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Is It Safe To Put Milk of Magnesia in Your Armpits?

Q. “I read in our local newspaper about using Milk of Magnesia to prevent body odor.  I called the company asking about the risks of long term usage and they have none.

“Do you know if using milk of magnesia on your underarms causes problem over the long term?

“It works great and my son is thankful. We both use it daily.  No body odor here.”

A. Our only concern about using liquid milk of magnesia off the shelf is the preservative sodium hypochlorite (bleach). Although it is probably found in low concentrations and the FDA has apparently approved this ingredient for oral use in this liquid laxative, we have some reservations about regular ingestion or application to delicate underarm tissues. That is one reason why we have developed The People’s Pharmacy MoM (milk of magnesia) Roll-On Deodorant. To learn more about the history of this product, here is link to a short video.

Readers report that MoM can be helpful for a range of conditions. Just recently we heard that some women were using it to banish breast rashes:

“I have been using the People’s Pharmacy MoM deodorant under my breasts for itchy fungal rashes. I use my hair dryer to dry the MoM. The rash usually clears up in 2 days. LOVE MOM!” Joann

“I read your comments about using milk of magnesia as a deodorant, and was VERY SKEPTICAL.  I had tried vinegar, regular and so-called ‘natural’ deodorants, but nothing worked.  So I thought, why not?  I am shocked and gleefully excited to say that it works!!  After my shower last night I put some on (I usually get funky overnight).  I woke up fresh as a daisy.”

“I put a little more on this morning, and today in Chicago it is in the upper 80’s and humid!  I am still dry and fresh!  I have suffered with STRONG underarm odor since I was 12 years old, and believe me, as a woman, it is embarrassing.  I am so happy to have found something that works.  I just wish I had known about this sooner.  I have spent so much money on other things to no avail.  And MOM is only 6 dollars a pop, and will probably last me at least 2 months/bottle.

“Thanks to all of you for your comments.  They made me brave enough to try MoM and I am glad I did!  I will keep you up to date on my progress, but I am telling EVERYONE I KNOW TO TRY THIS!!!  What a blessing!” Debra

Not everyone is satisfied with MoM. It is not an antiperspirant, so there is some sweating going on. But if you would like to learn more, here is a link to aluminum-free MoM from The People’s Pharmacy.

Share your own MoM experience below.

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About the Author
Joe Graedon is a pharmacologist who has dedicated his career to making drug information understandable to consumers. His best-selling book, The People’s Pharmacy, was published in 1976 and led to a syndicated newspaper column, syndicated public radio show and web site. In 2006, Long Island University awarded him an honorary doctorate as “one of the country's leading drug experts for the consumer.”.
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