The short version

  • Spray onto clean, dry skin on your arms, legs or shoulders and massage it in.
  • Tingling is common, especially on freshly shaved or dry skin. Start with a few sprays and avoid broken skin.
  • Leave it on for 20 to 30 minutes, then rinse off if it feels sticky, or leave it if you’re comfortable.
  • The research on magnesium passing through the skin is limited. Many people simply enjoy it as part of a wind-down routine.

No. 22 Magnesium Oil Spray is the second best seller in our shop, and the question we’re asked most about it is “why does it tingle?”. This guide covers how to use it, how to stop it stinging, and an honest look at what the science does and doesn’t say.

What is magnesium oil?

Despite the name, there’s no oil in it. Magnesium oil is a strong solution of magnesium chloride in water. It’s called oil because it feels slippery on the skin.

No. 22 is 31% magnesium chloride from the Zechstein deposit, an ancient seabed deep under northern Europe that’s known as one of the purest sources of magnesium chloride. It has no preservatives and no added minerals.

How to use magnesium oil spray

  1. Start small. Try 3 or 4 sprays the first few times, so you can see how your skin feels.
  2. Choose your spot. Arms, legs, shoulders and the backs of your calves work well. Keep it away from your face, eyes and any cuts or broken skin.
  3. Massage it in. Rub it in with your hands for a minute or so. Many people find this part the most relaxing.
  4. Leave it, then rinse if you like. After 20 to 30 minutes it can leave a slightly salty, sticky feel. Rinse it off in the shower, or leave it on if it doesn’t bother you.
  5. Let it dry before dressing. It can leave a faint salty mark on dark fabrics.

Why does magnesium oil tingle?

It’s a concentrated salt solution, so it can sting in the same way sea water stings a graze. It tends to be worse on:

  • freshly shaved or waxed skin
  • very dry or chapped skin
  • anywhere with small nicks or scratches
To make it gentler

Avoid areas you’ve just shaved, apply it after a shower when your skin is clean, or mix it half and half with water in a separate spray bottle. Following with a rich body cream, like our Vanilla Chai Body Cream, also helps. If the tingling turns into redness or itching that doesn’t settle, stop using it.

What the research says

We’d rather be honest about this. Magnesium is an essential mineral, but whether it passes through healthy skin in useful amounts is not settled. A 2017 review in the journal Nutrients, titled “Myth or Reality: Transdermal Magnesium?”, looked at the studies available and concluded that absorption through the skin hadn’t been proven, and that better research was needed.

So we don’t sell No. 22 as a supplement or a treatment for anything. If you think you might be low in magnesium, or you get cramps that worry you, speak to your GP, who can check and advise.

What we can say is that it’s one of the products our customers come back for most. Plenty of people use it as an evening ritual: a warm shower, a few sprays, a slow massage, then into bed.

A simple evening routine

  1. Warm shower or bath. Our Sweet Dreams body wash has ylang ylang, lavender and tonka bean.
  2. A few sprays of No. 22 on your legs and shoulders, massaged in.
  3. Body cream on any dry patches once it’s dried.
  4. A spritz of Sweet Dreams Pillow Spray, with organic lavender, bergamot and ylang ylang, over your pillow.

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Questions we get asked

How often can I use it?

Many people use it daily. Go by how your skin feels, and take a break if it becomes dry or irritated.

Is it safe for children, or in pregnancy?

Check with your GP, midwife or pharmacist first. The same goes if you have a kidney condition or take regular medication.

Can I put it in the bath?

You can add a few sprays to bath water, though the spray is designed to go straight on the skin.

Does it go off?

Magnesium chloride is very stable. Keep the lid on and store it somewhere cool and out of direct sun.

More from our bath and body guides: switching to natural deodorant and what SLS is and why some people avoid it.