This easy 4-ingredient magnesium lotion recipe is a must to help with magnesium deficiency. Using this DIY magnesium lotion daily has helped my restless legs, quality of sleep, and reduced my anxiety!
I try to use home remedies whenever I can, like healing chapped lips naturally, making elderberry syrup to boost immunity, and charcoal gummies when someone gets the stomach flu. And these all work!
But I tried every stretch and massage technique you can think of to stop my restless legs from keeping me up at night and nothing worked.
So, I decided to learn how to make magnesium lotion. And then I wondered why I waited so long!
DIY MAGNESIUM LOTION
Here are the top 5 reasons that I love this DIY magnesium lotion!
- Helps me sleep at night
- Calms my nerves and muscles
- Reduces stress (read here on how magnesium reduces stress)
- It’s fun and really easy to make…
- And it’s more affordable than store-bought!
Read my research and even more about the benefits of magnesium lotion HERE!
MAGNESIUM LOTION RECIPE INGREDIENTS
Shea Butter. For this recipe, you want unrefined, ivory shea butter. I use this brand because it’s the best quality I’ve tested among shea butters.
Beeswax. Use pastilles (pellets) instead of the brick. The brick is fine if you’re using the whole thing, but when you need just a tablespoon or two, the pastilles make it SO much easier to measure. I use these because I’ve used their other products (including the shea butter mentioned above, and their zinc oxide to make homemade sunscreen) and I trust them to provide great quality.
Coconut Oil. You want unrefined virgin coconut oil – the kind that is solid at room temperature – not refined coconut oil or fractionated coconut oil. I’ve been using this coconut oil for years, but this brand is also really good.
Magnesium Flakes. You want magnesium chloride flakes, which is a highly concentrated form of magnesium. This brand is one of the best on the market.
- There are other types of magnesium on the market, so make sure you’re getting the right kind. I explain the most common types of magnesium in this post (like magnesium sulfate aka Epsom salts). For the tutorial below, make sure you get magnesium chloride flakes.
- If this is the first time you’re making magnesium lotion, I recommend starting with this 1.65 lb bag. If you’ve already made the lotion and have fallen in love (like me!), you can upgrade to buying it in bulk. This 8 lb bag has the lowest price per pound – and trust me, I’ve looked at them ALL!
For this magnesium lotion recipe, you’ll need the following:
- ½ cup magnesium flakes
- 3 Tbsp boiling water
- ¼ cup coconut oil
- 2 Tbsp beeswax pastilles
- 3 Tbsp shea butter
You’ll also need these supplies:
- 1-quart mason jar
- 2 coffee mugs or small bowls
- Immersion blender or hand mixer
HOW TO USE THE EXTRA MAGNESIUM LOTION RECIPE INGREDIENTS
- An 8 oz bar of shea butter will make about 4 batches of magnesium lotion. If you are looking for other uses for it, I also use shea butter in homemade shaving cream and homemade peppermint lip balm.
- If you have extra beeswax to use, consider making homemade citronella candles or use it in homemade dry-skin healing lotion. Otherwise, one bag of beeswax pellets will make 8+ batches of magnesium lotion.
- We use coconut oil all the time in the kitchen, and I also use it in my natural skincare routine to remove makeup naturally and as a daily facial moisturizer.
P.S. Having ingredients on hand for more than one purpose is a great use of your budget! I go more in-depth on making the most of your grocery budget in Grocery Budget Bootcamp. The principles in this course can apply to more than just groceries! Enrollment is currently closed, but you can join my FREE 5-day Crush Inflation Challenge and start saving money on groceries tomorrow!
HOW TO MAKE MAGNESIUM LOTION
Step 1. Measure magnesium flakes into a mug or small bowl. Fill another mug halfway with water and microwave on high until it is boiling, about 2-3 minutes. (Alternatively, you can bring water to a boil on the stove.) Measure 3 Tablespoons of boiling water into the mug with the flakes. Stir until the flakes are dissolved and set aside.
Step 2. In the quart mason jar, measure coconut oil, beeswax, and shea butter. Place the jar in a small pan filled with 1-2 inches of water. Place it on the stove and turn the heat to medium-high. You can use a double boiler, but I find the jar method easier since I can store it in the same jar!
Step 3. Allow the solids to melt, swirling the jar occasionally if necessary. (Be sure to wear an oven mitt.)
Step 4. When everything inside the jar is melted, remove it from the pan and let it cool for about 5 minutes.
