Magnesium
Magnesium Butter Recipe: How to Make It at Home
Sore, tight muscles?
Skin dry, inflamed barrier impaired?
As the cooler months settle in, your skin loses its softness.
Not only that, your body and mind can forget how to switch off for crying out loud.
That is why this magnesium butter recipe is the perfect fix.
A rich, whipped balm that nourishes tired skin.
Turns your evening into a slow, calming ritual. Here’s exactly how to make it.
To make the magnesium butter recipe, dissolve magnesium chloride flakes in a little hot distilled water to make magnesium oil, then melt shea butter, cocoa butter, and coconut oil together. Cool until firm at the edges, then whip until fluffy, and slowly beat in the magnesium oil. The result is a rich, cushiony butter that deeply moisturises skin and doubles as a calming pre-bed ritual.
IN THIS ARTICLE
- Why Make Magnesium Body Butter?
- What You’ll Need
- How to Make Magnesium Body Butter
- Tips for a Smooth, Non-Gritty Butter
- How to Use and Store It
Here’s the short version before we get our hands buttery.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The magnesium butter recipe is easy to make with whipped shea, cocoa, and coconut butters, plus dissolved magnesium chloride flakes.
- Its benefits are deeply nourished skin and a calming evening ritual — and some research suggests it might be a cure for cramps or sleep through the skin.
- Magnesium chloride can tingle on dry or freshly shaved skin, so always patch test first.
- Prefer it done for you? A properly formulated butter is more stable and won’t melt or separate — ours is on the way.
Why Make Magnesium Body Butter?
People use a magnesium butter recipe for two reasons: to moisturise dry, tight skin deeply, and to build a calming wind-down ritual. It combines rich, nourishing butters with the soothing feel of topical magnesium in one balm you massage in before bed.
Magnesium is involved in over 300 processes in the body, and running low on it can show up as muscle twitches, restless legs, poor sleep, and dry, reactive skin. Please note: we good folks at the naked chemist arent nutritionists, but we can honestly say a magnesium-rich butter won’t replace what you get from supplements.
What You’ll Need
This magnesium butter recipe uses pure, effective ingredients with no fillers. Each butter and oil does a specific job — nourishing, sealing or softening — while the magnesium adds the soothing, ritual element.
- Shea butter (½ cup): rich in vitamins A and E, deeply moisturises and improves skin texture.
- Cocoa butter (½ cup): locks in moisture and smooths dry patches.
- Coconut oil (½ cup): nourishes and helps prevent moisture loss.
- Light carrier oil (½ cup — olive, almond or jojoba): absorbs quickly and supports the skin barrier.
- Magnesium chloride flakes (2 tbsp): the mineral hero, dissolved into a “magnesium oil.”
- Hot distilled water (¼ cup): to dissolve the flakes.
Magnesium Butter Recipe
The whole process takes about 45 minutes, most of it chilling time. Work gently and let the mixture cool properly between steps — that’s what gives you a light, whipped finish rather than a greasy one.
- Make the magnesium oil: dissolve the magnesium chloride flakes in the hot distilled water, stirring until fully dissolved. Set aside to cool completely.
- Melt the butters and oil: in a double boiler, gently melt the shea butter, cocoa butter and coconut oil until fully liquid.
- Combine and cool: remove from the heat, stir in the light carrier oil, then chill in the fridge until the edges begin to harden (about 20–30 minutes).
- Whip: using a hand mixer, whip the semi-solid mixture until it’s fluffy and creamy.
- Add the magnesium oil: slowly beat it in, a little at a time, until fully incorporated.
- Final chill and whip: if it loosens, chill briefly and whip again for a light, airy texture.
Transfer to a clean jar with a lid and store in a cool, dry place.
Looking for body butter recipes? This recipe is a useful read.
Tips for a Smooth, Non-Gritty Butter
The most common DIY complaints are grittiness and separation, and both stem from the magnesium. Get these two things right, and your butter stays silky.
- Dissolve the magnesium fully: undissolved flakes are what make butter feel sandy. Make sure the solution is completely clear before it cools.
