Milk of Magnesia (MoM) Is Now Magnesium Rich Roll-On Deodorant

Who ever imagined using a liquid laxative on your underarms? We wouldn’t have, but then we received a letter from a reader of our syndicated newspaper column in early 2006 describing her trip to Brazil:

“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!”

Our response at the time:

“What an unusual idea. Milk of magnesia contains magnesium hydroxide, which is both an antacid and a laxative. We have never heard of applying it to underarms, though. Perhaps it reduces the acidity of the skin to make odor-forming bacteria less welcome.”

That was the unorthodox origin of People’s Pharmacy Aluminum-Free MoM (Milk of Magnesia) Roll-On Deodorant.

People Loved the Idea of Milk of Magnesia as a Deodorant:

Within weeks we started hearing from other readers. One wrote:

“Your suggestion for milk of magnesia as a deodorant has been a lifesaver!”

Another added:

“Thanks for suggesting milk of magnesia as a deodorant. I tried it and it works like a miracle. Vinegar did not and made me smell like sauerkraut besides.”

Milk of Magnesia Is Goopy:

Although lots of readers liked the idea of sloshing liquid milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) on the armpits, others found it messy. They kept asking for ways to apply this old-fashioned liquid laxative to their armpits in a more convenient way.

We listened to those requests and decided to ask Chuck if he could come up with a formulation that might work in a roll-on deodorant.

Who is Chuck?

Charles (Chuck) Friedman has more than 50 years’ experience formulating a wide variety of personal care products. He is especially knowledgeable about natural products. Chuck was Scientific Director for Burt’s Bees from 1994 till 2003. While there, he formulated some amazing natural products. He has also been Director of Research Services at Revlon and formulated hypoallergenic products for Almay. He was also Senior Chemist at Estée Lauder.

In our opinion, Chuck is a superstar in the world of personal care natural product development. We knew about Chuck through an old friend, a dermatologist who consulted for Almay. He put us in touch with Chuck.

Creating The People’s Pharmacy Milk of Magnesia Roll-On Deodorant:

After much experimentation, Chuck came up with a formula that we liked. The rest is history. We believe that we were the first organization to create a magnesium-based roll-on deodorant. Now, there are many magnesium-based deodorants on the market from some major players. We still think Chuck created the best such deodorant.

You can read about Chuck’s latest creation for us at this link:

This moisturizer was launched just a few weeks ago. It is for dry, rough skin. The urea ingredient makes it special for healing damaged skin.

The People’s Pharmacy Urea Skin Relief Is Flying Out the Door

Why Magnesium Instead of Aluminum for Armpits?

The FDA requires that all antiperspirants contain aluminum! We think that is not such a great idea.

An accidental discovery in 1965 revealed that exposure to alum phosphate (an aluminum compound) led to the degeneration of neurons in rabbit brains (Journal of Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology, April, 1965). The authors were among the first to point out that aluminum injected into the brain could lead to neurofibrillary tangles similar to those found in the brains of people with Alzheimer Disease (AD).

Not long after that, researchers reported in the highly regarded journal, Science (May 4, 1973), that:

“…high concentrations of aluminum may be toxic to the nervous system.”

The scientists found aluminum in the brains of people who had died from Alzheimer’s disease.
They suggested that:

“…aluminum may be a neurotoxic factor in the human disease.”

Fast Forward 50 Years:

An article in the journal Frontiers in Neurology (Dec. 6, 2023) discusses the dangers of aluminum:

“Among the metals of utmost concern for public health, cadmium, lead, and aluminum exhibit high toxicity. These metals are recognized as systemic toxicants capable of causing damage to multiple organs, even at low levels of exposure. Importantly, there is evidence suggesting that the disruption of essential metal homeostasis and exposure to non-essential metals play a significant role in the development of AD.

“Numerous studies have investigated the levels of aluminum in the brains of individuals with AD and those without cognitive impairment, serving as controls. These investigations have consistently identified the hippocampus and the amygdala as the prominent brain regions where aluminum accumulates. Furthermore, several research findings have indicated that aluminum exposure can stimulate the expression of APP, which is the precursor of the Aβ [amyloid-beta] protein.”

People with high amounts of amyloid plaque in their brains are more likely to develop Alzheimer disease.

Avoiding Aluminum:

Whether aluminum in antiperspirants causes Alzheimer disease remains an open question. But there is a tremendous amount of research suggesting that aluminum is a neurotoxin. Why use anything on your body that is considered toxic?

Magnesium, on the other hand, is an essential element for our bodies to function normally. Many people are low in magnesium and must take this mineral in oral form as a supplement.

The bottom line is that magnesium is beneficial and aluminum serves no necessary function in the human body.

Why Are We Changing the Name from MoM (Milk of Magnesia) to Magnesium Rich Roll-On Deodorant?

If you have purchased our MoM deodorant before, you’ll notice that the bottles now have a new look. The formulation has not changed! We are still offering the same superior aluminum-free deodorant based on magnesium hydroxide.

We found, though, that people who were not familiar with our brand did not always understand that MoM stands for milk of magnesia. And some didn’t really know what milk of magnesia is, or why you might want to apply it to your underarms. So we have changed the name to be more descriptive.

Our new label tells everyone that our roll-on deodorant is magnesium-rich and 100 % free of aluminum. So you get the exact same product with a snazzy new label.

Save Money on Magnesium-Rich Deodorant:

To introduce the new look, we are offering a sale. Just enter the discount code JAN24 when you check out to get 24% off the regular price of our TSA-friendly 2-ounce size or the larger, longer-lasting 3.38-ounce size. There’s no additional discount on the offer to buy two larger bottles and get free shipping, but it is finally back in stock. Remember, the discount code is JAN24. You will need to put that in the box that says “Discount code or gift card” and then hit the “Apply” button to get your 24% discount. This sale ends on January 31, 2024.