The ingenuity of our readers always impresses us. We recently heard from a reader who recommended an unusual treatment for a friend. She later had an occasion to use this home remedy herself. Who knew a liquid laxative could be so useful for swamp rash?
Swamp Rash from Hip Waders:
Q. Years ago I had a friend who was just miserable with a swamp rash from his groin down. He worked in the Great Dismal Swamp so he had to wear high waders all day long.
I told him to try milk of magnesia (MoM). It was life changing for him. He passed the word around to all of his co-workers. MoM made their lives much nicer.
Just recently I broke out with eczema on my hand and arm. My doctor said that it is “stress related” since my husband was recently diagnosed with lung cancer. I was prescribed a steroid cream for the eczema but it didn’t help at all.
I tried MoM and it’s been a wonderful relief. I apply it twice a day. I am grateful that this works so well, and also that my husband is doing well with his chemo.
Milk of Magnesia for Skin Problems:
A. Milk of magnesia (MoM) is a liquid laxative containing magnesium hydroxide. It has been used topically as a treatment for seborrheic dermatitis, diaper rash, acne, underarm odor, poison ivy, under-breast rash and canker sores. We had never before heard of using it for swamp rash, but that makes as much sense as the rest of the problems people have tried it for.
These are all off-label uses since the FDA has not approved MoM for any of these purposes. Nevertheless, milk of magnesia may make the skin less hospitable to microbes that aggravate a variety of skin problems.
Field Test for Milk of Magnesia:
Another reader bills herself as a skeptic and likes to rely on scientific information (as do we). Nonetheless, she gave milk of magnesia a try for her swamp rash.
Q. This is not a question. It is a statement of fact. Milk of magnesia works in topical applications. I tried it not believing there was any chance it would help my ferocious rash.
A few messy applications and the rash was well on its way to healing. It also cleared up my husband’s poison ivy. Thank you so much for this important information.
A. Readers of this column agree with you. They tell us that this over-the-counter laxative can be used topically for relief of acne, poison ivy, diaper rash, underarm odor, under breast rash, seborrheic dermatitis and canker sores.
None of these uses has been studied by dermatologists. However, a systematic review found that topical magnesium preparations could ease eczema (Dermatologic Therapy, Sep. 2018). The scientists report that topical zinc or iodine may also be useful for eczema (atopic dermatitis). Despite the dearth of studies, many people find milk of magnesia is surprisingly helpful for skin problems.
