One of the biggest determining factors for good health are proper micronutrient levels. However, due to the poor diets and high stress levels today, most of our micronutrient levels are not adequate and hence many of us suffer poor health.

One of the most important and very often overlooked micronutrients is magnesium and although oral magnesium supplements can be great, more research is coming out about the benefits and higher advantages of topical or transdermal magnesium.

Hence I wanted to introduce you to a transdermal magnesium product that I have recently decided to try and have been using for a couple of months now. Ancient Minerals have a product line of pure Genuine Zechstein magnesium salts.

These salts come in three forms: bath flakes, oil and gel. Genuine Zechstein means that the salts come from an ancient and very deep seabed in Europe, that has been untouched for about 250 million years. Before I give you more detail on how these work, let me share with you a short summary of how important magnesium is in the body.

Magnesium performs more than 300 different tasks in the body. It is essential for heart function, immune function, blood pressure regulation, blood sugar balance, stroke prevention, and for both muscle strength and muscle relaxation. It is critical for energy production. It promotes mental health, relieves PMS, and reduces asthma attacks. Without proper magnesium body has a hard time making or using protein as well as using vitamin C and E. The USDA estimates that over 80% of Americans do not get enough magnesium. On top of that our calcium to magnesium ratios in the body are highly out of balance due to the fact that calcium is greatly overplayed and magnesium is often overlooked.

Bath Salts

(Ingredients: Genuine Zechtesin magnesium chloride bath flakes)

The bath flake salts were my favorite of these three products as I used them almost daily for a foot soak in the evening, after the work day was done. They made my feet and legs feel amazing, especially that I work on my feet most of the day and do feel some tension in my calves some days.

One simply sprinkles some of the flakes into hot water and can enjoy not only a relaxing, but also very much therapeutic foot soak. They are also popularly used in baths, for a full body soak, which I imagine would be even more relaxing.

Oil

(Ingredients: Aqua, Genuine Zechstein magnesium chloride)

The oil was my second favorite as it was very easy to apply to the body and not actually like a real oil, greasy and viscous. This product is more like slightly oily water. While this is great in many ways, it does not make this an ideal product for long massages. It was in fact very practical to spray the whole or an area of the body and read something for 30 minutes to let the magnesium soak in, followed by a shower.

Gel

(Ingredients: Aqua, Genuine Zechstine magnesium chloride, hydroxypropyl starch phosphate, certified organic ACTIValoe, xanthan gum)

I was very surprised with the gel, as I thought this would be my favorite of the three products, but it wasn’t. It is very easy to use and apply, but I found that it dries pretty fast (depending on how much you use) and leaves a white crust on the skin. So while it is still great, you cannot put it on and expect to go out anywhere, much less do anything. Just sit and relax for 30 minutes and then perhaps take a shower. But ultimately this is a small price to pay to fix a health problem naturally.

As for uses, the products can be used to prevent and heal at least 30 noticeable problems in one’s health. Anything from musculoskeletal problems to high blood pressure. The product has great testimonials, especially in working as a muscle relaxant.

Any of the products can be used daily and recommended to be left on the skin for about 30 minutes, after which they can be washed off, and in many times they have to be, as there is a visible film leftover, unlike a typical lotion. Naturally so too, one has to realize this will happen as these are salts. Hence the effect on the skin is as if one took a swim in a really salty ocean.

In terms of effectiveness, although the product appears to have solid scientific research behind it, I personally did not notice any differences in my body or health, aside from the wonderfully relaxing feeling on my legs and feet and was using it more as a preventative measure. However, this is due for two reasons: one, that I don’t have anything noticeably wrong with me, that would serve as marker if it went away and two, because to truly know the effectiveness, one should also get a blood test before and after several months of using this product to see how the body was handling it, and this was not feasible for me to do at the time.

Magnesium and specifically transdermal magnesium, and its potential where our health is concerned is huge however, and I have no doubt that it can act as a natural therapy for many health ailments. It is also talked about in several prominent books, which I have added as a resource at the bottom of this review.

I did not find any skin reactions or irritations with any of the three products, but mild stinging sensations may occur for some, nothing different however than walking into salt water with dry skin and feeling that small type of tingling.

In conclusion, my stance as you know is that diet always comes first, as through a proper diet we can ward off and heal many ailments. However, some people whether because of their diet, lifestyle or quickly degrading health may need some kind of a supplement aid in which case I believe this product could serve a very worthy role.

Read more about the Genuine Zechstein Salts and visit the Ancient Minerals site where you can learn more thorough information about these products and their health potentials.

Packaging

The packaging of this product is very appealing and gives an excellent impression of a high quality product. All the containers are fully recyclable when empty.

Price (as of this posting)

  • $29.00 US for 8oz Oil
  • $119.00 US for 64oz Oil
  • $39.00 US for 8oz Gel
  • $165.00 US for 64oz Gel
  • $55.00 for 6.5lb Bath Flakes
  • $150.00 for 32lb Bath Flakes

Availability

The Good

  • Aids in the proper functioning of the body
  • Can help prevent and heal numerous health conditions
  • Backed up by research
  • Asserted to be more usable by body than oral magnesium
  • Comes from a natural and reputable source
  • Nice packaging

The Bad

  • May not be cost effective for some
  • Some may find it impractical to use
  • Some may experience mild irritation

Further Resources