CareMag®: High-Purity Dead Sea Magnesium for Clean Personal Care

It's time to discover CareMag®, an innovative personal care brand based on high-purity magnesium sourced from the Dead Sea. Used in aluminum-free deodorants, anti-chafe creams, diaper rash products and cosmetics, CareMag® delivers effective odor control and moisture absorption – alongside numerous skin benefits.

CareMag® Begins: ICL’s Transition to Personal Care

ICL's tradition of creating groundbreaking solutions based on high-purity magnesium began many years ago.  Addressing a wide variety of industrial needs, ICL sources natural minerals from the Dead Sea and uses unique production methods to manufacture highly pure magnesium oxides, hydroxides, carbonates and chlorides.

Over the years, the continued investment in high production standards prompted ICL to develop Dead Sea magnesium solutions specifically for the pharmaceutical and food sectors. After positioning itself as a global leader of magnesium solutions for food and pharma, it was only natural that the next step would be developing revolutionary Mg-based products for cosmetics and personal care. The result is CareMag® - a series of solutions that effectively address relevant market needs – and respond to a growing demand for healthier care products.

The Unique Attributes of CareMag® Magnesium

What makes CareMag® so unique? For starters, its purity and source. CareMag® solutions are based on magnesium sourced from Dead Sea brine – a unique raw material not found anywhere else. But that's far from the only reason.

ICL uses complex and wholly unique production methods to control the qualities of magnesium oxide, hydroxide and carbonate, which enable the manufacturing of a wide range of distinct solutions based on these inorganic compounds. ICL has the ability to develop and manufacture magnesium products that differ in material density, particle surface area, morphology and particle size distribution, which translates into solutions with unique characteristics such as viscosity, compressibility, liquid adsorption, and chemical reactivity. These characteristics are very helpful in a variety of personal care applications – hair care, body odor prevention, skin care, cosmetics, diaper rash treatment and more – that require specific properties to ensure effectiveness.

CareMag®: A Major Mg Boost for Personal Care

CareMag's impact is evident across a wide range of personal care applications. Let's take a closer look:

Natural Deodorants

Anti-Chafe Treatment

Skin chafing is caused due to moist skin friction – a common occurrence during sporting activities. Common anti-chafing products are applied similarly to a deodorant stick. CareMag® is an effective anti-chafing solution due to magnesium carbonate's ability to absorb moisture. Many products use starch as a moisture absorbent, which can encourage bacteria growth and may lead to a bacterial skin infection, while CareMag® is natural-based and therefore does not cultivate bacterial growth. Additionally, testing has shown that CareMag® possesses skin relaxing qualities and provides the skin with a protective barrier that prevents chafing.

Diaper Rash Treatment

Diaper rash occurs due to moisture and certain elements that accumulate within the diaper and irritate the skin – a condition that is often accelerated due to bacteria that bask in the body's natural warmth. To avoid diaper rash, the area inside the diaper must remain moisture-free, and the skin must be protected with a barrier. CareMag® B was developed specifically to address diaper rash via effective moisture absorption and a protective natural-based skin barrier. Zinc oxide, a common diaper rash ingredient, creates a dense white barrier that is often unpleasant to the touch.  CareMag® B, on the other hand, has a smooth and pleasant feeling and is easy to spread.  CareMag® B is also highly pure from a chemical standpoint. Zinc often includes high lead levels that do not comply with standards such as the California Proposition 65 Act, while  CareMag® B's lead levels are extremely low. So low, in fact, that laboratories often find them difficult to hard to identify, measure and quantify.

Dry Shampoo

Applied as powder, dry shampoo is a very popular personal care product, and manufacturers strive to make their dry shampoos as easy to use as possible. Ideally, dry shampoos should also absorb sweat and hair oils to keep hair refreshed. Developed for dry shampoo products, CareMag® ST is based on low density magnesium carbonate that assists shampoo flow and enhances liquid absorption. Unlike many dry shampoo solutions that include starch, which is a nutrient for microbes, CareMag® is a non-organic mineral-based product that does not nurture bacterial growth like starch does.

Peeling Masks

Used to remove the skin's dead skin cells from its surface, peeling masks usually contains gentle enzymes that exfoliate the skin. CareMag® M was developed specifically for mild facial skin exfoliation, while also serving as a filler that addresses peeling mask volume and density requirements. CareMag® M does not dissolve in water, making it ideal for water or oil-based peeling masks. Furthermore, CareMag® M's qualities can be tailored to specific peeling mask specifications, including material granularity, density and flowability.

Healing Masks

Healing masks help calm, repair, and restore the skin barrier – rather than exfoliate or peel. This requires qualities that benefit skin health, and that can help reduce skin redness. Defined as a Natural Ingredient Source, CareMag® M is based on magnesium sourced from the Dead Sea – a globally renowned source for high-quality personal care solutions. Magnesium's positive effect on the skin is well documented – treating erythema, encourages enzyme activity required for collagen production that benefits skin flexibility, and therefore can prevent wrinkles. Tests reveal that participants who used CareMag® M face masks reported high satisfaction levels, as their skin felt healthier, cleaner and more vital.

Cosmetics

To be successful, cosmetic powders require certain non-negotiable qualities such as anti-caking properties and high flowability for easy skin dispersion.

CareMag's line of solutions carry a wide range of qualities that can be tailored for specific cosmetic products – with CareMag® SB or CareMag® ST being the preferred choice due to their excellent flowability. Thanks to the prowess of magnesium carbonate, CareMag® solutions act as bulking agents that add fluffiness and facilitate fragrance absorption. They also function as mattifying agents that reduce shine through high absorbency, and as absorbents that remove oil and moisture.

CareMag®: Natural-Based Options for Great Personal Care

CareMag® is a solution line engineered for multiple added value, representing a healthier, cleaner choice for today's personal care industry. Directly benefitting consumers, CareMag® solutions harness high-purity Dead Sea magnesium and cutting-edge innovation to deliver great results.

CareMag® solutions can be formulated for your personal care products. To find out more, please contact Ron Guy, Personal Care Product Manager: [email protected]

Want to read more about ICL's magnesium innovation? Browse our article library:

CareMag® D: Giving deodorants the magnesium advantage

Under the MAGnifying Glass: Exploring the Wonders of Magnesium

Unleash Mineral Power: Applying Magnesium to Textiles with TextiMag