Best Natural Ingredients for Muscle Creams & Rubs

Muscle creams and rubs, also known as topical analgesics, are highly sought after, offering a wide range of options. Keeping a muscle rub on hand is beneficial for reducing inflammation, relieving muscle soreness, and alleviating joint pain.

Ideal for relieving pain from muscle strains, sprains, neck and shoulder pain, and arthritis, natural muscle creams can be used for recovery or as part of a regular post-workout routine. When applied to the skin, muscle rubs enhance blood flow to the affected area, often providing nearly instant pain relief. 

Take note, not all muscle rubs work the same; some muscle rubs contain ingredients that penetrate the skin and enter the bloodstream, while others include counterirritants that create a cooling or warming sensation to distract from soreness or pain.

Choosing a quality muscle rub can be tricky, especially because you want to make sure the ingredients in your muscle cream products are natural and effective. When assessing your options, you can’t go wrong with a formula that offers a combination of the natural ingredients below. 

Best Natural Ingredients for Muscle Creams & Rubs

CBD

Topical application of CBD offers targeted pain relief for sore muscles by being absorbed through the skin. With potent inflammation and pain-relieving properties, CBD creams and balms can relax muscles, reduce swelling, and alleviate discomfort at the source of the pain. 

CBD topical products are commonly used for a range of issues, including discomfort from arthritis, back pain, muscle soreness, and sprains. The relief offered by CBD creams naturally penetrates deeply into your muscles, joints, and tendons to both dull aches and suppress excessive inflammation. 

However, CBD is not the most fast-acting ingredient available. Therefore, any natural muscle cream will want to counter CBD with other elements, including those listed directly below. 

Menthol

One of the top natural ingredients found in many muscle creams and rubs is menthol. It works as counterirritant by causing the skin to initially feel cool, immediately followed by a warm sensation that distracts your brain from sore muscles, aches, and pains. While menthol does not deeply penetrate the skin like some other ingredients, it does provide effective relief by stimulating nerve endings and increasing blood flow to the sore area.

Lidocaine

Lidocaine is a powerful ingredient in natural creams that belongs to the family of local anesthetics, which block pain signals at the skin’s nerve endings. This anesthetic effect creates a numbing sensation, providing instant relief from muscle soreness and discomfort. Much like menthol, lidocaine’s effects are felt soon after application, making it the perfect accompaniment to CBD within a well-balanced natural muscle cream. 

Cayenne/Capsaicin

Cayenne and capsaicin are often mistaken as the same thing, but they are different. Dried cayenne peppers (like the kind you can eat) can be used as an ingredient in rubs to create a mild warming sensation to ease muscle tension and stiffness. On the other hand, capsaicin is the active component found in cayenne peppers that gives them heat. When used as a topical ingredient, it impacts the nerve cells in the skin, blocking pain signals. Both of these natural ingredients are useful in muscle rubs and creams, but be careful not to get such products near your face or other sensitive areas. 

Witch Hazel

With powerful medicinal properties, witch hazel is a popular ingredient in facial cleansers, toners, and natural muscle creams. It contains anti-inflammatory properties, including gallic acid, antioxidants, and tannins, all of which prevent and reduce inflammation.When applied directly to the skin, witch hazel can reduce swelling, fight bacteria, and provide relief to sore muscles. 

Arnica

Arnica is a well-known natural herb that has been used for medicinal purposes worldwide for centuries. It is an ideal ingredient for natural muscle creams because its active chemicals help reduce swelling and alleviate pain. Also, arnica is an effective natural healer due to its antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. It is commonly used for pain associated with surgery and arthritis, dramatically decreasing bruising. When arnica cream is applied to the skin, it stimulates circulation, encouraging the body’s natural healing process. By reducing bruising, swelling, and discomfort, muscle creams with arnica help treat sore muscles and joints, among other issues. 

Rose Hip

Known for relieving soreness and stiffness, rose hip is an herb that provides natural pain relief for sore muscles when included in a cream or rub. Rose hip supports musculoskeletal health, offering natural relief for muscles, joints, and tendons. Its healing qualities also include being rich in antioxidants, Vitamin C, quercetin, and other beneficial properties. 

Camphor

Camphor is another natural ingredient with anti-inflammatory properties that can help relieve sore muscles. Camphor falls into a category called “counterirritants,” which, when applied to the skin, causes a warming sensation that helps ease inflammation and pain. With the ability to penetrate the outer layer of the epidermis and desensitize nociceptors, or sensory nerve cells that send pain signals to the brain, camphor is a beneficial ingredient for pain relief in muscle, joint, and nerve pain. 

Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a tried-and-true natural ingredient with antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and analgesic properties. It is known for soothing skin, relieving muscle discomfort, and decreasing inflammation. When applied to the skin, aloe vera can reduce neuropathic pain, making it one of the best natural ingredients to have in a cream or rub to treat sore muscles.

Turmeric

Taken in supplement form and as a topical cream, turmeric may be equally as effective as ibuprofen for reducing inflammation, swelling, and pain. With powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, the active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, is well known for decreasing inflammation and even impacting DOMS or delayed-onset muscle soreness. 

Boswellia 

Boswellia, also known as Indian frankincense, is an herbal extract from the Boswellia serrata tree. This natural ingredient is believed to inhibit certain inflammation-related enzymes and reduce pain. Used worldwide in herbal remedies, boswellia can help treat chronic inflammation, making it an ideal ingredient in natural muscle creams.

Other Criteria For Natural Muscle Creams and Rubs

Are ingredients organically grown?

When it comes to muscle creams and rubs, selecting products made with natural, organic ingredients is essential. Opting for muscle creams with organic ingredients ensures that your skin won’t be exposed to toxic chemicals, pesticides, or other harmful substances, providing a safer and healthier option for pain relief.

Are they verified through third-party lab results?

When purchasing muscle creams containing natural ingredients like CBD, you should always check to ensure the ingredients are tested by a third party. All reputable companies provide third-party testing results indicating the safety and potency of their ingredients. A link to a Certificate of Analysis (COA) on the company’s website will show what the product contains, ensuring you are getting what is advertised. 

Are the natural ingredients prominently used within the cream’s formula?

For optimal relief, choose a muscle rub or cream that contains generous amounts of active ingredients rather than "fillers." Check the product label to ensure high potency levels of key pain-fighting ingredients like menthol, CBD, lidocaine, or other effective muscle soothers. Avoid products that are heavy on inactive ingredients that don't contribute to pain relief.

Find Muscle and Joint Relief With Creams and Rubs From Botanika Life

When it comes to alleviating soreness and pain, Botanika Life provides a variety of beneficial solutions. From Ultra-Relief Pain Rub infused with 1500mg of full-spectrum CBD, lidocaine, menthol, and arnica to the Super Soothing Pain Serum, which numbs and cools sore muscles with its powerful ingredients, you will find everything you need and more for natural muscle relief.

By Emily Wegener

With a unique background as an Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Masters Degree in Teaching and experience in Psychology, Emily spends much of her time researching and trying out new holistic healing modalities.