Magnesium’s popularity has been skyrocketing over the past few years, due, in part, to its ability to help with sleep and anxiety. Considering the prevalence of supplements and sprays, it’s not surprising then that the best magnesium bath soaks are now crowding the theoretical shelves too, allowing you to surround yourself with the mineral to make the most of its purported stress-reducing, muscle-soothing benefits.
Vogue’s Favorite Magnesium Bath Soaks:
The hype isn’t unfounded: This all-important essential mineral is involved in over 300 processes in the body, including producing cellular energy and regulating stress and anxiety. And that’s not just with supplements. There’s evidence that magnesium applied topically can have meaningful effects too, whether you get it via foot sprays or bath salts, with perks for the skin barrier and even conditions like eczema. In addition to treating skin, bath soaks offer a particularly good way of making the most of magnesium’s inherently relaxing benefits. With that in mind, scroll ahead for our favorites to complement your next self-care moment.
In This Story:
- Does a magnesium bath actually work?
- The benefits of a magnesium bath soak
- What is the best type of magnesium to soak in?
- How we tested
- Meet the experts
Best Overall: Flewd Fatigue Defeating Anti-Stress Bath Treatment
- Why We Love It: If you’ve woken up feeling ready to go back to bed, join the club—and also, consider soaking in this thoughtful blend of magnesium, potassium, and tryptophan. Designed to offset the effects of burnout—and, in turn, boost energy, clear brain fog, and help you sleep more easily—this blend works in as little as 15 minutes, although you may want a longer bath if you’re feeling especially on edge. It’s a compelling reason to move your bathtime to the mornings (if you can manage), since the benefits will pay off for the entire day.
- Editor Experience: “I never sleep as well as I do following a soak with this Flewd formula. Dubbed an anti-stress treatment, this seamlessly melted my worries away—allowing me to drift off into a deep slumber without intrusive thoughts and overthinking crowding my mental space.” —Kiana Murden, beauty editor, shopping
- Key Ingredients: Magnesium chloride hexahydrate; tryptophan; potassium
- Magnesium per Dose: 115 g
- Scent: Fruity and creamy
- Size: 245 g
Best for Dry Skin: Neom Perfect Night’s Sleep Magnesium Bath Milk
- Why We Love It: Infuse four or five capfuls of this “milk” into your warm bath to help wind down for the evening. Magnesium has a calming effect in addition to relieving tight or achy muscles, while argan, jojoba, and sunflower seed oils set out to deeply nourish and soften skin. It’s especially helpful if you have dry or eczema-prone skin, particularly in the winter.
- Key Ingredients: Magnesium chloride; sunflower seed oil; argan oil; jojoba seed oil; aloe leaf juice powder
- Magnesium per Dose: Not disclosed
- Scent: Freshly cut lavender
- Size: 300 ml
Best for Stress Relief: Higherdose Serotonin Soak
- Why We Love It: Intended to reduce stress and elevate your mood (hence the name), this bath soak harnesses magnesium Zechstein flakes, so called for their source in the Zechstein seabed located in what’s now the North Sea (where, the brand says, the magnesium is more bioavailable and free of pollutants). The mineral is complemented by French green clay, algae, and apple cider vinegar to help soften skin and ease muscle tension.
- Key Ingredients: Zechstein magnesium; apple cider vinegar; French green clay; algae
- Magnesium per Dose: Not disclosed
- Scent: Crisp and herbal
- Size: 32 oz.
Best for Sensitive Skin: Ancient Minerals Magnesium Bath Flakes
- Why We Love It: For those with sensitive skin—and even children—Ancient Minerals uses only magnesium chloride flakes (again, derived from the Zechstein seabed). It contains trace minerals but is otherwise free of fragrances and other ingredients, making it simple and streamlined in the best possible way.
- Key Ingredients: Zechstein magnesium chloride flakes
- Magnesium per Dose: 15 mg
- Scent: None
- Size: 8 lbs
Best for Sleep: Saint Jane Beauty Deep Sleep Bath Salts
- Why We Love It: Dissolve these magnesium bath salts under running water and prepare to unwind. The blend pairs magnesium chloride with hyaluronic acid for an added boost of hydration, as well as peptides to support smoother, firmer skin. For extra moisture, you’ll also find sweet almond and evening primrose oils. The blend of flower extracts, among them jasmine, orchid, lavender, and blue lotus, lend the bath a floral fragrance—ideal for decompressing after a long day.
- Key Ingredients: Magnesium chloride; palmitoyl pentapeptide-3; hyaluronic acid; green tea leaf oil
- Magnesium per Dose: Not disclosed
- Scent: Calming floral
- Size: 12 oz.
Best for Sore Muscles: Vertly Muscle Soak Bath Salts
- Why We Love It: This bath soak offers not one but two types of magnesium—magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride—to soothe and relax the body, while Dead Sea and epsom salts (rich in even more minerals) help relieve tense or sore muscles. What really sets this apart, however, is the addition of arnica, an herb long known to quell inflammation and ease muscle and joint pain. The combination helps renew the body, while the calming scent (a blend of essential oils, like lavender, eucalyptus, and clary sage) tends to the mind, elevating the mundane bathing experience into a spa-like treatment.
- Key Ingredients: Magnesium sulfate; Dead Sea salt; magnesium chloride; sulfur; sunflower seed oil; arnica extract
- Magnesium per Dose: Not disclosed
- Scent: Herbaceous lavender
- Size: 10 oz.
Everything You Need to Know
Does a magnesium bath actually work?
There isn’t strong evidence just yet that magnesium improves muscle recovery, though bathing in warm water can certainly help. That said, a recent study published in JAAD Reviews found that magnesium can potentially offer better wound healing and improve conditions like eczema, acne, and psoriasis. “We are only just beginning to understand the role of magnesium in the skin,” says Shari Lipner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York and coauthor of the study. “Topical magnesium may be beneficial as an anti-inflammatory and may reduce water loss through the skin.”
The benefits of a magnesium bath soak
The benefits of magnesium are plenty. Many report that magnesium soaks can help ease muscle soreness, relieve tension, and generally help relax the body. As for the skin, the advantages are even more clear. “There is some evidence showing that people with atopic dermatitis or eczema could benefit from magnesium in their baths in terms of repairing the skin barrier and reducing itch,” says Dr. Lipner.
What is the best type of magnesium to soak in?
For a hot bath, it’s hard to go wrong with magnesium chloride—which, fortunately, tends to be a common magnesium in bath soaks. “Magnesium chloride is slightly preferred over magnesium sulfate for baths because it dissolves more easily in water—and both magnesium chloride and sulfate are much preferred over magnesium oxide, which is insoluble and not helpful for the skin,” says Dr. Lipner.
How we tested
When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity estheticians—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.
As it relates to magnesium bath soaks, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: ingredients, type of magnesium, soak type, scent packaging, and the skin and wellness concerns they address. To do this, we paired our own personal tests of each formula with expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.
Meet the expert
- Shari Lipner, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York.
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