Within the context of beauty from within (BfW), magnesium supplementation offers several benefits and plays a crucial role in terms of managing stress and ensuring restorative sleep, which is essential when it comes to maintaining a youthful appearance. For example, magnesium indirectly boosts beauty by supporting overall health and wellness. By improving sleep, managing stress, reducing inflammation, balancing hormones and enhancing circulation, this chemical element creates the conditions for healthy, glowing skin, strong hair and resilient nails. These internal advantages manifest outwardly, making magnesium essential to beauty from within regimes.
When asked about particular forms of magnesium that would be the best to incorporate into BfW products, Gadot Biochemical Industry's R&D Manager, Menachem Osnat recommends different solutions depending on the application. For tablets, capsules, gummies and RTDs, she suggests both magnesium citrate and bis-glycinate. “At Gadot, we offer tailor-made solutions for different applications within the nutraceutical space. We offer different salts and granulations to perfectly fit any food supplement or functional food,” she adds.
Magnesium citrate is highly bioavailable ... excellent for supplementation
Magnesium citrate is highly bioavailable, meaning that it’s well-absorbed by the body, making it an excellent choice for supplementation. A study by Walker, et al., found that magnesium citrate had superior bioavailability compared with other forms of magnesium; this makes it an effective way to improve overall magnesium levels in the body, which can support skin and hair health.1
Magnesium biglycinate is known for its calming properties, for its digestability and bioavailability. It is bound to glycine, an amino acid that promotes relaxation and better sleep. A study by Abbasi, et al., demonstrated that magnesium glycinate effectively improved sleep quality and reduced insomnia symptoms, indirectly contributing to better skin and hair through enhanced sleep.2
An important mineral
Magnesium, notes Menachem, is a magic mineral that forms a crucial component of any BfW dietary supplement because it supports the foundational health processes that directly influence external beauty. By improving skin elasticity, hair growth, nail strength, stress management and sleep quality, magnesium helps to promote a radiant, youthful appearance. Its ability to reduce inflammation, balance hormones and enhance energy production makes it a vital ingredient for maintaining beauty from the inside out. Here are the key reasons why magnesium is essential in beauty supplements:
Skin health and elasticity
- Collagen production: Magnesium is vital for the production of collagen, the structural protein that keeps skin firm, elastic and youthful. Adequate collagen synthesis helps to reduce the appearance of wrinkles and fine lines, making magnesium essential to maintain smooth healthy skin.
- Reduces skin inflammation: Many skin conditions, including acne, eczema and psoriasis, are linked to inflammation. Magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties can help to calm irritated skin, reduce redness and improve conditions associated with inflammation.
- Promotes hydration: Magnesium helps to balance sebum production and maintain skin hydration. Properly hydrated skin appears plumper, more radiant and less prone to fine lines and roughness.
Premature ageing
- Antioxidant protection: Magnesium helps to reduce oxidative stress by boosting antioxidant activity, particularly through the regulation of glutathione, a powerful antioxidant. By neutralising free radicals that damage skin cells and accelerate ageing, magnesium plays a role in preventing premature wrinkles, sagging skin and age spots.
- Supports DNA repair: Magnesium is involved in DNA repair and cellular regeneration; helping the skin to recover from daily environmental damage and oxidative stress leads to a more youthful and resilient complexion.
Hair growth and nails
- Calcium regulation: Excess calcium in hair follicles can lead to scalp calcification, which restricts blood flow to the follicles and slows hair growth. Magnesium helps to balance calcium levels, preventing calcification and ensuring better nutrient delivery to hair follicles, thereby promoting healthy hair growth.
- Reduces hair loss: Magnesium deficiency has been linked to hair thinning and loss. Adequate magnesium intake helps to prevent hair loss by improving the structural integrity of hair follicles and enhancing scalp health.
- Prevents brittle nails: Magnesium plays a crucial role in protein synthesis, including the production of keratin, the main structural protein in nails. Supplementing with magnesium can help to prevent brittle/weak nails, leading to stronger and more resilient nails that are less prone to breaking and splitting.
Improves sleep for better skin repair
- Quality sleep for skin renewal: Magnesium is known for its ability to improve sleep quality by regulating the nervous system and promoting relaxation. Better sleep allows the skin to repair and regenerate more effectively during the night, when cellular turnover is at its peak. Poor sleep is associated with dark circles, dull skin and premature ageing, making magnesium critical for overall skin vitality.
- Reduced cortisol and stress: By improving sleep, magnesium helps to lower cortisol levels, which is important to prevent stress-induced skin issues such as acne, dullness and early ageing.
Reduces stress-related skin issues
- Lower cortisol levels: Magnesium is known to regulate cortisol, the stress hormone that can wreak havoc on the skin by increasing oil production, triggering breakouts and accelerating collagen breakdown. By managing cortisol levels, magnesium reduces the risk of stress-related skin problems.
- Anti-anxiety benefits: Magnesium has calming effects on the nervous system, which can help to mitigate anxiety and stress. As stress often manifests in the skin (through flare-ups or inflammation), magnesium’s stress-relieving properties benefit the skin’s appearance.
Published research and studies
Menachem explains that there are several publications that highlight the skin/hair-related benefits of magnesium but acknowledges that there is more research to be done to learn how this magical ingredient may support BfW applications.
In a hair loss study, for example, the author comments: “By taking part in protein transformation, magnesium is responsible for the division, growth and ripening processes of cells.” We must also consider its role in immunological reactions; by preventing and/or alleviating inflammation, which causes its deficiency, it has a direct or indirect effect on hair fall.3
Furthermore, a skin wound healing study explored the mechanisms involved in the beneficial effects of magnesium treatment. It highlighted how magnesium promotes cell migration and inhibits epidermal differentiation, which can be beneficial in the early stages of wound healing.4
Another trial investigated the effect of transdermal magnesium cream on serum and urinary magnesium levels in humans. It demonstrated how magnesium can be absorbed through the skin and elicit its potential benefits.5 Finally, a paper by Denda, et al., evaluated the effects of different magnesium salts on the cutaneous barrier recovery rate after barrier disruption. It provides valuable information regarding how
magnesium can aid in skin barrier repair.6
References
1 A.F. Walker, et al., “Magnesium Supplementation Alleviates Premenstrual Symptoms of Fluid Retention,” Journal of Women's Health 12(7), 710–717 (2003).
2 B. Abbasi, et al., “ The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation on Primary Insomnia in Elderly: A Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial,” Journal of Research in Medical Sciences 17(12), 1161–1169 (2012).
3 Z.S. Goluch-Koniuszy, “Nutrition of Women with Hair Loss Problem During the Period of Menopause,” Prz Menopauzalny 15(1), 56–61 (2016).
4 Y. Yoshino, et al., “Unraveling the Mechanisms Involved in the Beneficial Effects of Magnesium Treatment on Skin Wound Healing,” Int. J. Mol. Sci. 25, 4994 (2024).
5 L. Kass, et al., “Effect of Transdermal Magnesium Cream on Serum and Urinary Magnesium Levels in Humans: A Pilot Study,” PLOS One 12(4): e0174817 (2017).
6 M. Denda, et al., “Some Magnesium Salts and a Mixture of Magnesium and Calcium Salts Accelerate Skin Barrier Recovery,” Arch. Dermatol. Res. 291, 560–563 (1999).
