Wintergreen oil is probably the most recognized scent in relief balms.
Wintergreen oil not only helps carry other herbal oils through the skin, it is also effective in relieving arthritis aches, joint stiffness, and muscle spasms.
DMSO, dimethyl sulfoxide, is MSM's bigger brother, works as a universal solvent.
Over the years, there has been much nonsense, pro and con, written about DMSO, and the FDA has had a running battle with many DMSO distributors during that time. As a result, a number of urban legends about DMSO are making their rounds. Such as:
Bottom line: DMSO is legal, safe, and effective if you use diluted, medical grade DMSO in a proper manner -- and make no claims for it.
The major components of the "unsaponifiable fraction" of extra virgin olive oil (erythrodiol, sitosterol, and squalene), as well as of the phenolic compounds from the "polar fraction" (oleuropein, tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol and caffeic acid), have demonstrated strong anti-inflammatory effects in a number of major studies.
It has been used as a base in liniments and salves for centuries, and it enhances and promotes skin healing and aids in damaged tissue repair when used as a muscle oil.
Menthol Crystals, which comes from peppermint, is recognized for its relief capabilities. Menthol increases blood circulation and cools painful afflicted areas.
d-limonene oil is extracted from orange peels. Because of its dense electromagnetic field, Limonene is one of nature's most potent natural solvents -- ache reducers.
The potent, hot fruit of cayenne has been used as medicine for centuries. Cayenne is helpful for various conditions of the gastrointestinal tract, including temporary constipation (by stimulating peristalsis), upset stomach aches, cramping, and gas. Cayenne is also extremely beneficial for the circulatory system, helping to improve the elasticity of the walls of both the arterial and venous systems, maintaining normal blood platelet function, and working to help maintain normal blood pressure already within a normal range throughout the body. And finally, cayenne is used in many herbal formulas as a "driver" -- to "push" the other herbs in the formula into the blood stream more quickly
Calendula oil has been used by natural healers for hundreds of years for its reputed ability to relieve pain, reduce inflammatory, and as an antispasmodic.
Arnica oil has been used as a deep tissue oil for centuries for bruises and sprains.
St. John's Wort helps ease nerve-related ache such as sciatica, and neuralgia. In addition, St. John's Wort also helps with arthritis, and rheumatic aches.
Fresh ginger root has a long history of use in herbal medicine. Ginger root helps control temporary nausea, which makes it useful in morning sickness during pregnancy, as well as in intestinal activating and detoxing formulas, and in liver cleansing programs. Ginger root is also a strong COX 2 inhibitor. In the Far East and India, ginger root is renowned for its aphrodisiac properties.
MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane), also called "organic sulfur," is widely used around the world to address arthritis, back, and muscle tenderness. MSM is a close relative of DMSO.
Emu Oil is a natural emollient used by Aboriginal Australians for thousands of years for its remarkable healing and anti-inflammatory properties. It is one of the few non-vegetarian ingredients that we use, but it so improves the efficacy of our formula that we felt we had no choice but to incorporate it.
Note: it takes very little emu oil to significantly enhance the efficiency of this deep tissue formula. The oil that comes from just one emu is enough to make 30,000 bottles of Essential Relief®. When you consider that a single bottle of muscle oil is good for 200-300 applications, that means that one emu is providing between six to nine million doses.