Frequently Asked Questions

We’re all flooded with information. So many things are said to be important that it’s hard to know what really matters, which is why a lot of people go through periods of simply stopping all their supplements. It’s just too much. Sometimes we need to pause and think about what is actually natural and what our ancestors used to do.

Our ancestors bathed in, drank and washed in natural waters. Think of this as an ancestral diet for your supplements. I always ask clients to consider what they’re taking, how it’s made and what chemical processes are used to create the concoctions they’re putting into their bodies.

Magnesium is like the lifeblood of the Earth. It’s in all natural springs and waters, just as it should be in the water your own body is made of. We are a metaphysical manifestation of the Earth, with our own biome, just like hers. To survive, we first need oxygen, then hydrogen with that oxygen to make water, and water is what carries vital nutrients through the body. That’s where magnesium comes in. (Zinc comes right after that.)

But because I like to challenge myself, I’d say what we really need is love and energy. With love and energy, everything is possible. That’s what this little store is: a small company creating energy, love and abundance in all of our lives, so we can take on anything and, most importantly, come together in unity.

So ask as many questions as you like. We want our shop to welcome you with open arms and an open mind to what’s possible. We only make products from what the Earth has provided.

Magnesium is one of the busiest minerals in your body. It powers over 300 enzyme reactions, and researchers have found it binds to more than 3,700 proteins in the human body. It plays a role in making serotonin and melatonin, balancing hormones, sleep, muscle and nerve function, energy, and how your body handles stress and inflammation. When levels run low, people often notice poor sleep, anxiety, tension, headaches and muscle cramps, and most of us get less than we need. Modern food, water and lifestyles give us far less magnesium than people used to get from mineral-rich water, oceans and hot springs. New to magnesium? Start with Magnesium 101.

Common signs people notice include muscle cramps, restless legs, trouble sleeping, tension, headaches and feeling wired or tired. Standard blood tests don’t always show it, because most of your magnesium is stored in your cells and bones. Read Am I Magnesium Deficient? for more.

Topical magnesium chloride is how people traditionally got their magnesium: by swimming in the ocean and soaking in hot springs. Applying it to the skin skips the digestive system, so it doesn’t cause the stomach upset some people get from pills. See Magnesium Chloride vs Supplements.

It’s a pure, naturally occurring magnesium chloride from the ancient Zechstein sea bed deep underground in Northern Europe, protected from modern pollution. It’s what we’ve used in every Mila Earth product for 20 years, with no waxes, fillers or alcohols.

A tingle is very common, and it’s not an allergic reaction. In my 20 years of making magnesium, I’ve found it’s strongest when people first start, when the body seems to soak it up like a little sponge. For most people it fades within 30 to 40 days of daily use, unless they’re dealing with ongoing inflammation or a lot of stress, which is most of us in everyday life! Some people notice it comes back now and then in the areas where they hold tension, like the neck and shoulders. I see that as your body talking to you: a gentle nudge to breathe, slow down and let that area release. Tip: skip freshly shaved or broken skin, and if you ever get a rash that doesn’t settle, rinse it off and take a break.

Almost everyone. If you can swim in the ocean or sit in a hot spring, you can use magnesium chloride, since it’s the same mineral. Patch-test if you have a known allergy to an ingredient like shea butter. If you’re pregnant or nursing, have kidney disease, or have a specific medical condition, it’s good practice to check with your doctor first.

Use it daily like a vitamin: about 14 to 20 sprays all over your body from the neck down. It’s great before bed and before or after exercise. Shop Magnesium Oil.

Keep a jar by your bed and massage it into the soles of your feet, knees, hips and any joints that need it. It absorbs slowly, which makes it lovely at night. Shop Body Butter.

The ritual Katerina uses herself: Magnesium Oil in the morning, Body Butter at night, and a Magnesium Bath Flakes soak once a week or more.

Use them in a warm bath or a foot soak: 1 cup per bath is a great start, and 1 to 3 cups depending on your needs. On the days when you’re at the end of your rope, don’t be shy, use more than one cup! Soak for at least 20 minutes. For years I used an inflatable hot tub filled with magnesium flakes, and now that we have a proper hot tub I still add plain flakes to it. Some of our clients soak in magnesium every single day. After many thousands of conversations over 20 years, what I hear again and again, including from people living with chronic health challenges, is that a regular magnesium bath has become one of the most comforting parts of their routine. Shop Bath Flakes.

The Magnesium Body Butter and Magnesium Oil together are the combination our customers come back for again and again for cramps, restless legs and better sleep. A regular magnesium bath is a great addition. For foot and heel pain, read The Magnesium Missing Link.