Step 5. Pour the dissolved magnesium into the quart mason jar. If it solidifies upon contact, that’s okay. Place the immersion blender at the bottom of the jar and blend the mixture together really well, moving the blender up and down along the sides of the jar as necessary to incorporate the ingredients.
This magnesium lotion recipe makes about 8 ounces of lotion. Store at room temperature for up to 2 months.
MAGNESIUM LOTION DIY NOTES
This is more of a magnesium body butter than a liquid, pumpable lotion. It has a slightly waxy, greasy feel because of the combination of coconut oil and magnesium. You can use a different oil if you’d like, as long as it’s liquid. Know that this will change the final texture slightly. Also, because of the ingredients used, it will not absorb like we’ve come to expect when using typical over-the-counter lotion. Then again, it’s not supposed to. 🙂
If you find the list of ingredients and the idea of making lotion daunting, I HIGHLY recommend making magnesium oil spray. It’s just two ingredients – magnesium and water – and it’s great for a beginner DIY. It’s also just as effective as magnesium lotion! You can find the tutorial for DIY magnesium spray here.
Considering the fact that magnesium is a salt, you may find the lotion to tingle or itch at first. Use caution if you have any cuts, broken skin, or freshly shaved legs!
HOW TO CLEAN YOUR MAGNESIUM LOTION DIY SUPPLIES
The hardest part of this magnesium lotion DIY is cleaning your supplies, but I’ve figured out a way to make it easier!
- Scrape as much of the lotion off the immersion blender as possible.
- Fill another quart jar halfway with very hot, soapy water. Place the immersion blender inside and let it soak for a few minutes. (I set my kitchen timer for 3 minutes, so I don’t forget.)
- Turn the immersion blender on in the jar for about 10 seconds. Dump out the water and repeat step 2, this time adding a couple of tablespoons of baking soda. Place the immersion blender inside and let it soak for a few minutes. (Again, I use the kitchen timer.)
- Turn the immersion blender on in the jar. Dump out the water and, at this point, the immersion blender should be fairly clean. If it isn’t, you can use a sponge with dish soap to remove any remaining portions of the lotion.
MAGNESIUM BODY BUTTER FAQS
What is magnesium lotion used for?
People most often use magnesium lotion for improved sleep, relaxation, stress reduction, and magnesium deficiency. This article talks about the importance of magnesium for our bodies. I found topical magnesium to be much more effective than magnesium supplements.
What is the best magnesium body butter?
My homemade magnesium lotion recipe is the best, of course! It’s much more cost-effective to make your own (especially if you use it nightly), and you get to control the quality of the ingredients. Use organic ingredients for organic magnesium lotion!
If you don’t want to make the lotion yourself, you can get a similar high-quality magnesium lotion here.
Does magnesium lotion help you sleep?
It definitely helps me sleep! After I started using it, I noticed improvement in just a few days. Now I use it on my legs every night before I go to bed. Not only do I fall asleep faster, but I stay asleep the whole night and my restless legs are no more!
You can read more about the sleep benefits of magnesium in this post.
You could even add a few drops of lavender essential oil or other essential oils to your lotion for an even better night’s sleep!
MORE NATURAL LIVING DIYS
- DIY Magnesium Oil Spray
- Homemade Lotion Bar
- Homemade Sunscreen
- How to Naturally Condition Hair
- The Ultimate Detox Bath
I made this and love it – works very quickly on my muscle cramps in my legs. I used to use magnesium oil – and that didn’t work as quickly and I hated the way my skin felt – sticky and itchy.
I’m still using it but the cream seems to be separating or something – there is ‘water’ in the jar – and I’m not sure what to do about it. I try to mix it back in before scooping some out but it doesn’t really help to re-incorporate it back into the cream.
Connie,
This is likely condensation, and it’s completely normal. Mix it back in the best you can, and it use it as normal. 🙂 Hope this helps.
The shea butter and beeswax pastilles for this recipe and the DIY Healing Lotion are different. Since this is a newer recipe, are the ingredients listed here better quality and/or a better value?
Can I make this recipe without bees wax?
Some people experience stinging or a lingering burning sensation. It may be hard to accurately determine dosage when using topical magnesium oil. Even so, it’s important not to overdo it. you can check Thanks so much for impacting us with your knowledge and time you spend to do research we appreciate.
Hello Alexa!
You are right! We’re happy to help. Thank you for sharing your thoughts and posting. 🙂
Okay, I don’t know if I am losing it or what, but I have been through this article four times and cannot find measurements for any of the ingredients except the water. Am I missing something?
Same here! Can someone please give me the measurements?
I’ve used this one before and it was AMAZING. So bummed I can’t find measurements.
