SIMPLY RESTORE: IT STARTED WITH MOM
Some products start because someone spots a gap in the market. Simply Restore didn't.
It started with Mom.
When she was going through chemotherapy, she was dealing with neuropathy and discomfort. I couldn't fix what she was going through. I wish I could have. But I could try making something for her.
At the time, I was using lard Mom had rendered herself. And I remember the smell. 😂 Maybe it needed to be rendered another time, but I wasn't crazy about it.
Mom was sensitive to fragrances during chemo. I chose frankincense essential oil to soften that smell without overwhelming her. Not because I had researched some amazing therapeutic benefit. Not because I was designing a product line.
I was a daughter trying to bring her mom a little comfort.
That's how Simply Restore began.
HOW DID IT BECOME A PRODUCT?
Over time I changed the recipe, including switching from lard to tallow. I've shared more about that decision in my earlier journal post, “Did I Drink the Tallow Kool-Aid?”
I kept making the lotion, and eventually customers started telling me how they used it. People have shared that they enjoy its texture, the experience of applying it, and making it part of their everyday routines. Some also ask me about magnesium and why I chose to include it.
I love hearing from people who use something I've made. Those messages matter to me.
But there's a difference between listening to a customer's experience and claiming I have scientific proof of what caused it.
And that's where my questions started.
BUT WHY MAGNESIUM?
Magnesium is essential to our bodies. It plays important roles in normal muscle and nerve function. That's established science.
So I started looking for research about magnesium lotion. And wouldn't you know it—I went down a rabbit trail. 😂
Here's what surprised me: much of the research people cite is about magnesium taken by mouth, not magnesium rubbed onto the skin.
Those aren't interchangeable.
I make my magnesium solution from magnesium chloride flakes and distilled water, then incorporate it into the lotion. But I can't honestly tell you how much magnesium, if any meaningful amount, enters someone's bloodstream from using my finished lotion. Research hasn't established reliable systemic absorption through intact skin from products like this.
That means I also can't say Simply Restore is proven to treat neuropathy, restless legs, arthritis, cramps, pain, or insomnia. It hasn't been clinically tested for those conditions.
I know that answer isn't as exciting as some of the promises floating around online. But I would rather keep learning than repeat something I can't back up.
AND THE FRANKINCENSE?
Another interesting lesson.
Frankincense comes from Boswellia trees. Researchers have studied certain Boswellia resin extracts, including for joint-related conditions. But a resin extract taken by mouth isn't the same as the frankincense essential oil I put in my lotion.
It's not accurate to take results from those studies and assume they apply to my recipe.
The truth is simpler: I first chose frankincense because of Mom's sensitivity to smells and the scent of the homemade lard. That's my story. I don't need to make it sound more scientific than it was.
WHAT'S ACTUALLY IN THE JAR?
My lotion combines a magnesium chloride solution with an oil blend that includes tallow, olive oil, coconut oil, and shea butter. Those fats help give it a rich, moisturizing feel. An emulsifier brings the water and oils together, and a preservative is included because a water-containing lotion needs protection against microbial growth. The finished formula still needs appropriate safety and preservative-effectiveness testing. Frankincense gives it its scent.
I enjoy the feel of this lotion, and I know people tell me they enjoy using it. Massage, moisturization, and the simple routine of taking a few minutes for yourself can all be part of a comforting experience. But I can't tell you which factor explains anyone else's experience.
And something being homemade or made with ingredients I chose carefully doesn't mean it can't irritate skin. Magnesium chloride can sting, especially on irritated or broken skin, and essential oils can cause reactions too. Burning is not evidence that someone is magnesium-deficient or that a product is working. If a lotion burns, wash it off and stop using it.
WHAT I'M STILL LEARNING
I started digging into the research because customers kept telling me why they reached for Simply Restore. I thought I might find a neat explanation for everything they described.
Instead, I found a mixture of well-established facts about magnesium in the body, limited research about magnesium applied to the skin, and some big marketing claims that go beyond what studies actually show.
And I think that's worth talking about.
I want Simple Farm Life to be a place where I can tell you what I use, why I use it, what I notice, and what I still don't know. I'm not trying to win an argument over ingredients or promise that something I make can replace medical care.
Mom isn't here for me to tell her about all of this now. I wish she were.
But I still think of her when I make Simply Restore. It started with something she had made with her own hands, and with me trying to make a hard season just a little gentler.
That part of the story hasn't changed.
Simple. Honest. Beautiful.
SOURCES & FURTHER READING
These are background resources, not studies of Simply Restore itself.
Gröber U. et al. “Myth or Reality—Transdermal Magnesium?” Nutrients, 2017.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28788060/
National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, “Boswellia.”
https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/boswellia
Cochrane, “Magnesium for muscle cramps.”
https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD009402_magnesium-muscle-cramps
FDA, “Is It a Cosmetic, a Drug, or Both? (Or Is It Soap?).”
https://www.fda.gov/cosmetics/cosmetics-laws-regulations/it-cosmetic-drug-or-both-or-is-it-soap
