AcneTalks

Time and again various ingredients and substances have been used to treat acne. Yet another in line of these substances is milk of magnesia. But does it really help cure acne? Let us find out.

What is milk of magnesia?
In simple words, Milk of magnesia is a hydroxide of magnesium. The chemical formula of milk of magnesia is Mg(OH)2. This substances works as a laxative and is generally prescribed to treat constipation.

How does milk of magnesia treat acne?
One of the primary causes of acne is excessive sebum. when the sebaceous glands present under the skin surface produce excessive sebum, this oil or sebum is unable to travel through the length of the hair shaft. As a result, this sebum gets clogged within the skin pores and results in acne.

Milk of magnesia works on this main cause of acne i.e. excessive sebum. This chemical substance is alkaline in nature and draws out excessive sebum from the skin surface. It keeps your skin oil free and helps control acne.

Further on, milk of magnesia has antibacterial properties as well. It curbs the growth of causative organisms and controls your acne condition. Milk of magnesia even works as a disinfecting agent in case the acne burns and becomes septic.

How to use?
Milk of magnesia is used for topical application to treat acne. Dab some amount of this chemical substance on a cotton ball and gently apply it on the acne prone area. Milk of magnesia is used in several ways to cure acne affected skin.

It can be used as a cleanser. You can apply it on your face and then wash off after few minutes. Alternatively, you could even use milk of magnesia as a toner after cleansing the skin. There are some people who even use milk of magnesia as a make up base. Apply a thin layer of this ingredient and then you can apply your make up. This prevents the skin from becoming too oily.

Should I use it?
Well, milk of magnesia may help control your acne to quite an extent but it cannot be considered as a complete solution to problem skin. This ingredient offers only limited results as far as acne treatment is concerned. Milk of magnesia may work in the case of mild to moderate acne but it offers limited result in case of severe acne.

Also, milk of magnesia is a feasible option only if you have oily skin. Since this ingredient is alkaline in nature, it dries up the skin, which makes it unsuitable for people with dry skin types. Also, even if you have normal skin, this ingredient could result in extreme dryness and tightening of skin.

So, if you want to use milk of magnesia for acne treatment, make sure that you consider the pros and cons well.