FAQ

Several studies have confirmed that magnesium is excessively lost under stress, and that we need a greater amount for recovery.  To make matters worse, low magnesium makes us more sensitive to stress, less resilient, and more likely to have heart arrhythmia, metabolic syndrome (sugar sensitivity), inflammatory issues and hypercalcemia (ie. excessive calcium deposits which cause stiffening of soft tissue and joints). Read more about the Benefits of Magnesium Massage here.  

Download and print out this one page flyer, or send it to someone you know who may need it.

How does transdermal magnesium work?
For thousands of years cultures around the world have been practicing balneotherapy, which is soaking in mineral waters or hot springs to absorb minerals through the skin and alleviate degenerative conditions such as arthritis.  In the last century magnesium chloride, harvested from salt water brine, and magnesium sulphate (epsom salts), manufactured as a pure isolate, have been harvested and used for baths and footsoaks at home.  Magnesium oil, which is a solution of magnesium salts and water, was also used to spray on to muscles and joints for pain and cramps alleviation.
Once magnesium ions are fully dissolved and ionised they can bass through cell walls from extra-cellular to intracellular spaces. Magnesium ions can pass into the epidermis via soaking and bathing, which opens the skin pores (same pathway as perspiration), or via the help of plant oils and extracts (as in Magnesium Cream, Magnesium Charge Lotion and Magnesium Oil Spritz).

In 2009 Elektra Magnesium Cream, the first of its kind, was created as a natural skin conditioner and more ‘user-friendly’ supplement to deliver magnesium transdermally. Its rich complex lipid structure help transport magnesium ions through the epidermis, whilst keeping the skin in great condition with a more youthful and hydrated complexion.

See STUDY Transdermal Absorption of Magnesium Cream.
More information about the science of how magnesium works, and study references here…

Yes, indeed they can. Magnesium Cream conditions, hydrates and protects the skin barrier with nutritious plant butters, extracts and oils. Magnesium attracts moisture, and also helps to keep the collagen, elastin and muscles of the face in good condition, via gentle massage to promote blood circulation and delivery of nutrients to cells for regeneration. Use gentle circular movements for the face, neck and décolletage. More information about the different Magnesium Creams is here. 
 

When you do skin brushing you take off the outside dead skin cells and any excreted waste products.  It can also remove some protective oils, leaving your skin barrier more sensitive.  After sauna, excessive perspiration, hot bath or skin brushing, the effect on the skin barrier is similar, being less protected.  If you put a high concentration magnesium oil on sensitive skin it can feel prickly.  This is because the fats act like an insulator of the sensory nerves.

When you have removed some of that protective barrier via sauna, bathing, perspiration, skin brushing etc, you need to put the protection back.  Magnesium Cream is recommended to restock the skin barrier with natural fats, as well as the magnesium chloride salts, which are then much more tolerable.

You can also combine our products.  For example, lubricate and protect the skin barrier by massaging in Magnesium Cream first.  Then you can add some extra sprays of Magnesium Oil Spritz where you need higher concentrations – such as high wearing (friction) joint areas and exercised muscles.

Magnesium remains inside the skin barrier wrapped up with the fat molecules protecting the skin barrier from moisture loss.  From that reservoir the body absorbs magnesium ions as needed over time.  So, using the Magnesium Cream gives you a more sustained release over time due to the capacity of the fats to store magnesium in the skin barrier.  Magnesium oil just gives you a high intensity application fast (via massage) in a particular location that needs release. To store more inside the skin for sustained release and uptake by the body over time, you need the help of fats, which are also insulating and make the application of magnesium salts more pleasant.

The combination of natural plant oils and butters together with magnesium provides premium skin care benefits, including softening of fines lines and wrinkles and a more youthful appearance.

DIET AND ORAL TABLETS-POWDERS:  You can’t get too much magnesium from natural foods and spring waters because the gut wall is not able to have high concentrations pass through to the interior. High concentrations are expelled quickly by the digestive system because magnesium attracts water, and this can lead to runny stool (diarrhea). In this way oral supplements only make it through the gut wall in small quantity, and most is wasted.

TOPICAL (VIA SKIN): The skin offers another way to absorb magnesium, and it can cope with higher concentrations compared to the gut lining. Use as much natural magnesium chloride via skin as you like without fear of overdose, as the body absorbs from the epidermis only what it needs at any one time. The epidermis in this way acts as a reservoir for nutrients and is able to take up more magnesium better if sufficent lipids (fats) are available. In dry skin conditions there is more limited (or slower) access. It helps to have a well lubricated and conditioned skin which can be done easily with Magnesium Cream and Magnesium Lotion. Studies re Transdermal Magnesium here…
 

Whilst recommended daily magnesium minimum recommended is generally around 300-400mg for adults, there is a wide spectrum of needs for optimal (best) magnesium supply for good health. Some people may need as much as 1,000mg magnesium per day to compensate for excessive magnesium loss or inadequate amount in diet. Read more about dosage here.

