** MINI REVIEW** Swanson Ultra Magnesium Oil from Zechstein Sea

This is not the first or even second brand of magnesium oil I have used. I actually use magnesium oil almost every day and night. During the day, it helps calm me when I get really jumpy anxiety. At night I use it to help me rest better. I actually spray it on my underarms at night because it makes a good natural deodorant. Some people use it for relieving sore muscle pain.

Just under $9 for 8 ounces

The only ingredients on the label "magnesium chloride brine from the Ancient Zechstein Seabed in the Netherlands".

The first brands I used were good and the only problem I had with one of them was the salty residue that left my skin looking way ashy. This one doesn't have that effect, nor does it burn as much. This one does, however, make my skin itch if I don't moisturize after applying it. That's a strange thing since Swanson claims the oil "nourishes and moisturizes" the skin...

While I like my other brands, I think that I will stick with this one for the long haul. It's cheaper than the other 2 I tried and it actually works more effectively to help me rest. I might try one of the magnesium lotions but I have noticed that they tend to be pricier than the oils. What's up with that? Maybe I will just add the magnesium to some lotion of my own?

Anyway, I wanted to post this for anyone who might not already have heard about magnesium oil in general. I have a neighbor who takes magnesium in tablet form. I have not read up on that, but it's another rabbit hole for you all to go down.

I will end with a fun fact: Magnesium chloride is also used as a road de-icer. Who knew?

Peace
--Free

This is a 2-song kind of day

**REVIEW** Magnesium Oil from Dead Sea (from Livana)

After seeing my doctor this last time, I've added a couple of things to my natural health care arsenal. Magnesium oil spray is what I'm reviewing today. I will review the trace minerals tomorrow.

This is not the first time I've tried a magnesium oil spray. I tried a couple in 2016 and reviewed one of those oils. That one was part of a review and I used it until it ran out just before moving here to Iowa. I hadn't had a chance to try it again because it was no longer available. Back then, I was combining the oil use with changes in my eating habits so I saw good effects.

These days, my fatigue is worse and I have been having those "tired but wired" insomnia problems again. My doctor suggested melatonin tablets, but I remembered the magnesium oil. While looking through the choices, I saw that this one had good reviews and was priced so I could afford it. I consider it a part of my healthcare expenses. Also, I was attracted by the fact that the source is the Dead Sea.

their photo was better than the one I took!

 What I noticed when looking through all the magnesium oil choices is that there are 2 sources for magnesium chloride that are most popular: the Dead Sea or the Zechstein Seabed. This is because they are both "ancient seabeds" and I guess that's kind of a big deal when it comes to the minerals and nutrients. Makes sense to me and, of course, I want to try an oil sourced from Zechstein (and it was actually priced better but for a larger size). For now, I am happy with this $8 bottle that I could get right away.

The one thing that annoyed me was that, when I opened my package, the bottle was damp and had leaked out some of this precious oil. For now, though, let me give you the highlights of my experience with this product. And, trust me, when I say that there are differences between brands. The other oils I tried were good but this one is powerful good (as my Big Mama might have said).

leakage

It NOT an "oil"

Yeah. Magnesium oil is more like water. There is zero oiliness to the stuff. Because my bottle leaked, this is what the spillage looked like on my hand:

Look like I been eating powdered donuts!

This is why when I used it at bedtime, I followed it up with some coconut oil. 

You need to be careful when applying this product because if not, most of it will roll right off. Think of spraying water onto the skin, right? I like to spray my throat then quickly rub it in before it has a chance to drip.

Ingredients in this one

The other oils I tried had magnesium chloride and water. This one has Magnesium Chloride, Purified Water, and Dead Sea Salt. I'm sure it's the salt that left the ashy residue on my hand. I am curious about the salt being useful for my psoriasis (and other skin ailments). I might have to ask the doctors about that and try it. If you think you want to try some Dead Sea salt products, you can check out many brands. I found this one site that looks interesting (and affordable). This brand is also Amazon-available.

It put me right into Sleep Mode

Once again, not all oils are created equal. The other oils I've used did help me sleep a lot better. A lot. I would spray my armpits (I will tell you why in a moment), my hair, my stomach. I would go spray crazy! When I used this before bedtime last night, I was thinking of those other oils and (thinking that I was holding back to make this last until I can get a bigger bottle) I spritzed my throat just twice. Within about 5 minutes, I was getting droopy eyed. 10 minutes and I was done. 

I don't know what would have happened if I had sprayed on any more of this oil. Probably I'd still be asleep right now. I've rarely taken anything but OTC sleeping pills but I did have an Ambien or something when I was hospitalized and I hated the drunk way it made me feel. I only slept well for a few hours before I was restless again, and I remember feeling very hungover the next day.

