You've got a bottle of magnesium pills in the cabinet and a magnesium cream on the nightstand, and you're not sure if you need one, the other, or both. Which should you use?
The short answer: Magnesium pills and magnesium creams or balms do different jobs. Pills are how you raise your whole-body magnesium when food falls short. A cream or balm works right where you put it, on the calves, feet or shoulders you massage. If you're low on magnesium, start with food and talk to your doctor about a pill. You can use both.
By Dr. Doug Strobel, MD, a board-certified neurologist who formulated Dr. Doug's balms. Last reviewed October 13, 2026.
Key takeaways
- Magnesium by mouth raises whole-body intake. A magnesium cream or balm works right where you put it.
- In a Cochrane review, diarrhea and other stomach side effects showed up in 11% to 37% of people taking magnesium by mouth, compared with 10% to 14% on a sugar pill.
- A 2026 lab study found very little magnesium passed through intact skin in 24 hours. So a cream is not a stand-in for a pill when you need more magnesium.
Two jobs, two tools
It is confusing, and most labels make it worse by promising everything. You did not miss something obvious. What I tell patients is simple: a pill is for your whole body, a balm is for the spot you are rubbing, and when someone needs the pill I say so.
The useful question is which job you're trying to do.
How do magnesium pills and magnesium creams differ?
Pills go through your gut and into your whole body. Creams and balms go on the skin of one area.
| Magnesium pills (oral) | Magnesium cream or balm (topical) | |
|---|---|---|
| Route | Swallowed, absorbed in the intestine | Applied to skin; lab work shows it crosses the outer layer, mostly through hair follicles |
| Main job | Raising whole-body intake | Targeted use on a specific area, plus massage |
| Common forms | Glycinate, citrate, oxide | Magnesium chloride (sometimes sulfate in bath products) |
| Evidence base | Large: decades of intake and deficiency research | Small: lab studies and pilot human studies |
| Common side effects | Loose stools, stomach upset, worse at higher doses | Tingling or sting with some sprays and oils |
| Dose | Measured in milligrams, set with your doctor | No established dose; cover the area thinly |
| Best for | Diet gaps or a doctor-confirmed low level | Tired calves and feet, tight shoulders, a bedtime massage routine |
| Raises whole-body magnesium? | Yes, that is its job | Not shown; a 2026 lab study found very little passes through intact skin |
When do magnesium pills make sense?
Pills make sense when your whole body needs more magnesium, especially if your doctor has found a low level.
A lot of Americans fall short. I am a board-certified neurologist, and the number I trust here comes from a national survey: 48% ate less magnesium than they needed in 2005 to 2006 (Rosanoff, Nutrition Reviews, 2012). Food comes first: leafy greens, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains. If you need a supplement, glycinate and citrate tend to be easier on the stomach than oxide. For the details, see magnesium glycinate vs citrate vs chloride.
Talk to your doctor before you start magnesium pills if you have kidney disease, take antibiotics or bone-loss medicines, or are pregnant.
What are the side effects of magnesium pills?
The most common side effects hit your stomach: loose stools, diarrhea or an upset stomach, especially at higher doses.
A Cochrane review looked at magnesium for muscle cramps. Stomach side effects like diarrhea showed up in 11% to 37% of people taking magnesium by mouth. On a sugar pill, it was 10% to 14% (Garrison, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020). Magnesium your gut doesn't absorb pulls water into the bowel. That is also why some forms are used as laxatives.
When does a magnesium cream or balm make sense?
A cream or balm makes sense when you want something for one area, or when pills upset your stomach.
On skin, a University of Queensland lab study found magnesium crossed the skin's outer barrier. More got through with stronger products and longer contact. Hair follicles, the tiny openings hairs grow from, did much of the work (Chandrasekaran, Magnesium Research, 2016). Human studies are small. A 2017 pilot with 25 people was too small to settle the question. Its own authors asked for larger trials (Kass, PLoS ONE, 2017). A skeptical 2017 review argued that topical magnesium shouldn't be sold as a replacement for supplements you swallow (Gröber, Nutrients, 2017). On that narrow point, I agree.
Many articles say topical magnesium "absorbs better than pills." The newest lab evidence points the other way for getting magnesium into your whole body. A 2026 University of Copenhagen study used pig skin. Very little magnesium passed all the way through intact skin in 24 hours. It was no more than in untreated skin (Camili, European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2026). It tested a magnesium sulfate solution, not a balm. But it is one more reason not to treat a cream as a replacement for a pill.