 
For example, if you are young and don’t suffer from too much stress or excessive physical exertion, and if you have a balanced diet of fresh foods and avoidance of chemicals, then 300mg or 400mg of daily magnesium may be sufficient for you to maintain good health.

However, if you do excessive exercise or have high levels of stress in your life – such as shift working and sleep deprivation – then you may need 1,000mg per day. We are all different with individual needs, which may also fluctuate daily. If you have a day of physical hard work outside in the hot sun and you perspire a lot, you will have lost excessive amounts of electrolytes in sweat.
 
Different genetics may need more magnesium than others, people with kidney problems lose too much magnesium in the urine (called hypermagnesuria), and the advancement of age generally means we need extra magnesium for maintenance.
 
Pregnancy requires a much higher amount of magnesium for the growth of a new body, people with digestive disorders can’t digest and absorb enough nutrients from foods, and there are those who have suffered trauma and injury, which severely depletes the body of magnesium. If you are on drugs or medications, exposed to heavy metals or glyphosate, smoke cigarettes or drink alcohol excessively – all of these circumstances can cause excessive loss or blocking of magnesium in the body.
 
Regardless of why you have become magnesium depleted, you can recover your stores over time with daily transdermal magnesium supplementation. To optimise results and get the best out of your magnesium, follow a balanced fresh food diet (without processed junk foods and sugar) and drink plenty of filtered water with added magnesium for good hydration, as magnesium makes the water work better.
 
Recommended Natural Magnesium (chem-free): Natural magnesium chloride hexahydrate salt flakes (food grade) in bath or footsoak, drinking water, plus magnesium skin care using Elektra Magnesium Cream or Magnesium Charge Lotion, with Magnesium Oil Spritz for extra strength as required.

The concentration of calcium and sulphate ions is much lower in food grade compared to industrial grade.

Food grade is put through several mechanical filtration processes, but industrial grade doesn’t have the same quality processing controls.

Industrial grade often contains toxic metal contaminants like lead and mercury, or high levels of arsenic. These contaminants can pollute the salts if they are mined, or if the salt water source was exposed to agricultural, mining, sewage or industrial waste streams in the environment. Waste salts from desalination plants also produce
industrial grade. Food grade magnesium chloride should not contain mercury nor lead.

Industrial grade is used mainly for agricultural fertilizers, processing magnesium metals, swimming pool salt, de-icing of roads and removal of dust from the air in mining environments.

Food grade is used mainly by tofu manufacturers and by pharmaceutical companies who further refine the salt to remove all other trace minerals, and make pharmaceutical grade for intravenous use.

More information is in this article… 

PURE ESSENTIAL OILS CONTENT MAGNESIUM CREAMS:  The total amount of essential oil content used in Magnesium Cream for fragrance (not therapeutic concentration) are not more than: 0.3 of one percent (Zest-Citrus); 0.35 (Sensory Gold); 0.4 (Island Spice);  0.6 (Herbal).

Both Epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) and magnesium chloride flakes are forms of magnesium salt and dissolve in water. Epsom salts have about 9% elemental magnesium, whereas magnesium chloride hexahydrate (dehydrated from salt brine), has 12-16% elemental magnesium depending on the geographical source of the magnesium salt water and how much it is processed. There will also be 1-2% mixture of other trace minerals which occur naturally in the salt water brine. There are three categories of magnesium chloride: industrial (for agriculture, making metal, and swimming pools), food grade (for oral consumption and food preparation) and pharmaceutical (for medicines). The sulphate in Epsom salts can be irritating on endothelial and mucosal linings, whereas magnesium chloride solution is gentler. More information in this article….

Magnesium absorbed via skin bypasses the digestive system and does not cause diarrhea. When oral magnesium is taken in high concentration it attracts excessive water into the stool. You can do this for the laxative effect if needed, but note that the magnesium is expelled too quickly in this case for any significant amount to transit through the gut wall. The gut wall absorbs magnesium ions optimally when in lower concentrations, such as in foods and mineral water. If high amounts of magnesium are required, then the transdermal pathway is a better alternative, as the epidermal reservoir can hold the nutrients until fully absorbed internally.

