into the blood vessels and muscles – giving them the nutrients they need to recover naturally and quickly. We’ve been surprised that whatever muscle or joint pain issues we’re having, is usually resolved overnight, it can heal that fast.

But How Does it Really Work for Joint Pain or Muscle Cramps?

Most people are familiar with Epsom salts and how well they work to ease muscle tension in a hot bath, right? Well, in bath water, Epsom salt (which is Magnesium Sulfate) dissolves into magnesium and sulfate – they’re only called, “Epsom,” because they come from a place in England called Epsom where the natural springs are found with these magnesium salts! So when you take an Epsom salt bath, you’re enjoying the external benefits of topical magnesium intake for your joints, muscles, and even mental well-being as it gets absorbed into your bloodstream. 

Magnesium body butters are a more recent thing – whereas Epsom salt baths have been used for 100’s of years to treat chronic pain because they work so well. The way I see it, Magnesium body butter is just a faster way of getting the same results from taking a long hot bath (not that baths should be avoided! Before we moved off grid I took baths like it was an olympic sport!). But I digress….

There’s a reason why sports medicine doctors and physical trainers have utilized Epsom salt (magnesium) baths for their top notch athletes – because fast and reliable relief of tight muscles helps prevent injury. And not only does it help their athletes get enough magnesium, ensuring they don’t have an underlying magnesium deficiency, the chemical loosening up of the muscle fibers helps your athlete to work out harder and for longer periods of time due to their fast muscle recovery. 

Side Effects

When a person is has very low magnesium levels or highly sensitive skin, transdermal magnesium therapy may cause itching because their body isn’t ready yet for that much magnesium all at once.  The way we’ve helped our customers get around this if they’re very low, but still want to get their levels up and see the benefits of the topical effect on their joint pain, is to dilute the cream even further with a carrier oil or Aquaphor until your tolerance is built up.  This may take a couple of weeks, and you may want to look into oral magnesium supplements to help your low levels of magnesium also.  Aside from man-made dietary supplements, you can get the benefits of magnesium from a diet higher in leafy greens like spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, according to the National Institutes of Health website.

As long as you don’t have a serious medical condition affecting your kidney health, overdosing on magnesium (orally) is very rare, but always check with your doctor as far as any dietary supplements, or if you’re worried about using the topical cream.  Many doctors are starting to recommend magnesium creams for restless legs during pregnancy, muscle soreness, etc. so it is widely known to be considered safe for most people.

But never apply Magnesium body butter right after shaving – because it will sting due to the high salt concentration! Same applies to putting the product directly over broken skin – not good!

It’s very rare for a person to have an allergic reaction, but it is possible. As with all beauty/skincare products, a recommended patch test is advisable before applying it to a large area.

Quick List of what Magnesium butter or Epsom (Magnesium) salt baths have been known to help with (from WebMD) —

• Arthritis pain and swelling
• Bruises and sprains
• Fibromyalgia, a condition that makes your muscles, ligaments, and tendons hurt, and causes tender points throughout your body
• Ingrown toenails
• Insomnia
• Sore muscles after working out
• Sunburn pain and redness
• Tired, swollen feet