Here's the thing with this oil: I did not feel groggy at all this morning. Not a bit. Matter of fact, I felt better upon waking than I have for a while. I guess that's what getting a good night's rest does for a body. I slept deep until I'd say around 1:30/2:00 when I had to get up to do a bathroom and water run. Usually, I have trouble getting back to sleep if I get up like that. Not last night.

I can't wait to let my doctor know how great this worked for my sleep.

Daytime use is tricky

I think I mentioned in the previous reviews that magnesium oil is supposed to help relieve anxiety. This particular brand oil is too strong for me to test it undiluted during the daytime. When I got that residue on my hands opening the package, I washed my hands because of the ashy look. Good thing.

For daytime use (stress, anxiety, you know - me being me), I figured I'd better be on the safe side and cut this oil with... some oil. 

Had to slap a label on this one

This bottle is labeled as 1/3 ounce. I spritzed in a couple sprays of magnesium and filled the rest of the bottle with jojoba oil. I think any kind of oil will do; I just happened to have jojoba on hand. I've rolled on some a few times today and it's been okay but I think I need to add more magnesium to the mix.

Now I don't know if my body will get used to this and the effects will start to lessen. I will have to let you know about that.

This is a natural deodorant

If you type in "magnesium oil deodorant", you'll get slammed with sites offering up DIY recipes, benefits, and folks' stories about how it changed their lives. When I used the other brands before this one, I just sprayed the stuff right on my pits. It did work, but I don't think I can use this one the same way. Like I said, I'd probably go right into a cold doze before I could do anything to work up a sweat. That said, I do plan to try dabbing a little under my arms. I can't use it at my regular nighttime application because I don't want to put oil under my arms. 

Like I said, I can't wait to tell my doctor about this stuff. She digs natural products so maybe some of her other patients would be interested in using this over melatonin for sleep.

I'll update this post if I need to. For now, I'm happy.

Peace

--Free

**REVIEW** Magnesium Oil Spray (UPDATED)

(UPDATE: I have to say that I now believe the claims about this helping the body work better with other vitamins and minerals. I say that only because I can feel the difference in how my daily vitamins - through food - boost me. Also, I am down 2 pounds in the 5 to 6 days that I have been using this. When I sleep, I rest better. When I eat nutritiously, I can tell in how I feel. I have an appointment coming up with my doctor and I can't wait to ask him what he thinks of this. As always, I will try to come back and update this post as things progress.)

Never even heard of this before, but I am so glad I got to try this:

That is Magnesium Oil Spray from Natural Products.

First off, let me say that not all of the products that I get via the "influenser" type programs are completely free. Sometimes, I'm just getting a discount. In the case of this product, I paid just under just half the price. Yeah, so for those folks who think that bloggers like me only give their rave reviews because of the freebies, that's not true. Not even for the products I get free. You guys should know by now that I try to be super honest when I review things. (In the case of a negative review, I will try to be nice, but I  never lie. Sometimes, I even have to get a little, er, blunt.)

Anyway.

Like I said, I'd never heard of magnesium spray. I barely remembered that magnesium was a mineral. (I've been out of school a loooong time!) This product is specifically a magnesium chloride hexahydrate and water solution. Those are the only 2 ingredients listed on the label. (If you care, at the end of this review, I'll share some more technical info - or I'll at least share what I tried to find out.)

From the Seller's description, these are the positives of their spray:

• All Natural
• Improves Sleep
• Relieves Joint Pain
• Aids with Muscle Recovery
• Fights Magnesium Deficiency

They also include this bit of info:

"Many people suffer from magnesium deficiency and Natural Products Pure Magnesium Oil is a great way to naturally improve the bodies magnesium intake. Natural Products Magnesium oil comes from the bottom of the Ancient Zechstein Sea in the Netherlands and can be used to nourish and moisturize skin among many other benefits such as: improve sleep, relieve joint pain, natural deodorant and aid with muscle recovery."

When I read this, all I saw was "can be used to nourish and moisturize skin". So I signed up to get the bottle for reviewing. While I was awaiting the deliver, I checked some more info out online. Mostly, I saw the following claims made about this oil:

• Hydrates n the skin
• Helps with hair loss
• Can dissolve calcium deposits in hair (from hard water)
• Is a natural deodorant
• Good for bone & tooth health
• Helps the immune system
• Helps boost energy levels
• Alleviates constipation
• Helps with stress and anxiety
• Helps with muscle cramping
• Soothes menstrual pains
• Lower blood pressure

And, the biggie - one that I saw almost everywhere I looked for the benefits - is that this encourages relaxation and better sleep. That, and the blood pressure claims, really won me.

