Topical Melatonin Lotion for Pain Relief: Recipe + Success Stories

Hi Koys,

I don't think there is currently enough human data to draw a definitive conclusion for your question, but this 2023 review article gives some very good clues and when you take into consideration the known anticarcinogenic effects of melatonin as well as its very good safety profile, it definitely should be a molecule of interest when it comes to skin cancer / melanoma :

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589909023000059#:~:text=Skin cancer, such as HSP70 and Nrf2.

Here are a couple of relevant quotes from the review :

' In skin tumors, melatonin has inhibitory effects on melanoma in vitro and in vivo. Fischer et al. found that the oncostatic effect of melatonin was related to its concentration and co-culture duration with melanoma cells, but was also relevant to the specific melatonin receptors expressed on the membranes and nuclei of cells. Cells expressing nuclear receptors exhibited stronger growth inhibition, whereas cells expressing MT2 receptors on cell membranes were more sensitive to the inhibitory effect of melatonin [49]. Reiter and colleagues found that mice with knockout of NQO2 (which encodes melatonin-binding sites in the cytoplasm) increased their susceptibility to carcinogens and were more likely to develop skin tumors [27]. Lv et al. analyzed RNA-sequencing data from The Cancer Genome Atlas. They found the melatonin system in the tumor microenvironment to have predictive value for the prognosis of skin melanoma. Patients with a high melatonin synthesis/metabolic index had a better prognosis and fewer patients were at an advanced stage of disease, whereas patients with a low melatonin synthesis/metabolic index had higher immunogenicity, which suggested a stronger response to immunotherapy. In the group with a low melatonin synthesis/metabolism index, the enrichment of genes related to hypoxia, inflammation, proliferation, metastasis, and DNA damage implied that melatonin could inhibit tumors through these processes, but the detailed mechanism has yet to be elucidated. Lv et al. demonstrated that the melatonin synthesis/metabolism index was an independent predictor after including disease stage for adjustment in multivariable models, which suggested that melatonin might affect the prognosis through biological mechanisms other than inhibiting carcinogenesis and proliferation [50]. Melatonin also modulates melanin synthesis. Alvarez-Artime et al. found that in a murine melanoma cell line (B16–F10), melatonin could alter the cytoskeleton, reduce the level of cyclin-dependent kinase-1, and slow-down mitosis to leave tumor cells in the G2/M cycle for a long time, thereby inhibiting proliferation of B16–F10 cells [51]. Studies have demonstrated that in melanoma, melatonin can reduce production of the antioxidant enzyme SOD in tumors [52]. Those reports suggest that melatonin may be a candidate drug to treat skin cancer by producing ROS. However, Ozben and colleagues stated that melatonin also produced ROS and caused tumorigenesis [53]. Therefore, the anti-tumor properties of melatonin through the production of free radicals need to be studied further. Bonmati-Carrion et al. showed that melatonin induced the apoptosis of melanoma cells [54]. In that study, melatonin (millimolar range) reduced the viability of melanoma cells significantly. This effect was shown to be related to activation of an apoptotic pathway triggered by an increased level of ROS, but the mechanism was not clarified. Perdomo et al. found that melatonin could regulate the phosphorylation of glycogen synthase kinase-3β and activate the microphthalmia transcription factor, which regulated melatonin synthesis. Glycogen synthase kinase-3β could increase ROS and melanin by itself or by inhibiting the Nrf2 signaling pathway [55]. However, contrary evidence suggests that melatonin can reduce melanin production [56], which suggests that melatonin exerts anti-tumor effects by influencing melanin production. '

' Accumulating evidence has shown that melatonin has anti-tumoral properties, but also exerts anti-inflammatory and antioxidation effects by controlling tumor augmentation. In melanoma, melatonin can induce apoptosis through several pro-apoptotic proteins, such as HSP70 and Nrf2. Furthermore, it exerts anti-inflammatory effects through the NF-κB pathway and phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B/mammalian target of rapamycin pathway, which could be sites for therapeutic intervention [72]. The anti-cancer property of melatonin makes it a promising candidate for adjuvant therapy in melanoma. Also, compared with other chemical products, the natural metabolism of melatonin in human cells has lower toxicity. Hao et al. demonstrated melatonin synergistically strengthened vemurafenib-induced inhibition of proliferation, colony formation, migration, invasion, apoptosis, cell-cycle arrest, and “stemness” weakening in melanoma cells. Melatonin inhibited nuclear translocation of NF-κB p50/p65 and their binding to iNOS and human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT) promoters, thereby suppressing expression of iNOS and hTERT [73]. Scholars have elucidated that melatonin can inhibit angiogenesis in tumor tissues by complex mechanisms, thereby restraining growth and migration of tumorous gastric, breast, and ovarian cells [74]. In melanoma, angiogenesis is an important indicator of tumor aggressiveness and poor clinical outcome, but studies investigating this role of melatonin in melanoma are lacking. '

So the above quotes give known methods of action by which melatonin should offer anti skin cancer / anti melanoma effects, but actual human studies are lacking, which is hard to understand why they are lacking given the very good safety profile of melatonin in humans.