- Add it slowly and cool: beat the magnesium oil in gradually into a cooled, semi-set butter, or the water and oils can separate.
- Mind the temperature: because it’s mostly shea butter, it firms up in the cold and softens in the heat — totally normal.
How to Use and Store It
Use magnesium body butter in the evening on clean, slightly damp skin, massaging a small amount into dry or tired areas. A little goes a long way, and the slow massage is half the benefit.
You could also first apply a magnesium spray onto your skin and then apply the massage butter.
- Where: legs, feet, shoulders, elbows — anywhere dry or tense.
- Patch test: magnesium chloride can tingle on dry or freshly shaved skin, so start small.
- Storage: keep in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place; use within a few months.
If you love the ritual but want to support calm from the inside too, pair it with the same thinking behind magnesium for sleep and stress.
FOUNDER INSIGHT
“I love that people make their own — it’s how I started, thirty years ago. My only warning is this: DIY magnesium butter is wonderful, but it’s temperamental. Get the magnesium wrong, and it turns gritty; get the temperature wrong, and it weeps oil. So enjoy the process, but don’t be hard on yourself if the first batch isn’t perfect. The ritual matters more than the finish — and if you’d rather skip the trial and error, that’s precisely why we made ours.”
— Samantha Miller, Clinical Skin Therapist
Whether you whip your own or wait for ours, the point is the same: softer skin, a slower evening.
SHORT ON TIME? OUR MAGNESIUM BODY BUTTER IS COMING SOON
A rich, whipped butter on a base of coconut oil, shea and cocoa butter, with a dual-magnesium blend and calming lavender — vegan, non-toxic, and formulated to stay smooth and stable (no melting, whipping or grit). All the ritual, none of the guesswork. Read more about it here.
To conclude. The naked truth
Here’s what thirty years in clinic has taught me: A rich magnesium body butter is care in its simplest form — with nourishing butters melting into tight muscles and dry winter skin, and a few slow minutes of massage that tell an over-stimulated nervous system it’s finally allowed to rest.
Make your own with this magnesium butter recipe, and you’ll understand exactly what goes into it — no fillers, no mystery, just butters, oils, and magnesium. Keep your expectations honest, though: this is a skin and ritual product, not a supplement you rub on. Patch test, use it richly on the areas that feel driest, and let the ritual carry as much weight as the recipe.
And if the melting, whipping and grit-wrangling isn’t your idea of a relaxing evening, that’s precisely why we made ours. Our Magnesium Body Butter brings the same shea and cocoa nourishment and calming lavender in a smooth, stable formula that works.
However you get there, the destination is the same: softer skin, and a slower, kinder end to your day.
FAQ
How do you make magnesium body butter?
For the best magnesium butter recipe, dissolve magnesium chloride flakes in hot distilled water; melt shea, cocoa, and coconut butters; cool until firm at the edges; whip until fluffy; then slowly beat in the magnesium oil and chill again.
Why is my magnesium butter gritty?
Almost always because the magnesium flakes weren’t fully dissolved before cooling. Make sure the solution is completely clear, and add it slowly to a cooled, semi-set butter.
Does a homemade magnesium butter recipe really work?
For soft, nourished skin, relaxing tight muscles, and as a calming ritual, yes.
Can this magnesium butter recipe irritate skin?
Magnesium chloride can tingle or sting on very dry, broken or freshly shaved skin. Patch test first and start with a small amount.
How long does homemade magnesium butter last?
Kept in a sealed jar in a cool, dry place, use it within a few months. Because it contains water, keep it clean and dry to avoid spoilage.
References
- Proksch E, et al. Bathing in a magnesium-rich Dead Sea salt solution improves skin barrier function, enhances skin hydration, and reduces inflammation in atopic dry skin. International Journal of Dermatology, 2005. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15689218
- Gröber U, et al. Myth or Reality—Transdermal Magnesium? Nutrients, 2017. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5579607
- Kass L, et al. Effect of transdermal magnesium cream on serum and urinary magnesium levels in humans: a pilot study. PLOS ONE, 2017. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5389641
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition. Always patch test new products and consult your healthcare provider if uncertain.