So, what did I actually experience from about a week of regular use? I have a list:

1. Sleep was the first thing that I saw a change in. This really does induce a sense of calm. Not sure how that works, but I am careful not to use too much during the day. First night I used it, I slept so well! I didn't feel drugged or groggy. Mostly, I felt really loose and relaxed. When I dozed off, I didn't do the usual toss-turn-wake-up thing every few hours, I pretty much, nodded off and slept well throughout the whole night.
2. Energy. That probably came from just sleeping so well. Like I've mentioned, I have night time insomnia and daytime fatigue. That leads me into another benefit...
3. ... Anxiety relief. Again, not sure how or why this is, but I do get some soothing of my general nerves. I tend to be a constant worrier and I stress over every-thing. (I have lots to stress over!) With this, I noticed more relief after the second or third day. Not that I don't have stuff to stress over, but I just felt more generally relaxed. (Could that be a placebo effect? I don't know. Does it matter much? I don't know.)
4. I haven't noticed a change in my blood pressure. Matter of fact, I skipped a whole week of my regular meds (just because if I don't set up my weekly pill box, I get forgetful and lazy about it) and, when I went in for my infusion, the nurses were a bit alarmed. I will monitor this aspect again when I've gone a week with my meds.
5. As a deodorant, this is awesome! I initially tested this on days when I spent time at the gym and sweating like a criminal on their first day in lockup. Now, I like using this for everyday hygiene. I figure, if I'm going to be using it for all the other trans-dermal benefits, might as well spray it on the pits.
6. Skin benefits were tricky to monitor. I've not yet used this on my face so I can't say. When I put this on my body (chest area, legs, feet, arms and hands) I did like the way the spray felt. This is in no way oily. In NO WAY. That surprised me. This feels like water being sprayed onto the skin. When I rub it in, it still feels like water, but they hydration is longer lasting and more noticeable. (I'm working up the nerve to spray this on my face as I type this! I'll probably add a little bit of coconut or other oil to the mix when I do this.) One thing I'll warn you about: don't get this in your mouth unless you want to make the same face as when you get alum in your mouth. Ick! (By the way, another thing I noticed - before I actually tasted this - is that after spraying it on the first time, I got a metallic/alum-y taste in my mouth and throat. That was very weird. The sensation has not been as noticeable since that first day. 
7. I did spray this on my hair because... Well, I figured why not? I also saw somewhere that this helps keep the gray away. (I'm already using my blackstrap molasses daily and have less problems with graying. That, by the way, is made to ingest. LOL) What I noticed is that this hydrated my scalp but made my hair feel a little rougher once it dried. I'm going to keep using it on my hair and scalp but I've mixed some in a separate sprayer with a tiny bit of conditioner. I want to see if there is a change in my hair after a couple of weeks. 
8. As far as this oil helping the immune system, I can't say. Maybe it does, but that's going to be a tricky one to verify. I have immune system problems, so I'll be asking my doc about these claims when I go for my next checkup. Will update the post then.

So, yes, I do like this and will be getting more in the future. It's basically going to be a staple product for me. I will decide which brand/manufacturer to buy from once I get the information about the concentration levels. That's supposed to be important so that a user can determine how much to be applying daily. From what I've heard, it's difficult but not impossible to get too much of this stuff into your system. Isn't that true of everything? You can even get too much water, so why not?

One thing I couldn't find was a site for the Natural Products brand. I don't like that.

That's my review part of the post. If you're interested in questions I have and further info, keep reading...

Since I want to keep using magnesium now that I've tried it, I wondered if there was an easier or cheaper way to get hold of it. Apparently, you can make your own. (Of course. These are the days of Pinterest and YouTube tutorials. Pretty soon, I might be able to build my own car.)

My next question was: Is there a difference between magnesium and the labeled "magnesium chloride hexahydrate"?

The answer is... Not easy to figure out. I went down a bit of a rabbit hole trying to get the answer online. I'm saving articles to Pocket for later reading as I try to figure this out. Here is one article, here is another and then, of course, there's always Wikipedia.

Next question had to do with what concentration of the active ingredient was in this particular product? I have submitted that one to the Seller. Like I said a minute ago, that's something a user would want to know. (And did I just say "user" like I'm discussing narcotics?!)

If anyone else has used this oil, please let me in on your results or opinions. I will update this as I learn or experience more.

Peace
---Free




DISCLOSURE:
In exchange for providing my fair and honest review, I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free or at a discount using AMZ Review Trader. Regardless, I only review products that I have personally used and can give an opinion of.