Athletes can reap recovery benefits from these chicly-packaged products.
While it would be a stretch to say any balm or cream is a recoverycure-all, finding and diligently applying the right rub could help prevent some pain and reduce inflammation, according to Evanston, Illinois-based sports massage specialist Lori-Ann Gallant-Heilborn, LMT, who has traveled to four Olympic games with Team USA. “Depending on the client, I recommend either a warming product, to help loosen up muscles pre-workout, or a cooling one afterwards to decrease any inflammation created by micro-tearing or over-stretching,” she explains.
She’s also a proponent of earth-derived ingredients. “I started out using Biofreeze, but the athletes I work with have had fewer allergic reactions and responded better to natural products,” says Gallant-Heilborn. Her best tip for picking a balm: “Read the label—if there are things on there you can’t pronounce or you don’t recognize at all, then keep looking.”
Start with dime-size portion to see how your body responds, suggests board-certified acupuncturist and herbalist Sandra Lanshin Chiu, an expert in both skin issues and pain relief based in Brooklyn. And don't overdo it: "Apply your product three to four times a day. I’ve found that any more than that in a 12-hour period starts to decrease the effectiveness,” adds Gallant-Heilborn.
Here, six new options to try.
Eir Cooling Butter + Arnica
With just seven organic ingredients (three of which are moisturizing shea butter, beeswax, and coconut oil), this slightly fluffy, whipped balm relies on arnica extract—an herbal ingredient that Chiu says she's observed to be effective for many people—to soothe soreness. There’s an added cooling effect thanks to peppermint and tea tree oils and it has a bright, refreshing scent.
This Works In Transit Muscle Therapy
As the name suggests, this is a great on-the-go option, thanks to a rollerball applicator that doubles as a quick massage tool. It contains a few essential herbs that you might be more used to seeing in your kitchen such as marjoram (a classic home remedy for muscle spasms and growing pains) and clove, which is known for warming skin.
Moon Valley Organics Muscle Rub
Essential oils from plants like lobelia, traditionally used to treat lung conditions like asthma, along with hot habanero extract make this a good pick if you’re feeling especially stiff. "They work by stimulating circulation and encouraging blood flow to the area that needs healing," says Chui. Just be sure to test for skin irritations on a small area before slathering it on. When it comes to potent extracts like these, Gallant-Heilborn notes that "less is usually more."
African Botanics Revitalizing Therapy Gel
This rub combines arnica with stimulating black pepper, red pepper (capsaicin has long been researched as a treatment for chronic pain), and cinnamon with soothing herbs like comfrey and buchu, a South African plant that’s been used in folk medicine as an anti-inflammatory for decades (but hasn’t been studied much). It has a heating sensation that feels great on injuries such as muscle pulls, says Chiu.
Mary’s Nutritionals Muscle Freeze
Studies have suggested that regular applications of CBD oil, a hemp-derived extract that’s high in cannabinoids (but won’t get you high) can help numb nerve endings, which is why you’re going to start seeing it in products designed to do everything from quell migraines to chill out over-worked quads, like this one. Proponents also suggest it can help with nerve regeneration, but the medical jury’s out on that one. Both Gallant-Heilborn and Chiu say it’s too new to know for sure if it’s effective. But it’s worth trying, and as with all of these products, you’ll need to be patient to know, says Gallant-Heilborn. "If you’re using four or five different things, you won’t know which is working, and the likelihood of an adverse reaction goes up. So just try one at a time for a few weeks before experimenting again."
Naturopathica Sweet Birch Deep Muscle Rub
Chiu swears by Epsom salt soaks for rest days, but when you don’t have time to hang out in the tub, this magnesium-packed cream is designed to provide similar analgesic benefits. Instead of the usual pepper or cinnamon, birch bark extract brings the heat.