Can Milk Of Magnesia Really Help You Stop Sweating?

Breaking a sweat while listening to your favorite beats and lifting weights at the gym can feel almost therapeutic. And walking out of a SoulCycle class completely drenched in your own moisture feels amazing. Partaking in a Bikram yoga class? Bring on the heat! What we're trying to say is that sweating is no big deal when it happens while working out. But boasting pit stains through your silk shirt at work, or constantly dabbing your forehead while on an intriguing first date. Well, that's another story. That's when uncontrollable sweating can be downright uncomfortable.

There are ways to reduce unwelcomed perspiration. Healthline recommends investing in a high-functioning antiperspirant, or wearing more-breathable clothing. If you're willing to take more extreme measures, you can also receive botox injections or have a surgery to remove your sweat glands. Different tactics work for different people. Though we have stumbled across one alternative method that is pretty intriguing. Enter milk of magnesia?

According to Medical News Today, milk of magnesia is also known as magnesium hydroxide. It can be purchased as an over-the-counter drug and does not need a prescription. The most common uses of this drug are to relieve constipation, and help with indigestion and heartburn. Though it is now a questionable candidate as an antiperspirant.

There is nothing on the label to recommend this drug is an aid to sweating less when applied topically to the skin. Though Health states that many are raving over this laxative's ability to keep people from sweating off their makeup. "Applying it to the skin could draw water in the form of sweat from the skin," says dermatologist Gary Goldenberg of New York City's Goldenberg Dermatology to Health. He goes on to say that its effectiveness is debatable. Applying a layer of milk of magnesia may keep your makeup in place. But what about when it is used in place of a traditional deodorant?

Joshua Zeichner, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital, tells Health that this drug could also be "technically" used under the armpits to help prevent those dreaded pit stains. But, "I do not recommend using it," Dr. Zeichner says. Adding, "Cosmetically, it is extremely unpleasant to apply on the skin. It would need to be applied as a mask, left to dry, then washed off."

Per Medical News Today, milk of magnesia is an effective and well-known drug to help with constipation and digestive issues. Using it topically as an anti-sweat product may be helpful, but the experts aren't convinced. Byrdie recommends that if you want to try milk of magnesia in place of your deodorant, be aware of its chalky thick texture. And that for less mess, you might want to consider straying it on with a spray bottle and not wiping it on with your fingers.

There are many methods to help tame your sweat. If you are curious to try out milk of magnesia, then be aware of the mess and possible ineffectiveness as an anti-sweat product. If it doesn't work, then just know you have the rest of the bottle available for the next time you experience uncomfortable digestive issues.