MOM, aka milk of magnesia, it’s incredible stuff! I wrote about using it as a deodorant, it works very well for that… now we will talk about the other good things this miraculous white liquid does. Would you ever think of putting what is essentially a laxative on your face? I do it, why you might ask? Read on!
Here is what I do with it, and what many others do with it (just do a Google search), I put it on my face as an oil absorber and mattifier… ok that isn’t a real word, but that’s what it does for me. Some years ago, a “new” product became very popular for the ladies, it was a primer for skin, a colorless gel applied to your face before you put on your foundation. These seemed to be made of silicone, it was slippery like silicone, once applied, it would create a smoother surface for your foundation, it minimized the appearance of pores, it soaked up oil during the day and seemed to make the foundation application last longer. I began using one put out by Avon (I used to be an Avon rep) alone, without putting on a foundation, I liked how it made my skin feel and look, it seemed to minimize the appearance of pores and it kept my skin from looking shiny later on in the day. I did worry about the ingredients in it, what was I putting on my face? Was it safe?
Fast forward to today, now I use MOM to achieve the same thing as the primer, I can use it with foundation or alone. I don’t have too much trouble with breakouts anymore (FINALLY!), but I still get the monthly breakouts, I don’t tend to get really shiny during the cooler temps, but during the summer I do, it doesn’t bother me unless I’m going some place where I want to look my best, like church, or the grocery store… ever notice how when you make a quick run to the grocery store in your shabbiest t-shirt and sweats with no makeup and hair that needed a shampoo, THAT’S when you are guaranteed to run into someone you haven’t seen in a long time, or someone you’d rather not see while in that shape???
OK, back to the MOM, I tend to get a shiny nose when I use foundation, when I don’t use any makeup (I use very little to begin with) I don’t get much shine, so using the MOM as a primer on the areas that tend to get shiny helps my foundation look good longer. It can be lightly applied to your face, with our without foundation, just apply it to the oily places, the T-zone is where I need it, if you aren’t going to use foundation afterward, then be sure you apply a very light layer and rub it in well, you don’t want white streaks on your face… you can also use it as a facial masque, just apply it to your freshly washed face, apply it thickly, let it dry for 10 or more minutes, then remove with a warm washcloth. Your face will feel so much better! Be sure to follow up with a moisturizer, this can be drying to your skin. The moisturizer I like best is good old coconut oil. I keep a jar of coconut oil near my computer as that’s where I spend a LOT of time, I can quickly dab some on my hands, face and other needy spots, it soaks in quickly, it’s not greasy and it works very well.
Using MOM on my skin as a primer before foundation, I noticed I needed much less foundation to achieve smooth, even skin, you will have to experiment, don’t try this for the first time if you have a pressing appointment, try it on the weekend or sometime when you don’t have to be somewhere, experiment with it. Wash it all off and try it again with some changes, less foundation, more moisturizer, and such… you might want to try mixing the MOM with some light moisturizer to get the right amount of matte vs moisture.
I also have a bottle of aloe vera juice, the kind you drink (so it has nothing else added to it), I might try mixing some aloe vera juice with the MOM and see how that works as a primer, can’t hurt, I’ll post a followup on it and let everyone know how it worked.
I have read about people with skin problems using MOM, skin issues such as psoriasis, heat rash, acne, it seems to be pretty safe to use, I haven’t (to date) read of any negative reactions to MOM applied topically. If you are one of the more sensitive people, and you know why you are, you might want to do a patch test on a small spot first to make sure you will not react negatively before slathering this all over yourself. Just pick a spot, your inner arm near the inside bend of your elbow is a good place to test, gently clean the spot, apply some MOM in about a dime to quarter size, allow it to dry, and wait a full 24 hours, if you don’t have any redness or other reactions, you should be good to go. Just remember that it IS drying, so if you have dry skin to begin with, you probably don’t want to use MOM on your skin, or at the very least be sure to moisturize afterward.
I have not heard about it stinging sensitive or broken skin either, I use it as a deodorant and have used it on freshly shaved arm pit skin, I’m not particularly sensitive, BUT if I’m going to have a reaction, that’s when it will happen.
Using it as a masque, it’s recommended to use once or twice a week, use your best judgement, if it is too drying for your skin, then cut back, if it’s working for you and you don’t notice dryness, you can use it more often, you can also use it on the T-zone, that’s what I do. People with dry to very dry skin probably shouldn’t use this on your face (it should be OK as a deodorant though), as I said, experiment and see what works best for you. If you like what it is doing but it is a bit too drying, then apply a light moisturizer afterward to combat the dryness. Those of you with sensitive skin, do the patch test first.
There are different thoughts on whether to get the name brand or the generics (store brands), I use the generic with no problems, some swear by the name brands, just don’t get the flavored ones, get the plain flavor, and you probably want to get the smallest bottle you can, it is going to last a long time, even in the small bottles. Funny thing, I just noticed yesterday when I was applying MOM as a deodorant, I read the bottle and it’s mint flavored… I don’t really smell the mint unless I stick my nose in the bottle. Next time I buy some I’ll be sure to get the plain flavor, but for what it’s worth, I don’t notice the mint scent, oh well I guess at worst I’ll have minty fresh armpits LOL! I’m not going to toss this bottle to get a plain flavored one, I’m too frugal for that, I can live with this until it’s gone.
I’ve given 2 empty roll on deodorant bottles to PB, the idea is to extract the roller ball for me so I can clean the bottles and refill them with MOM, replace the ball and I should be good to go. PB’s first attempt at removing the ball resulted in a smashed bottle, he tried laying it on its side and whacking it with a rubber mallet, the idea was the sudden rise in air pressure would pop the ball out, that was a no-go, it didn’t work, it busted the bottom of the bottle. I have at least 2 more empty roll on deodorant bottles and one that isn’t quite empty, but since I have no plans on using the product anymore, I don’t mind losing the remainder of the product inside. I might have to give this a go, removing the ball myself, sometimes men just don’t have that gentle touch that a woman has.
OK, so far I have learned that MOM can be used as a deodorant, as an oily skin facial masque and as a primer for your face. Next time I’ll discuss in more detail the ways MOM works on problem skin, things like heat rash and such, be sure to look for part 3, coming to a computer near you. :)