When we are magnesium deficient our detoxification systems can suffer and become sluggish. Consequently, the body begins to store more and more toxins and wastes in tissue cells – particularly fat cells – in order to protect the organs.
If you have been low in magnesium and then supply more magnesium to the body, it can use that magnesium metabolism boost to energise detoxification and antioxidant enzymes such as glutathione or superoxide dismutase.
Once tissue cells start dumping wastes, some people can experience detox symptoms such as a headache, feeling more tired, or even a rash (as the skin is also used to ‘shed’ toxins if liver is struggling with this task).
As magnesium is naturally anti-inflammatory and restorative, these issues pass fairly quickly within a couple of days or sooner. Symptoms can be alleviated by drinking more water (ie. filtered water with Magnesium Flakes added OR Magnesium Supplement for Drinking Water) to help flush the system faster, as well as enemas, infrared saunas, and magnesium baths which allow the skin to excrete more toxins and lift the load from the liver (digestive system). Magnesium in water helps the water to become more hydrating and have better access to cells for cleansing. Drinking more and perspiring more therefore help to push out the toxins faster.
We never know how much load we are carrying until we start shedding. Ultra sensitive people, if they are concerned about symptoms, are recommended to begin for the first month with magnesium soaking and mineral water drinking to gently top up magnesium levels, whilst also supporting the detox process. Afterwards,  Magnesium Cream (Herbal), which has a rich and protective blend of oils and antibacterial extracts, can be added in the second month. For people with ultra-sensitive skin we recommend the lightest magnesium cream (5% magnesium chloride salts) which is Baby Calm Balm.
The body adjusts in increments and you feel a gradual improvement week by week. As skin conditions improve and return to normal, it doesn’t matter which Magnesium Cream is used for daily skin care, as the four main creams contain the same amount of magnesium (15% magnesium chloride salts). And you can’t overdose transdermally, as the body is in control of uptake. However, those with rashes and allergic sensitivities or skin conditions like psoriasis, eczema, dermatitis etc, are recommended to continue with using either Baby Calm Balm or Herbal Magnesium Cream . For people with ultra-sensitive skin we recommend the lightest magnesium cream (5% magnesium chloride salts) which is Baby Calm Balm.
See this article about Detox…
 

Pregnancy Magnesium Needs:
The body needs more magnesium during pregnancy due to extra cell building.  Growing a new baby requires a lot of minerals!  Magnesium deficiency is common in pregnancy, which can cause oedema and pre-eclampsia. The food supply has become magnesium deficient. Magnesium tablets or powders can cause irritable bowel or diarrhea.  However, transdermal magnesium absorption allows the body to take up what it needs in its own time, so you cannot get too much this way.  In fact you can get higher amounts trandsermally to suit actual needs compared to tablets and powders via digestion. Be sure to apply regularly and serve up to your body this valuable smorgasboard of nutrition.

Magnesium Detox Soaking:
In addition to using Magnesium Cream or Magnesium Charge Lotion for muscle massage, skin care and conditioning tummy rubs for skin stretching, we also suggest adding magnesium footsoaking or bathing to your weekly regime for magnesium uptake, as this process also helps detoxification and soothes sore ankles.
Essential Oil Ingredients:

There are no toxic ingredients in any Elektra Magnesium products. They are made with only natural and organic ingredients.  The amount of essential oil for fragrance is also at a trace level – only enough for aroma, but not therapeutic level.

The essential oils have a good safety profile and not considered dangerous for pregnancy (like some other essential oils can be). More information about ingredients of Magnesium Creams are on this page.

Gentle & Effective:
Magnesium Cream, which has higher fat content and mild magnesium concentration, is gentle enough for children and toddlers. Use in magnesium massage for calming effect and to promote better sleep. Extra magnesium bathing is also very gentle, and helps with detox, muscle relaxation and better sleep.

Many women have used our magnesium body products during pregnancy since 2009 and we have had no adverse reaction reports from it to date, but on the contrary, there are many customer reviews regarding relief of muscle spasm, tension, anti-inflammatory and calming effects to promote better sleep. Building magnesium stores also helps the muscles be more flexible, which is a bonus for the delivery!

See this article about pregnancy and a case study…

 

Children need a lot of magnesium to support growth, development and healthy bones. If they have magnesium deficiency they can suffer more from growing pains, sleep problems, anxiety and restlessness such as in ADHD symptoms, as well as allergies and weaker immune system or gut microbiome imbalance.

Smaller bodies require less magnesium, however it’s not dangerous to get extra.  The body chooses what it takes up from the skin.  We recommend Magnesium Creams for skin care of younger children, as well as magnesium flakes in the bath (half cup for primary school children, moving to one cup for teenagers).

