Soothe soreness fast with one of these natural, skin-soothing muscle balms.
Whether your muscles ache from tensing at your desk at the end of a long day or you’re really feeling it the day after Pilates class, we’ve all had that too-tight, sore-muscle sensation. Fortunately, there’s an easy fix with muscle balms. Simply massaging those achy spots with one of these all-natural muscle balms will leave your body and mind feeling relaxed.
Body Bliss INSPIRED Organic Mint & Arnica Soothing Muscle Salve
Think you’re in for an intense Vinyasa class? Rub this pure balm into your muscles pre-yoga session to prevent soreness. Of course, it works after class, too, thanks to the combination of olive oil, beeswax, arnica flower, menthol, essential oils of cajeput, peppermint, cassia, sandalwood, vetiver, marjoram and clove bud.
bodybliss.com
Kneipp Joint & Muscle Intensive Cream
Arnica, a miracle-worker mountain daisy, is the featured power ingredient. It has long been hailed as a natural remedy by Europeans and Native Americans and used for wounds, sprains and bruises. The natural astringent does everything from boosting circulation to soothing bug bites, calming swollen feet, and easing stiffness after long flights or drives. Massage the botanical formula into skin with upward strokes to calm rough spots, or use as a leg cream to help swollen joints and legs. kneippus.com
Élan Veda Muscle & Joint Essential Massage Oil Blend
Your muscles—and nose—will feel reinvigorated by the refreshing scent of this delicate massage oil. The Ayurveda-based formula is a blend of essential oils that work together to penetrate deep into the body’s tissue and boost its natural ability to heal, including juniper, lavender, rosemary, ginger, peppermint, eucalyptus, wintergreen and helichrysum. The blend also aids circulation and de-stresses. elanveda.com
Boiron Arnicare Anica Gel Homeopathic Medicine
Your skin will quickly absorb the non-sticky, non-greasy gel that does everything from relieve stiffness, muscle pain, bruising and swelling, thanks to Arnica. It can tackle backaches to tired legs and feet to knots in your neck. arnicare.com
Yuni Muscle Recovery Gel
The rollerball packaging glides over burning spots, making for easy application. The aromatic mix features fair trade green tea extract to boost muscle re-growth and repair, arnica to ease inflammation and peppermint for reducing pain, while the crisp scent delivers a mental boost. yunibeauty.com
A Way of Love is Life Unstoppable Sore Muscle Balm
Stash this tin in your gym bag for the next time you feel stiffness settling in after a tough workout. Crafted from 100 perfect organic ingredients—including olive oil, beeswax, aloe butter, essential oils of turmeric, bergamot-mint, vetiver, cinnamon-berry, patchouli and rosemary—it smells as good as it feels on tired muscles. The combo perks up circulation while decreasing inflammation. loveisawayoflife.com
Aromatherapy Associates De-stress Muscle Gel
Massage this lightweight gel into any sore spots and you’ll immediately reap the benefits of rosemary, black pepper, lavender and ginger. For extra comfort, it warms up as you rub it into your skin. aromatherapyassociates.com
Michele’s Apothecary Comfrey & Arnica Therapeutic Balm for Muscle Pain
Aside from soothing sore muscles, this multitasker can be rubbed on the chest when you have a cold to alleviate congestion and applied on bug bites to ease itching. Rosemary, juniper and turmeric reduce pain, inflammation and swelling; comfrey is an anti-inflammatory; arnica helps bruising, pain and muscle strain; and menthol is a natural analgesic. michelesapothecary.com
Yoga Balm Organic Healing Through Warmth
Crafted in small batches in the United States, the balm is made from seven powerful healing essential oils that work together to flush out toxins from the body, promote new cell growth, improve blood flow, slash inflammation and boost your mood. The organic blend contains olive, hemp, wild frankincense, Yakima peppermint, ethically harvested beeswax, plantain, and St. Johns Wort. yogabalm.org