Hi Emily, We are so sorry about our mistake. We added the measurements back in! It is an amazing recipe. 🙂
It’s right under “Here’s what you will need.”
I don’t see it either, but I think it used to be there because I made it before!
Maybe it was removed??
Hi Michelle, You are correct. It was accidentally removed and we added it back in just now. 🙂
Hi Ashley, Thanks for catching our mistake. We added the measurements back in! Sorry for any inconvenience.
I see the measurement amounts right below the pictures at the beginning @ https://dontwastethecrumbs.com/magnesium-lotion/
½ cup magnesium flakes
3 Tbsp boiling water
¼ cup coconut oil
2 Tbsp beeswax pastilles
3 Tbsp shea butter
1 quart mason jar
2 coffee mugs
Immersion blender
It’s at the very top of the article. It shows all the ingredients, how much of each and all the materials you need.
I recently made Dandelion Oil and would love to incorporate this into the magnesium lotion but I’m unsure if it would work. Any thoughts?
Hi Jen, we can’t think of any reason not to. Let us know how it goes!
Thanks! Would I just replace some of the coconut oil with the dandelion oil? I wasn’t sure since the coconut oil hardens but the other wouldn’t. Or would I just add in some dandelion oil in addition to everything else?
Hi Jen, We’d start with just adding the dandelion oil and then reducing coconut oil the next time if that doesn’t work well. These recipes are all about fine tuning experimentation! 😉 Be sure to report back and let us know how it goes.
Where can we purchase those triangular dishes?
Hello Dina!
The mini triangular appetizer plates were samples from a vendor.
hi! Was really interested in trying this recipe ASAP. I don’t have an immersion blender, only a ninja lol or I could hand “mix” / crush it myself 🙁 any suggestions?
Use the bender then finish with hand whipping it or using a stand mixer.
Is it supposed to be grainy or did the magnesium not fully dissolve?
You can re-whip it as well as keep it in a cooler place to try and prevent a grainy texture.
I am attempting to make this recipe today (trying to make my own instead of buying!) and I’m curious – how do you measure out 3 Tbsp of shea butter? I have a block of shea butter. I have no idea how to measure that!
LOL – very carefully!! If your block is hard, try shaving some off with a butter knife and measuring the shavings.
The way I measure out solids that aren’t water soluble for recipes is to fill a measuring cup with water (I’ll usually fill it to 1 cup) and remove the amount you need (in this case remove 3 Tbs of water). Then add in chunks of the Shea butter or beeswax until the water comes up to the line again.
I have magnesium citrate powder inside capsules that I take daily (400mg/day as recommended by my neurologist for migraine prevention). I see you have commented that it is second best. That is what I have on hand so I would love to use it instead of buying chloride. Do you have any ideas of how different the effects would be between the two? Would citrate still be worthwhile trying?
Also, I have shea butter, beeswax and grapeseed oil. Would I change the amounts since grapessed oil isn’t as thick as coconut oil at room temp?
Thank you!
Also! I was looking to add shungite powder for extra health benefits. What would you reccomend for offsetting the powder. Just more water like with the magnesium? Or more grapeseed oil?
Jessica, I would try a batch of each to see which you like best because it will depend on the person.
Jessica, I would try it with the citrate. However, the coconut oil will give the lotion a creamer feel if you can use it, if not then I would adjust the measurements.
Hello Tifanny !
Thank you very much for this recipe i love your blog !
Can I add at magnesium lotion essencial oil for scent ?
Thank you !
Yes you can!
I made this and it works great, I’m just having problems with the water separating. Any idea what I’m doing wrong?
Hi Wendy! Make sure both the magnesium oil and the melted butters are hot, then emulsify well. We’ve had the liquid separate one time, and ensuring both parts were hot fixed it!
Made this today and am excited to start using it on myself and my kids. How much would you recommend using on kids (3, 6, 8, 10) and an afult woman? Is there an amount too much? For such a small amount of lotion this recipe made seems like this is not lotion you put on your whole body after every bath. Thanks for the recipe.
How much prepared magnesium oil would I use in this recipe?
Hi Amanda! I tested this using prepared magnesium oil and it didn’t turn out, so I wouldn’t recommend that path!
Is the blender necessary? When the oils are liquified and the salt is a warm liquid- could I mix them together in the quart jar and then pour the liquid into my container for it to solidify? Does it separate if not blended/whipped? Thank you!
Hi Sara, It does need to be blended and whipped well. If you don’t have an immersion blender, use an regular blender, then finish with hand whipping it or using a stand mixer. Let us know how that works for you!