This one is personal for Katerina: her kids and husband all had eczema, and none of them do anymore. Magnesium baths and the Body Butter are what she recommends. Magnesium can sting on open or broken patches at first; that passes, so go gently.

Absolutely! We make a special Magnesium Spray for Children at 25% of our regular strength, and our Body Butters and Bath Flakes are lovely for little ones too. For babies, choose the unscented Body Butter and use just a small handful of flakes in the bath, and check with your doctor for babies under one. One of my favourite parenting hacks when my kids were little was to take a magnesium bath with them. The babies would sit on me, we’d all soak in the magnesium, and then everyone went to bed happy and content. It became the heart of our family’s bedtime routine, and parents tell us it helps them relax too.

Katerina wrote about her own approach in Magnesium Chloride, Maca and NMN: The Midlife Hormone Trinity. Magnesium Oil in the morning, Body Butter at night and at least one magnesium soak a week is her starting point.

Magnesium can’t undo years and years of wear, tension and strain, and it isn’t a treatment for conditions like sciatica or arthritis, so please keep working with your health practitioner. What it can do is help you feel a whole lot more comfortable. We recommend sticking with the Trinity: Magnesium Oil, Body Butter and regular magnesium baths. If you only do one thing, make it the baths, because they’re so effective. For hotspots, our favourites are the Ohhh Shit… That Works Release Roll-On and Neck Candy. Ohhh Shit already contains DMSO, which is why we recommend it. We know it’s one of our pricier products, and we work hard to keep our prices low. Neck Candy pairs really well with our DMSO Magnesium Spray.

Hands down, my routine for the last 20 years has been Age Defy. I used to call the key ingredient lipids, but the terminology has changed. It’s Matrixyl, a very well-known peptide. I use it on my face, around my eyes, and on my neck and décolletage. The three products I can’t live without are Age Defy, the Copper Renew Serum (copper peptides, SNAP-8, Matrixyl and hyaluronic acid) and the Super Hydra Spray (collagen, CoQ10, rosewater and rosehip oil).

Because I’ve tried many, many natural deodorants and I think most of them are bunk, so I came up with this formula, and it works swimmingly. Take a small amount, rub it between your hands to warm it up, and apply it under your arms. Because it comes in a pot, it’s a little messier than a stick, but you can also use it on your feet and other sweaty spots, and the whole family can share it. That’s why we make so many scents, and we can’t keep it in stock. You’ll find plenty of similar formulas online now, but we’ve been making our Magnesium Deodorant for over 20 years, and with good reason.

We use real, fresh ingredients without synthetic preservatives, so our products are made in small batches and meant to be used, not stored for years. Read Fresh Matters.

Yes: free shipping within Canada on orders over $150. The 20-cup (Big Bertha) and 50-cup (Giant) bath flake bags are excluded because of their weight.

We ship with ClickShip at very affordable rates, calculated at checkout. Big order? No need to split it up: we’ll simply ship it in two boxes.

Yes, but not through online checkout. Email in**@*******th.com with what you’d like, and Katerina will arrange your order and shipping personally.

Yes, to the UK and Europe, with real-time carrier rates shown at checkout.

Yes. You can pick up at our West Vancouver location by calling ahead, or collect at one of our markets. We also deliver free on the North Shore (houses only, not apartments).

Because our products are handmade body care, we do not offer refunds or exchanges. If you’re unsure what to choose, Ask Kat or email us before you order, and we’ll help you pick the right product.

Sound baths (including our Infrared Sound Bath with magnesium), hands-on workshops like Magnesium Soap, Magnesium Bath and Chestnut & Ivy Laundry Soap, and seasonal evenings like Shop Till You Drop. See the events calendar.

Event tickets are non-refundable and can’t be moved to another date, like a concert ticket, because our spaces are small and seats are limited.

Please arrive at least 15 minutes early. Once a sound bath has begun, we can’t seat latecomers, as it disturbs the other guests.

Yes. Our Private Sound Bath & Magnesium Hot Tub experience is for your own group, with the gazebo, hot tub, wine and light snacks.

Yes. Anyone at an in-person Mila Earth event gets 10% off products that day, and paying cash saves you a little more.

At farmers markets across BC, including UBC Farm, Port Moody, Squamish and Langley through the winter, and always in stock at Makers at the Shipyards (North Vancouver), The Storehouse (Main Street, Vancouver), Makers at Bower Place (Red Deer) and Next General Mercantile (Williams Lake). See all market dates.

Yes, for stores, spas and practitioners. See our wholesale page or email in**@*******th.com.