What is Magnesium Chloride — and Why Do We Use It in Our Balm?

Magnesium chloride turns up in a lot of places these days — bath flakes, sprays, oils, balms. If you've been curious about what it actually is and why it's worth using, here's our honest opinion.

What is magnesium chloride?

Magnesium chloride is a naturally occurring mineral compound, most commonly sourced from seawater or ancient inland seas. It's the same mineral family as Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate), though the two have slightly different properties and textures. In cosmetic formulations, it's used as a skin-conditioning agent — it has a naturally softening quality and sits well in balm and oil-based products.

Why we use it in a balm

We wanted to make something practical. Most magnesium products on the market are either bath flakes (which require a full soak) or sprays (which can feel sticky and are fiddly to apply). A twist-up balm format means you can apply it directly and precisely — no mess, no residue, no getting your hands involved.

The balm base — beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, and olive oil — gives the magnesium chloride something to work within. The wax and butters create a protective layer on the skin, while the oils help the balm glide rather than drag.

What's actually in it

We keep the formula simple and the ingredient list short:

Cera Alba (Beeswax) · Olea Europaea Fruit Oil (Olive Oil) · Cocos Nucifera Oil (Coconut Oil) · Butyrospermum Parkii Butter (Shea Butter) · Tocopherol (Vitamin E) · Magnesium Chloride · Aqua

No fragrance. No palm oil. No fillers. The aqua is there purely to dissolve the magnesium chloride before it's incorporated into the balm — it's a small percentage, but it matters for how the mineral disperses through the formula.

Who it's for

Our Magnesium Balm is unscented, which makes it suitable for sensitive skin and for people who prefer their skincare without fragrance. It's designed for targeted application — legs and calves after training or a long day on your feet, shoulders and lower back, anywhere that carries tension, and dry or weather-worn skin that needs something more substantial than a lotion.

The twist-up format makes it easy to keep in a gym bag, by the bed, or on a desk.

Made in Wales, in small batches

Every batch is made by hand in the Usk Valley. We use palm-oil-free ingredients throughout. There are no shortcuts in the process — small-batch means we can control quality at every stage.

The Magnesium Balm is available now in our online shop.