This is great! I will have to try it and see if it helps me sleep! Does another kind of butter make a difference in how it whips or sets up? I can’t tolerate the pungent odor of unrefined shea butter.
Hi Shelly! I haven’t tried another butter with THIS recipe in particular, but cocoa or mango butter would be my suggestions.
Is a preservative needed for the magnesium lotion? I’ve heard it is needed when adding water to any lotion.
Nope!
Please why isn’t a preservative needed in this recipe, as the magnesium flakes contain water to dissolve them in?
Hi Chrissie!
Salt itself is a preservative. Tiffany and Mr. Crumbs had their magnesium lotion (the one they make) tested for shelf-life, anti-microbial, and anti-fungal and no preservative is needed. 🙂
I was wondering if there is a reason for the coconut oil and if there are any alternatives that could be used. Unfortunatly i am in that >1% of people who is allergic to coconut. I get the hives and all. Thanks ahead of time!
Hi Sabrina! Coconut oil helps make this spreadable, but you can use a different oil that you’re not allergic too. Almond, grapeseed, apricot – they should all work!
I made this the first time using the recipe and directions precisely. I had problems getting the magnesium flakes to dissolve entirely in the 3 Tbsp of boiling water, so it ended up pretty gritty, which is okay because it’s a bit exfoliating. The beeswax left it a bit too sticky for me, so today I made a new batch and, after melting the shea and coconut in the water bath, I put the magnesium/water mix into the bath to make sure the flakes were completely dissolved. I also added 4 drops of pure lavender oil. The original batch worked, I have RLS like mad in the evenings, so about 10pm I rub about a tsp on each leg. Three nights in a row, I’ve slept solid 6 hours with no RLS. Thank you so much for sharing this.
Hi Tiffany I was wondering what I could switch out to make my body butter not quite as thick it took a long time to soak in, I didn’t put it on in time and I went to bed pretty sticky ,would I switch out the coconut oil or do you have any suggestions
I’ve had similar problems when it comes to numbness in the legs. I am currently 8 months pregnant and having trouble getting a good night sleep due to this. I tried massaging it with Omega painkiller every night to ease the pain, but the problem still persists. I thought it was normal for pregnant women so I don’t pay much attention to it. But after reading your post, I’m now having second thoughts. I might as well give magnesium lotion a try. Thanks for sharing!
Hi I have restless legs as long as I can remember even as a young girl it would come and go. I could and still can tell when there going to start it’s the most awfully feeling ever. I’ve have MS and since I was diagnosed when it flared up it was get worse & worse. Why does it seem like it’s always at night when you get sick or something going to hurt worse. I’m not sure but my husband would ask me if it didn’t bother me during the daytime. It never did, but. I could diffentlly tell you when it was. It had got so painful I would walk and cry with a little or a lot of screaming! It’s a good thing we live back away from everyone people would think someone was stabing me to death. I went to my family Dr for a check up my husband went to college with him so I feel comfortable taking to him. That day he ask me if I had fallen or had Churn kick me ( that’s my husband Nick name). I started crying he ask me what was wrong but I was afraid to tell him I thought he would think I was crazy. But it would hurt so bad I would kick my legs against anything I could or get a wooden spoon and hit the crap out of them. He just hugged me I ask him was he going to have me commented? He just laughed. It kept on for years and I would take my pain med and muscle relaxer. I was still over overwhelmed with pain. Then I got to passing out and that really scared me! My husband came to look for me to see if I was as ok he said I was in the floor on my knees with my arms over my head on the floor the he heard me make a big exhale Slid straight out in the floor it scared him he thought I was dead! Lol it’s sort of funny now. I had passed out and this was the 1st time I had done it quite often but he worked out of town for 10 days the home for 5. We went to the Dr. and I told him what I had done he ask if I had do it before I hated to say yes because I knew I was going to be in trouble because I didn’t tell anyone. But I was told by my family Dr. & my MD Dr. that your brain will let your body take so much pain until it will shut your body down. I would wake up 5 to 7 hrs later not knowing how or when I got to where I was at it was very scary! But I don’t have it as bad know if still do thank God it doesn’t hurt until I pass out. I had natural child birth and my son was 10 lbs and I didn’t pass out know that was painful! Lol. I would have awfully panic attacks just knowing when I felt it coming on. I wouldn’t wish that on the devil himself. But I said all that to ask this I’ve already read about the magnesium and I purchased the oil, but I don’t like the way it feels on my skin I was wondering if use oil & not flakes would be ok?