Magnesium bath salts are credited with many medicinal properties. It supposedly helps adults calm down, remove toxins from the body, lose weight and normalize sleep, and children - relieve anxiety, get rid of infant colic, prevent diaper rash and even atopic dermatitis. We decided to check whether there was initial confirmation of all these promises.

The benefits of baths with magnesium salt are written not only Russian women's portals, Ukrainian And Belarusian The media, but also authoritative Western sources, For example Forbes Health. On the websites of sanatoriums there are magnesium baths called a pleasant cure for stress, cosmetics manufacturers claimthat baths with salt are good for beauty, youth and health, and eco-goods stores go further and They say that it is a panacea for health and relaxation. The benefits of baths with such salts are described in marketplaces and on websites the salt producers themselves; sell and baby bath salts.

Magnesium bath salt is a chemical compound main the component of which is magnesium sulfate (MgSO₄). It is a white crystalline substance known as Epsom salt. She got hers Name from the English city of Epsom in Surrey, where a source of mineral waters saturated with magnesium sulfate was discovered in the 17th century. The discovery of the beneficial properties of this salt is attributed to local resident Henry Wicker, who noticed that his cattle did not drink water from a local spring because of its specific taste. Interested in the source, Wicker came to the conclusion that the water in it had healing properties for the skin. The main role in popularizing Epsom salt as a remedy belongs to the local pharmacist John Livingston, who began extracting this salt in the 17th century. At the beginning of the 18th century, the owner of the Epsom estate built the infrastructure of a modern spa hotel around the spring - with a coffee shop, shops and a club.

Magnesium plays a key role in the regulation of the human nervous system. He participates in more than 300 biochemical processes, including the maintenance of ion balance, modulation of synaptic transmission and neuroplasticity. Magnesium regulates the activity of NMDA receptors, which control the excitation of neurons and the balance of glutamate, the main excitatory neurotransmitter. Normal levels of magnesium in neurons protect against excess excitation and neuroinflammation, preventing damage to nerve tissue and the development of neurological disorders. With magnesium deficiency in the body arise problems with the regulation of the nervous system: the excitability of neurons increases, muscle spasms, tremors, irritability, loss of coordination are observed, cardiac arrhythmias and chronic fatigue can also develop. Scientists are studying the relationship between long-term magnesium deficiency and an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, epilepsy, migraines, depression, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Preparations with magnesium (in the professional environment they are called magnesia) are widely are used in various fields of medicine: in cardiology - as an antiarrhythmic and hypotensive agent, in obstetrics - to prevent seizures and eclampsia, in gastroenterology - as a laxative, in pulmonology - as a bronchodilator. However, in all these directions use or tableted magnesium compounds, or intramuscular and intravenous administration. It's also worth notethat there is very little scientific evidence for their use.

The first to talk about the possibility of transdermal saturation of the body with magnesium stated American naturopath Norman Shealy. In 2000, he gave a presentation at a conference in which he argued that with this method of obtaining this macronutrient, the deficiency goes away in four to six weeks, while pills need to be taken from four months to a year. However, beyond this big statement, Shiley did not provide any details of his experiments.

Although the skin covers almost the entire human body, its absorption capacity is very limited due to its main function, namely, creating a barrier between the body and the external environment. To enter the body through the skin, the substance must either penetrate the epidermis or be absorbed through the sweat glands or hair follicles. The top layer of the epidermis is called the stratum corneum and is made up of flattened dead cells filled with keratin. Only lipophilic substances (for example, the popular cosmetic ingredient retinol) overcome it quite effectively. It turns out that only the sweat glands and hair follicles have the ability to absorb magnesium, and they account for only 0.1-1% of the skin's surface.

Scientists from the University of Birmingham (UK) invited 19 volunteers for magnesium salt baths. Before and after the procedure, their magnesium levels in the blood and urine were measured. In 16 subjects, the bath led to a significant increase in macronutrient content. However, the study was published only on the Epson Salt Council commercial resource, and not in a peer-reviewed scientific journal, so the reliability of such results is questionable. Earlier, in 1985, another group of British scientists researched the healing effect of baths with water from the popular spa town of Bath. Although the magnesium content in this water is high, its level in the blood plasma of the volunteers remained the same as before swimming. Scientists have come to the conclusion that it is impossible to saturate the body with this macroelement using baths.

Because magnesium used in case of poisoning with salts of heavy metals, its protective properties interested Israeli military doctors. They developed a magnesium lotion for added chemical, biological and radiation protection and tested it on 34 volunteers. Some of them used real lotion with a high magnesium content, others were given a placebo - a lotion similar in appearance, but without the active ingredient. Scientists were interested in the safety of using such a drug, so they monitored the magnesium content in the participants’ bodies. No differences were found between the groups. The researchers concluded that magnesium cannot penetrate the skin in any significant quantities.

Irish scientists in 2020 compared the effect of baths with magnesium salt and just warm baths with fresh water on weight loss. They invited eight MMA athletes interested in losing weight quickly. On one day, volunteers took a 20-minute bath with fresh water, warmed up for 40 minutes in warm clothes under a blanket, then followed by another immersion and another warm-up. On another day, the procedure was similar, but 2 kg of Epsom salt was added to a 125 liter bath. All athletes were weighed before and after the procedures. Weight loss after a magnesium salt bath was no different from weight loss after taking a regular freshwater bath.

Systematic review of studies on the possibility of transdermal absorption of magnesium held German scientists. They were interested in salt baths and various creams and lotions. After analyzing the available publications, experts came to the conclusion that it would not be possible to saturate the body with this macronutrient through the skin, and recommended sticking to the traditional method of obtaining the substance - in the form of tablets.

Research on the benefits of magnesium baths for relieving colic in infants, preventing or treating diaper rash and atopic dermatitis, and reducing muscle pain “Verified” could not be found. Most likely, this is just a marketing ploy by manufacturers, not supported by scientific data. The subjective effect of relaxation, reduced stress, or easier sleep is likely due to not the magnesium content in the water, but the warm bath itself.

Thus, there is no evidence in the scientific literature of the claimed healing properties of magnesium salt baths. Research shows that magnesium does not penetrate the skin from water and special lotions, so it will not be able to provide calming or other effects in this way. At the same time, a warm bath in itself can indeed be a relaxing and pleasant procedure.

Cover image: Image by Ivana Tomášková from Pixabay