For over a year now, I have been hearing of makeup artists using Milk of Magnesia (MoM), especially the Philip’s brand of the antacid as a facial primer. A lot of women swear by this antacid, most especially those with oily skins, that if they do not use a good primer, their makeup would turn into a melted disaster before the end of the day.
The truth is that milk of magnesia is da truth when it comes to keeping the oil at bay and making your make up look stay the same all day long, but is it really good for consistent and daily use? That is what today’s post is all about tackling.
In as much as you may love you MoM, it isn’t something that should be used on a daily basis and here are the few reasons why.
What makes the MoM very effective in absorbing oil you may wonder, it is the magnesium hydroxide it contains which enables it absorb fats in the skin and since this magnesium hydroxide is coupled with sodium hypochlorite, its oil absorbing power is increased.
Milk of magnesia has a very high ph level of 10.5 and it is alkaline. The facial skin has a slightly acidic ph level (that is why most skin care products are formulated with ph between 5-8). The ph level of the skin allows the thriving of good bacteria and the death of the bad ones. This gives the skin a modicum of protection. Now, the constant use of MoM can damage this acidic mantle and this can allow those bad bacteria to get through the skin and cause irritation. It can also dry out the skin as well and because it is drying, it is not advisable that people that are prone to dry skin should use it too.
Apart from the fact that it dries out the skin, it can also impede the skin’s ability to shed its dead layers off.
So, yes, MoM can be very beneficial in helping keep your oily face at bay and enjoy the best out of your makeup products, and shouldn’t be used all the time, but if you have to be on fleek on a daily basis and this is your go to primer, I think you should re-think your decision and leave the milk of magnesia for your special events only.
