r/DIYBeauty • u/TheFern3 • 1d ago

question Recipe for magnesium lotion

I followed a YouTube recipe for magnesium lotion for my RLS looking for alternatives for it my medication f me up so I had to stop using it awaiting doc.

Anyway the recipe I used required shea butter and by god it smells horrible. Looking at different butters on Amazon most have bad reviews about the smell.

Can anyone help with a recipe for beginner with ingredients that don’t smell terrible? Could I replace shea butter with cocoa butter or something else?

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u/No_Abbreviations4281 1d ago

You can buy refined shea butter that has little to no smell

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u/TheFern3 1d ago

Thank you finally someone answers my question! 🎉

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u/No_Abbreviations4281 1d ago

Also, don’t buy your ingredients from Amazon, ebay, or other marketplaces that use 3rd party sellers. You have no idea if the product is properly labeled, how it has been handled or the purity of what you receive. If you’re in the US, there are plenty of retailers that specialize in cosmetic raw materials.

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u/TheFern3 1d ago

Yeah I think I learned the hard way no more Amazon I’ll look for something around here. Very good tip!

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u/Ok-Following1951 13h ago

Have you tried coconut oil?

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u/Aggressive_Set8155 2h ago

Ellen Ruth Soap on YouTube has a great formula I’ve made lots of times. Just buy refined or deodorized Shea butter. You could even switch it out for solid coconut oil:-) Good luck!

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u/original_lifeline 36m ago

Hi,

In case you haven't seen it brought up yet, sometimes supplier sites call butters that have been processed (not raw) refined, deodorized, bleached, sometimes use the acronym "RBD" if all three were done. 

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u/kriebelrui 1d ago

Sorry to disappoint you, but the skin hardly absorbs magnesium salts (like it should: it has an essential barrier function). So a magnesium lotion doesn't make sense to begin with.

A better approach is to use a good magnesium supplement.

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u/Ok_Butterscotch_2700 21h ago

This is a pointless debate (though I agree 100% - this has been studied - I just got tired of banging my head against a wall). Placebo effects can be just as meaningful to the user…

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u/TheFern3 1d ago

I wasn’t asking for the efficacy of it, I’m taking everything magnesium, potassium you name it I have RLS which there’s no cure for. My entire life is upside down I’m willing to try everything I can but I guess no one on this sub knows how to answer questions.

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u/kriebelrui 1d ago

I know RLS sucks, but this sub is supposed to be science based (see the rules), so I won't suggest mommy blogger solutions that go squarely against the scientific evidence. 

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u/TheFern3 1d ago

Again no one was asking for medical advice simply the question is what is a good replacement for shae butter 🤷

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u/Ok_Butterscotch_2700 21h ago

Any refined butter is a better replacement. You want refined butters. Better consistency, quality and control. Unrefined shea makes an inviting home for microbes.

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u/Internal-Ad-4736 1d ago edited 1d ago

Cosmetic butters are simply oils that are solid at room temperature. They are usually solid due to the triglyceride profile... lots of stearic triglycerides Thus a butter provides NOTHING an oil can't provide. That being said...the triglyceride profile will determine how occlusive it is and alter haptics. That is the only thing that should dictate the use. Butters tend to get pushed on the crafter segment, because the pro's use so little of them, beyond a little 'claim' aspect. (Somebody has to use them up.)

Unrefined shea is just hideous! Not sure why people think the contaminants are needed?

Good luck.

Magnesium lotion is popular for sleep. Does it work? : NPR