Magnesium Oil & Flakes: How to Use Transdermal Mg

Many people think of magnesium only as a pill or powder, but magnesium can also be absorbed through your skin. This approach — called transdermal magnesium — can be an effective way to support relaxation, ease muscle tension, and increase magnesium levels without upsetting your stomach.

Transdermal methods include magnesium oil sprays, gels, lotions, bath flakes, and Epsom salts. They can be used in footbaths, full baths, or even commercial float tank therapy. If you prefer natural approaches to stress relief or you’ve struggled with the side effects of oral magnesium, transdermal magnesium may be a great option to explore.

What Does Transdermal Mean (Definition)? 

Transdermal simply means "through the skin."

In the context of magnesium, it refers to using forms that can be absorbed through your skin instead of taken orally.

Why Use Transdermal Magnesium?

Magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant. When taken orally — especially in larger doses — it may:

• relax the intestines
• trigger diarrhea
• cause nausea in some people

With transdermal magnesium, absorption begins at the skin rather than the gut. This offers several potential advantages:

• You can raise your magnesium blood levels without upsetting your stomach.
• You may absorb magnesium more comfortably if oral forms bother you.
• You can target muscle tension directly (like spraying oil onto tight shoulders or calves).

Transdermal options can be especially helpful for people who want to relax before bed, ease muscle pain, or support stress relief.

Ways to Use Transdermal Magnesium (Mg)

You can use transdermal magnesium in several different ways.

✔ 1. Topically

Using magnesium oil, gel, or lotion applied directly to your skin.

✔ 2. In Baths or Footbaths

Magnesium flakes or Epsom salts dissolve in warm water and allow magnesium to be absorbed through your feet or skin during a 20-minute soak. 

A full-body bath offers more skin exposure but requires more magnesium flakes/salts. A footbath is more economical and still highly effective. (For more on foot bath how-to's see Relaxing DIY Foot Soak Recipe.)

✔ 3. Floatation Tank Therapy

Float therapy uses extremely high concentrations of magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts). People float effortlessly in a dark, quiet environment, combining magnesium absorption with deep sensory relaxation.

My Experience With Transdermal Magnesium

Transdermal magnesium isn’t just theory for me — it’s something I’ve personally relied on and recommended to clients for many years.

I had neck pain for a decade after a rollover car accident. Working with a chiropractor didn't provide relief, so I figured I was just going to have to live with it forever. But that changed when I started using magnesium chloride footbaths.

When I was doing research for my book Feed Your Calm: Anti-Anxiety Anti-Stress Diet and Supplement Tips for Stress Resilience, magnesium was the first element that caught my attention. I've dealt with anxiety myself, so I use myself as a guinea pig to test out anti-anxiety remedies before recommending them to others. After several daily magnesium chloride flake footbaths, I realized that my neck pain was gone. I didn't have to do the footbaths every day to maintain the change, but if I got too lax about it — the pain came back. When I did the footbath again — the pain went away. 

For several years, magnesium footbaths remained part of my evening routine, and I found them incredibly effective for relieving stress and muscle aches, as well as improving sleep.

I tried some oral magnesium supplements along the way, but each made me feel nauseous.  I eventually discovered an oral supplement that worked for me: CALM magnesium gummies. I now use those for my daily Mg intake. 

Even after I transitioned to the gummies, I continue to use magnesium oil when I have muscle aches or tight spots because it works quickly and can be applied exactly where it’s needed.

What's the Best Time For a Magnesium Footbath or Bath?

Because magnesium helps relax your body and your mind, soaking in a magnesium-enriched foot or body bath before bed can be a great way to wind down and improve your sleep.

2 Transdermal Magnesium Compounds: Sulfate vs Chloride

There are two compounds of magnesium for transdermal use:

1. Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts)
2. Magnesium chloride

Each has benefits and considerations.

What is Epsom Salts?

Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate.

The name Epsom comes from the British town where it was first created in the 1600s by boiling down spring water.

Epsom salts are quite inexpensive and easy to find in grocery stores, drug stores, and online. 

What to Look For When Buying Epsom Salts

If you are using Epsom salts, try to find a brand that talks about its purity. (One example on Amazon is Ultra Epsom Premium Epsom Salt. ) You don’t want to be absorbing toxic stuff when you’re trying to do your body good.

How Much Epsom Salts Should You Use?

Use about 2 cups of Epsom Salt in a footbath. More in a full-body bath.

Epsom Salts as Magnesium Source: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Relatively inexpensive and easy to find
• Sulfate component may support detoxification

Cons:

• May be less absorbable than magnesium chloride 

Magnesium Chloride Flakes and Oil

Dr. Mark Sircus, author of Transdermal Magnesium Therapy, prefers magnesium chloride over magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts):

"For some reason magnesium chloride is hugely more absorbable through transdermal means than magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt)."

My personal experience is that I get way better results with magnesium chloride flakes than I do with Epsom Salt.

How to Use Magnesium Chloride Flakes

Magnesium chloride flakes can be used in foot or body baths. Because it seems to absorb better than Epsom Salt, you can use less: about 1 cup magnesium chloride flakes per footbath, compared to twice as much for Epsom salts. 

How to Use Magnesium Oil, Gel, or Lotion

Magnesium chloride can also be applied to the skin as magnesium oil, gel, or lotion.

Magnesium oil is not really an oil. It is a water solution of magnesium chloride, but it feels slippery like an oil. You simply spray it on your body.

There is one catch: some of the solutions available can make you itchy until you build up your magnesium level, and they may leave a residue that you have to wipe off. Don’t apply it right after shaving, or you’ll definitely feel an itchy burn. I sprayed it on my abdomen, arms, and legs morning and night for several years without any residue problems. 

• If you do become itchy after using magnesium oil, try diluting it half and half (1:1) with water. Build your way toward higher concentrations. 

What to Look for When Purchasing Magnesium Chloride Flakes, Oil, Gel, or Lotion

Like with Epsom salts, purity can be an issue with magnesium chloride. Dr. Sircus and others raise concerns about environmental contamination of sea and lake sources. The purest source appears to be a deep ancient mine in Northern Europe known as the Zechstein Seabed.

The Ancient Minerals brand of magnesium chloride uses the Zechstein mine as its source and is the brand recommended by Dr. Sircus and Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle. The brand has flakes, oils, and gels. 

Who Should Avoid Magnesium Supplements? Key Health Considerations

According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle contraindications for magnesium therapy include:

• kidney failure
• myasthenia gravis
• an excessively slow heart rate
• bowel obstruction

Always check with your healthcare provider if you have medical conditions or take medications.

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NOTES:

No part of this post should be taken as medical advice. It is always advisable to consult with your personal doctors and medical professionals about your individual circumstances. Pregnant and nursing mothers and people on medications should take special care to check with their doctor regarding any potential contraindications for specific natural remedies.

I include product links for your convenience. I may receive a small commission on sales from these links, but it doesn't influence my suggestions or affect your cost.

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