One of many craziest magnificence ideas that pre-dates the web period is utilizing Milk of Magnesia (sure, the widespread laxative!) as a make-up primer. Let me clarify. Dwelling with oily pores and skin is a continuing battle. And when your face is so shiny it brightens up the night time and your basis has fully melted by the point you’ve completed making use of your eyeshadow, you’re keen to understand and use any weapon to beat it as soon as and for all. Even laxative.

Milk of Magnesia is alleged to be an superior primer for greasy pores and skin that’s in a position to maintain the shiny enemy at bay for hours. However, like all highly effective weapons, it could flip towards you. Scratch that, it WILL flip towards you. MOM is a Malicious program. What seems to be like essentially the most wonderful present ever within the quick time period can fully wreak havoc in your pores and skin in the long term. Right here’s what they don’t let you know about utilizing Milk Of Magnesia as a make-up primer:

Milk Of Magnesia VS Make-up Primers

Earlier than we dig deeper into the risks of utilizing Milk Of Magnesia as a primer, why are individuals even utilizing it? One cause is finances. Milk Of Magnesia is cheaper than most make-up primers on the market.

Then, there’s the best way it feels in your pores and skin. Julianne Kaye, a celeb make-up artist who labored with Britney Spears and Brooke Shields says: “A number of the water-based primers available on the market simply really feel like one other moisturizer and the silicone-based primers really feel waxy or, whereas they’ll matte you down, they nonetheless don’t stick. If you put milk of magnesia in your face you may really really feel that veil over the pores and skin.”

If it’s simply as efficient, then it could make sense to make use of Milk Of Magnesia as a primer. However you already know what they are saying. It’s not gold all that glitters…

Is Milk Of Magnesia An Efficient Oil-Absorber?

Milk of Magnesia is so amazingly good at eliminating oil and shine as a result of it accommodates Magnesium Hydroxide, a chemical that absorbs lipids on the pores and skin (that’s what extra sebum/oil is). Add Sodium Hypochlorite (generally referred to as bleach) to the combination and also you kick its oil-absorbent powers up a notch or two. So, yeah, for those who smear Milk Of Magnesia throughout your oily pores and skin, it’ll cease shining a lot. Nice, isn’t it? Not so quick…

Is It Protected To Use Milk Of Magnesia On Your Face?

What makes Milk Of Magnesia flip nasty? It’s alkaline pH. It’s not good on your pores and skin. Let me clarify. Your pores and skin’s pure pH is barely acidic. This permits the nice micro organism that stay on our pores and skin to thrive and people nasty ones that continuously assault it to shrivel and die.

When this acidic mantle is broken, these micro organism can get previous pores and skin’s defences and hurt it. They irritate it. They trigger zits. And the lack of moisture makes pores and skin as dry because the Sahara. That’s why good skincare merchandise are formulated throughout the pores and skin’s pH vary (from 5 to eight). To keep away from all that nasty stuff from taking place to you.

Milk Of Magnesia has a PH of 10.5. That is method too excessive. If you happen to use it commonly, it can do some severe harm to your pores and skin. I’m not the one one who thinks so. Skincare guru Paula Begoun, who really useful MOM earlier than studying about its darkish aspect, agrees with me: “Milk of Magnesia has a really excessive pH, which, over time, just isn’t splendid for pores and skin to make use of continuously. Utilizing every now and then, nevertheless, is okay!”

Associated: The Finest Primers For Oily Pores and skin

Need assistance creating the most effective skincare routine for you oily pores and skin? Signal as much as the publication under to obtain the “Oily Skincare Routine Cheatsheet” (it contains product suggestions, too!).

What Are The Finest Make-up Primer Options To Milk Of Magnesia?

Look, I do imagine you don’t have to lay our a fortune on make-up and skincare to look nice. However I additionally imagine in treating your pores and skin with tender loving care – and placing laxative in your pores and skin isn’t that! These options could also be dearer, however they’re additionally gentler on the pores and skin. They’ll maintain your complexion shine-free with out inflicting irritation and dryness in the long term. Isn’t that a greater deal? Listed here are my high make-up primer suggestions for greasy pores and skin:

• Dr. Brandt Pores No Extra Pore Refiner ($48.00): It makes use of Magnesium Silicate to soak up extra oil and maintain your pores and skin matte for greater than 6 hours. However it may be drying in case your pores and skin isn’t very oily to start with. Obtainable at Dr Brandt, Look Implausible, Sephora, and Ulta.
• Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer ($58.00): Its silicones-based, light-weight texture softens positive strains and wrinkles, makes pores look smaller, and helps your basis lasts longer. Alumina, a strong oil absorber retains you matte for a number of good hours. Obtainable at Cult Magnificence, Hourglass, Nordstrom, Sephora, and Ulta.

Can You Use Milk Of Magnesia As A Deodorant?

I’ve simply completed telling you ways dangerous MOM is on your pores and skin, and now am recommending you utilize it as a deodorant? Am I nuts? Nope. Simply hear me out.

Everyone knows how sweaty armpits can get, particularly in the summertime when the climate’s so scorching and humid. This moistness creates the proper atmosphere for micro organism and fungi to thrive in. Milk Of Magnesium absorbs all that extra moisture, so these micro organism have nowhere to stay. 

In different phrases, if a excessive ph can improve the danger of a micro organism an infection, the lack of sweat can scale back it. On this case, and this case solely, the advantages of MOM are higher than its unwanted effects.

The Backside Line

Coping with oily pores and skin is usually a slippery slope. Alongside the best way, you’ll discover Trojan horses that may promise you the answer to all of your woes solely to show nasty if you least count on it. Milk of Magnesia as a primer looks as if a godsend for pores and skin, till you realise it could trigger extreme dryness and irritation in the long term. If you wish to do away with extra shine, there are higher methods to take care of it. And for those who’re in search of a primer that may take care of oily pores and skin, try these three. They’ll work quite a bit higher, belief me!

About Gio

Hello, I am Gio. I am a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is pores and skin coach and author on a mission that will help you obtain your finest pores and skin day ever – every single day. I bust skincare myths and debunk advertising and marketing jargon that will help you work out what’s well worth the splurge and what’s finest left on the shelf – utilizing science, not hype. I additionally provide skincare consultations that will help you create the most effective skincare routine on your distinctive wants.