The four Magnesium Creams at 15% magnesium chloride salt concentration are mild and ideal for muscle massage of children suffering from growing pains, or recovering from exercise or injury. It also helps to promote better sleep at bedtime. For ultra sensitive skin type use Baby Calm Balm, which is the lightest magnesium cream at 5% magnesium chloride salt and with skin healing botanicals including calendula, chamomile, rosehip, native snowflower, fingerlime  and more. Mums can use it as a daily facial moisturiser and bubs to protect skin and avoid nappy rash or milk rash. It is soothing and comforting.

Elektra Magnesium Flakes are also food grade and can be used to re-mineralise filtered drinking water (which mimics natural spring water’s electrolyte charge). Average recommended for adults is to drink 3 litres per 24 hours (more if hot weather or perspiring a lot), and for children – whatever they need to quench their thirst.  More information on Mg Flakes page.
 

Scientific studies show, “Positive associations between greater intakes of dietary magnesium and grip strength, indices of skeletal muscle mass, and BMD in men and women in middle and older age groups.” These studies suggest that magnesium supplementation may help with strategies to prevent sarcopenia, frailty, falls, and fractures.

If you gain weight easily and have insulin resistance, but are maintaining a good diet, then it may be because of an inherited genetic predisposition. resistance:  There is a population subgroup of people that have a genetic predisposition to metabolic syndrome (diabetes, insulin resistance etc), which causes excessive acidic byproducts and problems with detoxification and pH balance. Basically it is a problem with how the digestive system works.

     HOWEVER, there are workarounds to manage it.  This means that this group of people cannot get away with any naughty foods – that is, refined carbohydrates (sugars, white flour. alcohol etc)… 
They also need a lot more magnesium than the average person, because magnesium counterbalances the sugar-sensitivity and also calms the nervous system.  The digestive system needs to be calm to work properly… And we need to be calm to get a good night’s sleep. Sound sleep helps us to detox and clear out wastes, which supports better metabolism.  Getting enough of this restorative sleep helps to lose weight too.

Magnesium soaking in baths and footsoaks helps the body absorb magnesium via skin, at the same time allows the skin to excrete toxins, thereby lifting the load on the liver detox system. It provides another pathway to eliminate wastes.  Perspiration via saunas and exercise is another excretion pathway. You have to keep the circulation moving with regular moderate exercise so the lymph system can do its waste disposal job.
Intermittent Fasting also helps a lot because when the digestive system is slower, it’s like a conveyor belt in a factory that can’t take a new load until the previous one is finished processing. If you keep loading up the system before it’s ready to accept more, the body just converts food to stored fats, rather than full digestion, energy production, proper elimination and detox.  So, limiting your eating to just an 8 hour window during the day and not eating anything after sundown can help a lot.  Many people in this category get on better with just one main meal a day, and water, teas and a piece of fruit or natural yogurt at other times (which are very easy to digest and keep the blood sugars more balanced).  As we get older this digestive conveyor system slows down more and digestion becomes more laborious and sluggish, so we have to learn to work with it – and realise that we just can’t get away with what we used to when we were younger.  But if you work out the right routine you feel great with more energy, because of not being so weighed down by the work of digestion. Dense proteins are the most difficult to digest, so make sure to cook the meat well, as in a pressure cooker, slow and low, until it is very soft, or to properly soak and sprout nuts/seeds etc… Eat some fermented veges like sauerkraut with each meal… Opt for more easily digested proteins such as soft boiled eggs (but not when the yolk has hardened), yogurt, kefir, soft cheeses etc. And if you don’t have enough stomach acid to digest the dense proteins then take a digestive aid with the meal – like betaine hydrochloride (you get it from the health food store).  And use the good fats like butter and coconut oil to lubricate the digestive system.  Avoid any chemicalised products like margarine.  The more natural and organic, the better.

Palm Oil Use STATEMENT
“Whilst Elektra Magnesium is not a significant user of either palm oil or palm oil derivatives, we recognise the concerns regarding the ecological impacts of palm oil production. The issue has been raised that rainforest habitats of endangered wildlife, including orangutans, are being cleared to accommodate for new oil palm plantations. The geographical areas of particular concern are Borneo and Sumatra in South East Asia. Therefore we only source suppliers who procure palm oil from outside Borneo or Sumatra using well-established plantations, many of which would have been converted from existing rubber plantations over two decades ago. As such, there are no implications of present or planned rainforest destruction in these areas. We ensure our suppliers are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a not-for-profit global association formally established under Article 60 of the Swiss Civil Code. By taking a multi-stakeholder approach, the Round table provides a unique forum for the pragmatic co-operation, consideration and promotion of sustainable production and use of palm oil.”

