Ingredient

Magnesium Chloride

Magnesium chloride is a water-soluble mineral salt that is thought to ease tired muscles and promote relaxation when applied to the skin.

Where do we get it?

Lush UK purchases magnesium chloride from a manufacturer in the Czech Republic. It is made in a lab from natural magnesium. It is not used raw in Lush products but mixed with water to obtain a solution called ‘magnesium oil’ (because of its oily feel).

With seven manufacturing sites across the globe, this information may vary depending on where your Lush products were made.

What are the supposed benefits of magnesium chloride oil?

• Relieves muscle tension and stiffness.
• Supports exercise and sports performance.
• Induces relaxation and good sleep.

How does it work?

Over the past decades, a few studies and trials have suggested that magnesium chloride oil can penetrate the skin barrier and enter the bloodstream through topical (applied directly to an area of the skin) or transdermal (soaking in a magnesium-rich bath) applications. It seems that massaging it into the skin would also promote its effect, as well as the joint use of some supporting essential oils.

Although further studies should be conducted to remove any doubt about the effectiveness of this external application, we, at Lush, think that magnesium oil is an interesting ingredient to use in cosmetics. People have been bathing in magnesium-rich water for centuries, whether in the Dead Sea or in the hot springs of Epsom and Bath. This mineral plays a very important role in human health and is responsible for over 300 actions in the body. It is, among others, believed to play a role in muscle and tissue recovery as well as sleep quality.