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Wanting to use magnesium in a solid shampoo to help women with hair loss
Hello, I am a former dancer in Las Vegas with a college degree but no useful life skills. 😅 I’ve done a lot of reading, but have no quality content to add which is why you haven’t seen me post.
I’m trying to formulate a shampoo bar to help women who shed hair excessively from the root for no known medical cause after blood work and scalp biopsies.
The main ingredients I’m using are your typical surfactants, sodium cocoyl Isethionate, sodium laurel Sulfoacetate, and cocomidopropyl betaine. I’m also using a few waxes and oils, including BTMS, cetyl alcohol, calendula oil, rosemary essential oil, vitamin E and a preservative.
One component I’d like to add is magnesium because magnesium deficiency is common, and a potential cause of hair loss, and when applied topically does not typically have negative side effects or trigger allergies.
My problem is I am not a chemist. I believe I should not use magnesium chloride because there are anionic surfactants in my formula. I’m not sure if it’s even legal for me to use magnesium acetate? Could I use magnesium aluminum silicate which is also called Fuller’s earth?This is way beyond my level of expertise so I decided it was time to consult the experts. 😊
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10 Replies
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Thanks in advance for your time!
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Also, even if magnesium aluminum silicate is too large to be absorbed by the skin, could it dissolve calcium deposits blocking hair follicles?
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Appreciate your intent but, in shampoo context, think you reaching for a story more than clinical endpoint. Even if effective, you’re unlikely to get enough from a shampoo.
Mg ascorbyl phosphate applied directly at % levels has some animal data supporting hair growth.. -
PhilGeis said:Appreciate your intent but, in shampoo context, think you reaching for a story more than clinical endpoint. Even if effective, you’re unlikely to get enough from a shampoo.
Mg ascorbyl phosphate applied directly at % levels has some animal data supporting hair growth..I appreciate your advice! I think every little bit counts. I’m also working on a non-greasy hair serum based on water and glycerin with guar gum as a thickener. What about magnesium acetate?
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I’ve been looking into this myself, a shampoo/rinse off application probably wouldn’t be very effective, if at all. Much better to target the scalp directly with a leave-on product containing proven ingredients like minoxidil, finasteride, and maybe retinol, while using a standard sulfate shampoo every few days to properly clean the scalp from residue, dandruff etc. Also dermarolling after shampooing is a good idea.
I posted a formula I’m working on in another thread, using a watered down 5% minoxidil fluid (manufactured by Perrigo, sold under different brand names everywhere but it’s all the exact same formula, 50% propelyne glycol 30% alcohol 20% water). If I could get my hands on raw minoxidil I’d try to swap out the propylene glycol with propanediol. I’ve pretty much written out the use of essential oils and caffeine, though I am curious about magnesium. But minoxidil and finasteride are by far the most obvious candidates.
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I know you guys don’t think it will do anything but could I use magnesium citrate?
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I’m no authority on this by any means but most transdermal magnesium products use magnesium chloride. I was reading through “The Magnesium Miracle” and the author’s recommended forms of intake were her own consumable/transdermal product (ReMag, the only listed ingredients being magnesium chloride and reverse osmosis water, lol), then consuming magnesium citrate, then taking Epsom salt baths.
Using magnesium chloride is probably the way to go. I have some but haven’t used it yet due to its oily texture, but it’d be easy to incorporate and probably unnoticeable in trace amounts.
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MgCl is highly soluble in a highly aqueous application. With or without chelator - this is a story not a consumer benefit.
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It takes a lot of experimenting to come up with a formula like the one you describe. Usually, you wouldn’t want to rinse off magnesium so it adds a big challenge. However, salts have always been used in hair products so it’s not impossible. The biggest formulation challenge is to dissolve the magnesium which requires water. The shampoo bar I make isn’t anhydrous and neither are a lot of bars. Maybe you can experiment with aloe water, add magensium and then formualte the bar? Or if you use a liquid surfactnat you might be able to add magnesium and see if it dissolves.
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ProfessorHerbProfessorHerb said:
It takes a lot of experimenting to come up with a formula like the one you describe. Usually, you wouldn’t want to rinse off magnesium so it adds a big challenge. However, salts have always been used in hair products so it’s not impossible. The biggest formulation challenge is to dissolve the magnesium which requires water. The shampoo bar I make isn’t anhydrous and neither are a lot of bars. Maybe you can experiment with aloe water, add magensium and then formualte the bar? Or if you use a liquid surfactnat you might be able to add magnesium and see if it dissolves.Professor Herb, thank you!!! I will try dissolving it at a rate of 10% in my cocomidopropyl betaine!
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