I am of the opinion that lotion may not be the most optimal delivery agent for this purpose.

Art

Hi Gary,

I am very happy that your wife was able to relieve her trigger finger issue and pain so quickly! Please tell your wife she is welcome! Thank you, Gary, for coming back to let us know about another benefit from melatonin lotion as the list is growing fairly quickly!

Art

Hi Dave,

Melatonin powder is available in one strength, but manufacturers describe using different amounts to equal so many milligrams such as 3 mg or 10 mg. They are basically mentioning the dose they are recommending and sometimes include a scoop for the amount they are recommending.

So any bulk powder melatonin should work. Earth Clinic has posted an easier mix that requires just one, 1/4 teaspoon at level full to make a 3 ounce melatonin lotion mix. You can find that in the original article where it has been added today.

A $20 bag of melatonin powder should contain about 25 grams of melatonin and that should be enough melatonin to make at least 25 mixes of melatonin lotion.

Skip the $200 bag of melatonin. My friends used the bag of melatonin that EC linked to in the article which is around $20.

Art

Hya, Hyacinth!

I noted this in the links above --- maybe it was a later addition?

Am doing research for my brother and a couple of friends, and maybe for myself before too long since 69 y/o knees feeling the stresses now.

Where to Buy Melatonin Powder

Bulk Supplements sells a large bag of pure melatonin powder reasonably priced.

Melatonin Powder Bulk Supplements - $18.96 for 25 grams - 8,333 servings

Hi Hyacinth,

I didn't actually add any links for ingredients in the article, but I believe this is the link that EC put into the article for melatonin powder :

https://www.amazon.com/BulkSupplements-Melatonin-Powder-25-grams/dp/B00JV46FFU/?_encoding=UTF8&tag=earthclinic-20&linkCode=ur2&linkId=1dbf8479885aa6ed0a8c480eedd56512&camp=1789&creative=9325&th=1

This bag will be enough for 25 four ounce jars of the mix described in the article.

This is the common lotion that my friends used to make their melatonin lotion :

https://www.amazon.com/Moisturizer-Hydrating-Moisturizing-Hypoallergenic-Non-Comedogenic/dp/B099N2SLT9/ref=sr_1_3?crid=3CQUNU7QV4GQO&keywords=cetaphil+lotion&qid=1700004762&s=hpc&sprefix=cetaphil+lotion,hpc,183&sr=1-3

This bottle will make approximately eight 4 oz. batches of the lotion.

This is the gin that they used that cost under $20 for the bottle at Costco:

https://www.costcuisine.com/post/costco-kirkland-signature-london-dry-gin-review

This bottle will make approximately over 23 of the four ounce mixes. They chose this gin because of the number of listed botanicals (9 botanicals) in it as well as the price.

I am not recommending these three products, just showing what my friends used for their mixes. I would think that similar products would work similarly.

Art

I will ask EC if they can add these other two links to the article.

Hi Guzin,

It looks like it might be available on eBay Canada :

https://www.ebay.ca/itm/204288878158?itmmeta=01HWV9MBJ649RHD0CT57ZZ3ZJ6&hash=item2f9090e64e:g:M8MAAOSwVn5j99cT&itmprp=enc:AQAJAAAAwBnj0dM4uCl0ryX9+8WuaGy2Mda3oX96wpJkIdgcaHbfT4g/DAYt20GkDnSyJ8erVjTyh/5L3Ms7lvQKhGb1C+R9OU7rVuTEmRyRE93k/zXAP6oa11xhZD85vGq6JLYkSNSRI/B8X2L22PiYk9Q2umvL1LjLgzu2lmU3pWcuXTkl5DwtdzXj0RU8GBMkQfd6ik4e2CzTltMChdfxZAdfLpvx/MdqUlEgSptxICSSd2VoTgfWXr4CcCZWbO51lOoYZw==|tkp:Bk9SR5i50enmYw

Canada is like other countries when it comes to melatonin and is not available over the counter.

Art

Do you know anyone in Ontario, Canada? They can drive over the border and purchase it in the US at most large grocery stores or health food stores for you. I get a bad case of sleeplessness starting in February due to lack of sunshine. What works for me is tanning/a vacation in Florida getting lots of natural sunshine or a valerian tinture. Also taking progesterone/biest if you are a woman and menopausal.