Magnesium Oil Is All Over Our FYP — Here’s What You Need To Know

TikTok is basically the wild, wild west. One minute you're watching videos of people making the most delicious meal you've ever seen, and the next, you're neck-deep in makeup trends. What can we say? We love the chaotic energy.

This week, magnesium oil has landed on our FYP because of its potential to help alleviate muscle cramps (post-gym sesh and period pain) and calm the body enough to result in a better night's sleep. Those two things alone piqued our interest, so we decided to find out everything we could about this trending supplement.

Here's everything we know about magnesium oil.

Magnesium oil — aka topical magnesium — combines magnesium chloride flakes and water. Technically, it isn't an oil, but it certainly feels like one when applied to the skin.

Supplement brands have started to release magnesium oil formulas because magnesium chloride in liquid form is easily absorbed into the skin and has the potential to raise nutrient levels.

Magnesium helps regulate the body's nervous system, improves muscle function, stabilises blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and supports bone health.

The human body needs nutrients like magnesium to function, and a number of studies on ingestible magnesium supplements support the above claims. However, magnesium oil is still relatively new to the market, and research is limited. Here's what we do know:

When applied topically, magnesium oil can help alleviate muscular and nerve pain as it's absorbed directly into the bloodstream and is delivered to the cells and tissues that need it faster than if it were taken orally, where it would need to pass through the digestive tract first.

You'll likely experience muscle spasms and cramping when the body runs low on magnesium. This is especially true when people go through the second half of their menstrual cycle when the body's natural magnesium levels drop. Hence, raising your levels by using a magnesium supplement (either topical or oral) can help minimise cramping.

Magnesium started really popping off when studies began to show that magnesium can help you sleep better. Magnesium works to level out your GABA (a neurotransmitter that has a calming effect on your nervous system) levels. Once the levels are balanced, the nervous system is less responsive to natural stressors and anxiety.