Easy DIY Magnesium Butter Recipe
Magnesium is needed for over 300 essential processes in the body!
Updated 2024.
Personally, I have found the Magnesium Protocol/ Root Cause Protocol to be very helpful in my healing journey. In fact, I'm not so sure I would have survived the winter and spring before we moved into our non-toxic home without it.
While I could spend untold hours collating evidence regarding the multitude of benefits derived from transdermal magnesium (magnesium absorbed via the skin), that seems a waste of time as this information is so readily available online- for now, at least!
Magnesium butter isn't like typical lotions you may have used. It doesn't absorb in a few seconds. That's simply how it is when you apply topical magnesium. It feels a bit greasy and does take time to absorb. You may need to wash your hands after applying it to avoid getting fingerprints everywhere, and personally, I'm not a fan of the feeling of magnesium on my hands, so I wash my hands after applying it to my legs every night.
If you need to wash the magnesium butter off in an hour, don't feel bad. You will still find some benefit. Unlike magnesium oil, I find that this doesn't sting on freshly shaved skin or leave my legs feeling itchy, but you may have different results.
Since so many of us have a multitude of allergies, I am including potential substitutions after the recipe. While a substitution won't modify the benefit of the magnesium, it may make the final product feel sticky, slick, or change how long it takes to absorb.
I am linking to the exact products I use, but I do purchase larger amounts of them as I use these products regularly. Smaller amounts of the products may be available or there are alternate brands of everything I use. Be sure to test for personal tolerance.
As is my style, I simplify this recipe to remove steps that I discover to be unnecessary. Case in point: I throw everything in the jar rather than struggling to get the magnesium flakes to dissolve separately. Otherwise, I tend to get frustrated when the flakes don't dissolve as they should. Putting everything into the jar from the start works perfectly!
What Can You Use Magnesium Butter For?
Personally, I find transdermal (skin) absorption of magnesium to be more effective than oral supplements.
Magnesium helps us both deal with microwave sickness and the associated symptoms, helps to stabilize rogue mast cells, and helps with over 300 processes in the body- so it can help a great deal of issues!
Whenever we have a muscle pain, strain, or even a broken bone, we pull out the magnesium butter to help give our cells what they need to heal.
Magnesium butter was one of the keys for me to getting off of a medication for Restless Leg Syndrome. I was on over 75 pills per day for years and was sent home to die countless times. Keep holding on to hope if your doctor has given up on you, too!
Special note: Always remember that just because something is not a pharmaceutical that does not imply that it is safe for everyone. Consult your medical professional as to whether you have a diagnosis that may cause issues if you choose to use transdermal magnesium. There are diagnoses that could cause major problems and I am not a medical professional- this is not medical advice! These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, I may receive a small commission at no cost to you. A dollar here and there helps support my efforts to bring you information for free!
Homemade Magnesium Butter Recipe
Ingredients:
1/2 cup magnesium chloride hexahydrate flakes
1/4 cup coconut oil or olive oil
2 Tablespoons beeswax pastilles or lard
3 Tablespoons cocoa butter
3 Tablespoons boiling water (distilled is best but filtered works as well)
Directions:
Add everything to a widemouth mason jar.
Throw a hot pad into the bottom of a pan and add a few inches of water. Set your mason jar on top of the hot pad in the water and bring the heat to medium. (A canning rack insert works instead of a hot pad if you have one around. The idea is that you don't want glass in direct contact with the bottom of the pan.)
Let the contents melt. Don an oven mitt to swirl the mason jar around occasionally, or use a spoon to stir.
Once everything has melted, and the magnesium is dissolved remove the mason from the pan and let it cool about 5 minutes.
Fire up your immersion blender and mix up that goodness!
The body butter will soon look whipped and delicious. Check to make sure you didn't miss ingredients around the edges.
Let cool an hour or so. If you're really antsy, it won't hurt to apply it sooner- as long as it's cool enough!
Makes about 8 ounces.
Some notes:
- This may also be made using a double boiler, but a hot pad works just as well.
- If you don't have an immersion blender, electric beaters would probably work. I haven't tried them but I would expect them to work too. Hand mixing probably would not mix up the ingredients quickly enough or result in the delightful whipped consistency.
- This may be stored at room temperature up to two months, or store it in the refrigerator for a longer shelf life. Adding Vitamin E would extend the shelf life to around six months.
- This recipe may be doubled. I double it myself.
- The heat from your hands helps melt the body butter as you apply it. It's different. Roll with it.
- Cleaning up the immersion blender is a bit annoying for this recipe. I first washed off the outside with soap and water, then added some liquid dish soap to a clean mason jar and ran the blender. I do this for two changes of soapy water, then follow with a generous rinse.
Substitutions:
Allergic to everything? I hear you!
While the final product will be slightly different with different ingredients, it will still be beneficial. Here are some alternatives to what I use:
(I am only linking to brands that declare that they do not use latex gloves in manufacturing. Any products with rubber droppers on them are NOT latex-safe.)
Coconut oil/ olive oil alternative: castor oil, hazelnut oil, jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, sea buckthorn oil, or tamanu oil.
Beeswax pastilles: Bayberry wax or candelilla wax. Don't try soy wax.
Cocoa butter: Shea butter, mango butter, avocado butter, babassu butter, tallow, or lard.
If you are really pinched for ingredients, even just combining one of the oils with dissolved magnesium might work for you.
Whatever you settle on as safe options, I highly recommend choosing only organic products as pesticide residues are concentrated in oils.