So I describe a balm plainly: it works right where you put it. People use it on calves and feet after a long day, on a tight neck and shoulders at a desk, and as part of a calm bedtime routine. The massage is a big part of why it feels good.
Can you use magnesium cream and take magnesium pills together?
Yes. They do different jobs. Using a balm on one area doesn't stand in for the pill your doctor suggested.
If you take a supplement for your intake and like a balm for your legs or shoulders, that's a fine combination. If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor about any magnesium, including creams and balms.
Cream, lotion, oil or balm: does the format matter?
The format mostly changes how it feels and how easy it is to use.
- Sprays and oils are mostly magnesium chloride in water. Many people find they tingle or sting and feel sticky.
- Lotions and creams spread easily. They spread thin and dry fast.
- Balms stay on the spot while you massage them in. Made properly, a balm gives magnesium its best chance to work where you need it. I made a magnesium balm for my clinic patients and for myself first. I wanted to formulate a product unlike others on the market. Magnesium chloride dissolves easily and is the best form for a topical, so I chose it. My goal: the most magnesium chloride possible that still absorbs in completely, with no sting and no grit, in a handful of clean, non-toxic ingredients. Only goodness and nourishment that truly helps. Mine is hand-crafted, with eight clean ingredients and nothing synthetic: magnesium chloride in olive oil, coconut oil, beeswax and shea butter, with peppermint and lavender essential oils and vitamin E.
The magic happens when you massage it in completely. It comes as a 2.5 oz twist-up stick, an 8 oz jar and a 0.5 oz mini.
How to use a magnesium balm well: pick, rub, repeat
Start small, massage it in, and use it when it suits you.
- Pick your spot. Calves, feet, a tight neck. Most people use too much, so start with a thin layer and add more only if you need it.
- Rub it in. Use my 5-inch rule: cover the spot plus about 5 inches above, below and all the way around it. Massage until it disappears.
- Repeat. Any time works: before or after exercise, at your desk, or while winding down at night. Skip broken or irritated skin.
Picture your morning supplement with breakfast, and two minutes on your calves at night. Each one doing its own job, and nothing to second-guess.
Based on a 14-day consumer perception survey; respondents per check-in varied.
Related reading
- Does Topical Magnesium Absorb Through the Skin? A Neurologist Reads the Research
- Magnesium Cream for Leg Cramps: Does Topical Work Better Than Oral?
- Is Magnesium Balm the Same as Magnesium Lotion? A Neurologist Explains the Difference
Frequently asked questions
Is magnesium cream better than pills?
Magnesium cream and pills do different jobs, so neither is better overall. Pills raise whole-body intake. A cream or balm is for the area you massage.
Is transdermal magnesium better than oral?
Topical magnesium, magnesium through the skin, is best for the spot you massage. It has not been shown to beat magnesium by mouth for raising the body's magnesium, and a 2026 lab study found very little passed through intact skin.
Is magnesium cream or pills better for sleep?
Small trials of magnesium by mouth showed modest effects on sleep. Cream hasn't been tested in a sleep trial yet. But in our own 14-day customer survey of Magnesium Balm, 93% reported improved relaxation and sleep. Many people use both.
Can I use magnesium lotion and take magnesium supplements at the same time?
Yes, most people can use magnesium lotion and take magnesium supplements at the same time. If you have kidney disease, check with your doctor about any form of magnesium first.
Does magnesium cream cause diarrhea like pills can?
Diarrhea is a side effect of swallowed magnesium pulling water into the bowel. Magnesium cream stays on your skin, so it does not cause that.
Which magnesium is used in creams and balms?
Magnesium chloride is the most common form in topical creams and balms. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is mainly used in baths.
Can magnesium cream fix a magnesium deficiency?
A magnesium shortage needs food changes and usually a supplement you swallow, guided by your doctor. Magnesium cream has not been shown to do that job.
Sources
- Rosanoff A, et al. Nutrition Reviews, 2012. PMID 22364157
- Garrison SR, et al. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020. PMID 32956536
- Chandrasekaran NC, et al. Magnesium Research, 2016. PMID 27624531
- Kass L, et al. PLoS ONE, 2017. PMID 28403154
- Gröber U, et al. Nutrients, 2017. PMID 28788060
- Camili V, Stürup S, Heinz A. European Journal of Pharmaceutics and Biopharmaceutics, 2026. PMID 42372834
This article is educational and is not medical advice. Dr. Doug's products are cosmetic and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.