Fair Trade Shea Butter
Elektra Magnesium products used certified Fair Trade Shea Butter.

Re-use and Recycle
All Elektra Magnesium tubes are fully recyclable LDPE plastic.  The new 150g and 15g tubes made from 2022 onwards also contain 30% recycled plastic as part of the Circular Economy. The jars are made of fully recyclable PET food grade plastic and can be re-used as storage jars. The Magnesium Oil bottles (180mL and 1L) are recyclable PET food grade plastic, and the one litre REFILL bottles are designed for saving both money and environment, as you can refill your 180mL sprayer bottles instead of throwing them out. See Elektra Magnesium Cream JARS and One Litre Elektra Magnesium Oil Spritz REFILL bottle

“Whilst Elektra Magnesium is not a significant user of either palm oil or palm oil derivatives, we recognise the concerns regarding the ecological impacts of palm oil production. The issue has been raised that rainforest habitats of endangered wildlife, including orangutans, are being cleared to accommodate for new oil palm plantations. The geographical areas of particular concern are Borneo and Sumatra in South East Asia. Therefore we only source suppliers who procure palm oil from outside Borneo or Sumatra using well-established plantations, many of which would have been converted from existing rubber plantations over two decades ago. As such, there are no implications of present or planned rainforest destruction in these areas. We ensure our suppliers are members of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), a not-for-profit global association formally established under Article 60 of the Swiss Civil Code. By taking a multi-stakeholder approach, the Round table provides a unique forum for the pragmatic co-operation, consideration and promotion of sustainable production and use of palm oil.”

Elektra Magnesium products used certified Fair Trade Shea Butter.

All Elektra Magnesium tubes are fully recyclable LDPE plastic.  The new 150g and 15g tubes made from 2022 onwards also contain 30% recycled plastic as part of the Circular Economy. The jars are made of fully recyclable PET food grade plastic and can be re-used as storage jars. The Magnesium Oil bottles (180mL and 1L) are recyclable PET food grade plastic, and the one litre REFILL bottles are designed for saving both money and environment, as you can refill your 180mL sprayer bottles instead of throwing them out. See Elektra Magnesium Cream JARS and One Litre Elektra Magnesium Oil Spritz REFILL bottle

Like a shampoo bottle, you can add a small amount of magnesium oil or water to dilute it, and then shake it up. You can also remove the pump after thinning out the remainder and shake the remainder onto your hand. The good news is that in later November 2022 our new batch will also have 150g tubes.

The strong alcohols of major concern to skin health and that dry out the skin are as follows: “alcohol includes, but is not limited to, ethyl alcohol (ethanol), isopropyl alcohol and alcohol denat.” (Definition and regulation of alcohols in cosmetics: https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2020L01469 )
All skin care creams will have some weak alcohols for emulsification and binding of all the ingredients. These are called “fatty alcohols”.  However these are very mild and do not have any adverse effects on skin health. The ones we use are very beneficial to the whole skin care product. For example:
Cetyl alcohol: https://thedermreview.com/cetyl-alcohol/
Ceteryl alcohol:  https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/cetearyl-alcohol

YES you can.  Elektra Magnesium products have been used for years after the Best Before date with the same efficacy if unopened and stored appropriately. 
EXPIRY, USE-BY AND BEST-BEFORE DATE SYSTEM IN AUSTRALIA TARGETS MAINLY FOOD STANDARDS.
1)  With foods that have ‘expiry’ or ‘use by’ dates,  you can’t sell it after this date because the risk is that the spoiled food can make people sick.
2) When it comes to skin care products it’s a more arbitrary system whereby manufacturers just apply as common practice a ‘best before’ date 3 years from manufacture, without individual product testing to work out exactly what the shelf life is of that product.
3)  It is not illegal to sell products after the ‘best before’ date:  https://lawpath.com.au/blog/whats-the-difference-between-an-expiry-date-and-a-best-before-date
4)  Some products, like salt products or tinned products that have a much longer established shelf life do not need a best before or expiry date at all, but just the batch to identify the date of production.
5)  Elektra Magnesium products have been used for years after the Best Before date with the same efficacy if unopened and stored appropriately.  There may be a difference in fragrance as the essential oils weaken over time.
6)  We have chosen to use any leftover products that are after the Best Before dates for promotions and gift giveaways, however they can still be sold by retailers and clinicians.