Who would have thought that the thick, white, chalky, foul mixture called Milk of Magnesia (MoM), normally used as a laxative, could be used for other health issues. Yes, according to Joe and Terry Graedon's The People's Pharmacy, Milk of Magnesia may help with the following:
1. ACNE: Rub it on face, at bedtime. One reader wrote how it helped their son's cystic nodular acne. The Graedons had no explanation as to why it helped.
2. SEBORRHEIC DERMATITIS: Rub on skin. According to the Graedons this has been known to help.
3. ANTIPERSPIRANT/DEODORANT: Spread on underarms with fingers. Some people swear by this. And, it's safe to use because it contains no aluminum. And no stains.
I have no idea if any of these home remedies actually work, but it's probably worth a try. If MoM is made to ingest, there certainly shouldn't be a problem applying it to the skin.
However, I remember being told, as a teen, that Mercurochrome was good for skin problems. So, I liberally applied it to my face one evening. I was scheduled to take the SATs the following day. When I woke up the next morning and went to wash it off, I found that nothing could remove the red splotches plastered all over my face. They failed to specify it had to be the white Mercurochrome.
Considering Milk of Magnesia is white, you should have no problems.
UPDATE 10/08: I decided to give it a try as a deoderant, and it does work!
