What You Need To Know Before Using Magnesium For Skincare

Most people need more magnesium in their diet, and the mineral can even help you sleep better. But is it also good for your skin? When consumed in your food or as a supplement, magnesium can help elevate your mood, regulate blood pressure, and regulate muscle function (via Byrdie). Byrdie further noted that magnesium is a "calming agent," which means that it can aid in helping your eczema, acne, and rosacea, among other issues, when used on your skin.

As it turns out, it's more than a calming agent, and it's good for your skin. Explaining why it's great for your skin, Dr. Hadley King said, "Magnesium is necessary for muscle contractions, as well as for the function of nerves, some enzymes and for production of proteins and ATP, a cellular source of energy," before adding, "in the skin, it plays a role in hydration and barrier repair, as well as in skin cell regeneration and shedding." 

With qualities like these, magnesium is more than good for your skin — it's essential!

There are several ways to increase your magnesium levels orally, which will help your skin. According to Elle, magnesium supplements are popular, but if you want to consume it naturally, you can absorb magnesium from sunflower seeds, bananas, a large variety of nuts and legumes, and squash, among other sources. You can even get magnesium from dark chocolate. Sorry to devout milk chocolate fans, though, as Elle noted this is specific to darker varieties.

However, if you don't want to obtain your magnesium orally, you can definitely use products specifically made for your skin. According to Allure, there are a variety of products — from magnesium gels to lotions to oils — on the market. Emilee Wilson, a holistic facialist, told Allure, "The key is to leave it on [your skin] long enough to get absorbed," before adding that magnesium gels can help your skin glow and shine. Finally, Allure explained that magnesium can ultimately give you a "clear, even skin tone." Sign us up. 

Overall, given magnesium's benefits not only internally but also for our skin, it's worth investing in supplements or oils if you want to increase your daily mineral intake.