Have you ever heard of using the laxative Milk of Magnesia (MoM) as a topical application for the armpits? Many readers have tried it and told us that they have found this an innovative way to manage an odd underarm odor. What is the history of this product?
A Very Short History of Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia:
Some brands last a very long time! Such is the case for Phillips’ Milk of Magnesia. It was patented in 1873 by Charles H. Phillips, a British pharmacist who had immigrated to the US in the 19th century.
The active ingredient was “hydrate of magnesia.” Today we refer to it as magnesium hydroxide. When Mr. Phillips added water to hydrate of magnesia it turned into a milky substance, hence the name “Milk of Magnesia.”
It was originally intended to treat “digestive problems” such as heartburn or constipation. This product, in its iconic blue glass bottle, became a huge best seller. It’s only in recent times that we have learned milk of magnesia could be helpful when applied topically for odd underarm odor, or any body odor for that matter. Some people use “MoM” for acne, jock itch or under breast rash.
What Can You Do About an Odd Underarm Odor?
Q. Some time ago you published an inquiry by someone who used Milk of Magnesia to help with body odor. For the past year or so I have been plagued by an obnoxious odor coming from one (only one!) armpit. The smell resembled the spice cumin.
I tried many different deodorants and even experimented with putting hand sanitizer in my armpit, but nothing worked for more than a few hours. When I asked my internist, all I got was a mystified shrug.
After reading your column, I decided to try Milk of Magnesia. I put a small amount in a little plastic cup. After it evaporated into a paste in a few days, I started to apply it. It was amazing! I had no more odd underarm odor, even 24 hours later. If I go back to my usual deodorant, the smell returns quickly.
Milk of Magnesia as a Deodorant:
A. This remedy has fascinated us for quite a while.
In 2006 we received a letter from a reader:
“I want to share a remedy I learned about when traveling in Brazil. Just apply milk of magnesia to your armpits. It is the best underarm deodorant!”
We heard later that this remedy was not new to people from Cuba and perhaps from other parts of the Caribbean basin.
“My family has used milk of magnesia as a deodorant for 60 years since Cuba. That is what everyone used, even before the revolution. My family still uses it today in the United States, since it’s better than any deodorant.
“This is old news for us!”
We were thrilled to learn that this remedy goes back at least 60 years. It can be hot and humid in Cuba. People there no doubt needed to come up with practical solutions for odd underarm odor. That’s also true in Brazil.
Does Milk of Magnesia Work for Odd Underarm Odor?
When we first heard of this remedy we were astonished. Nonetheless, we thought we should give it a try ourselves. To our amazement, it worked. The only trouble is that it is messy! We tried pouring milk of magnesia into our palm and sloshing it on our underarms. Yuck. We tried soaking cotton balls with MoM and dabbing it on. Still messy and drippy. Your solution, letting water evaporate, solves that problem.
Joaquin had a different suggestion:
“I have used milk of magnesia for about 18 years with great results. The way I use it is diluting it with water at 50% then pouring 2 to 3 ml in to the bottle cup to apply it under my arm. Works great. Not messy at all.
“It was recommended by my dermatologist in 1995.”
Cindy found a travel-size bottle of Milk of Magnesia was ideal:
“I came across a little travel-size bottle of MOM. I discovered all ya have to do is stick the index finger in, withdraw it coated with MOM, then apply to armpits. Neat, sweet & fast. Maybe you have to rinse your finger afterward, or wipe it with a tissue but that’s easy. I never use MOM for any other purpose, so it’s no problem sticking that finger in.”
Creating MoM Deodorant for Odd Underarm Odor:
Hundreds of others have also attested to the benefits of topical applications of magnesium hydroxide (Milk of Magnesia) to the underarms. Finally, we decided to enlist Charles (“Chuck”) Friedman, a natural product chemist, to assist us in creating a roll-on MoM deodorant without the muss or fuss.
We also asked him to eliminate the bleach (sodium hypochlorite) preservative that was found in over-the-counter milk of magnesia liquid laxatives at that time. We never understood why the FDA permitted bleach in something people swallow. And we definitely did not want bleach, even in small concentrations, in an underarm product. Since then, The People’s Pharmacy Milk of Magnesia Aluminum-Free Roll-on Deodorants have become best sellers.
In recent years many other companies have adopted magnesium in an attempt to eliminate aluminum from underarm deodorants. We are pretty certain, though, that we were the first to employ this important mineral in this kind of body care product. And we still think our product is the best, thanks to Chuck Friedman! He also developed our lip balms and new Urea Skin Relief Intensive Skin Therapy.
Is Magnesium Safe on Underarms?
Q. Over the past couple of years, for some reason I have noticed a strong underarm body odor. Deodorant no longer works for me.
I tried stopping some of my medications for a couple of months, and that doesn’t seem to be the cause. I basically went from zero body odor to a 5 out of 10 with 10 being the worst.
After I read your article about using milk of magnesia topically as a deodorant, I tried it. To my surprise, it does work. However, my daughter-in-law who is an RN says that milk of magnesia is very hard on the kidneys. Would a person using it as a deodorant absorb enough into the bloodstream that it would harm the kidneys?
A. What a great question! We wish we could find a really good answer, but this topic has not been studied adequately.
The best review we could find is titled “Myth or Reality—Transdermal Magnesium?” (Nutrients, Aug. 2017). The authors reviewed the medical literature and found that the evidence of magnesium absorption through skin is limited.
Some studies utilized 20-minute foot soaks in magnesium oil. Others involved a full-body Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) bath for two hours. A study conducted by the Israeli army utilizing a magnesium-rich lotion did not detect significant absorption of this mineral through the skin.
A lot of people swallow milk of magnesia to stay regular. Many others swallow magnesium-containing pills to replace magnesium that may be depleted by medications like PPI acid-suppressing drugs.
All that being said, people with limited kidney function should avoid extra magnesium, especially in dietary supplements or laxatives. You may want to ask your doctor to monitor both your magnesium levels and kidney function periodically, just to be on the safe side.
Our People’s Pharmacy MoM Deodorant Is Now “Magnesium Rich “
We recently did some research and discovered in our survey that many younger people had never heard of milk of magnesia. They were puzzled by the name The People’s Pharmacy Milk of Magnesia Aluminum-Free Roll-on Deodorants. We wanted to make this product more understandable and so we have started rolling out (pardon the pun) our People’s Pharmacy Unscented “Magnesium Rich” deodorant in both 2 oz and 3.38 oz sizes. You will find them in the Body Care section of our store.
Here is a lovely testimonial that just arrived today from Cindy:
“I have just received from you my first tube of this product. I applied it following a shower and found it to surpass all other creams and lotions I have tried for my dry (diabetic) skin.”
You can, of course, slosh on Milk of Magnesia to banish any odd underarm odor. We have found that process a tad messy.
However, if you would like more detailed information about various People’s Pharmacy products and the ingredients in MoM, Magnesium Rich Aluminum-Free Roll-on Deodorants or The People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Relief Intensive Skin Therapy, here is a link to all our body care products.
