January is the peak month everyone puts down the chocolates and starts taking on those New Year’s Resolutions, swearing to themselves they’ll lose those extra pounds in time for their summer holiday.
Well then you might want to top up on a number of items that can help to speed up the recovery process and soothe any aches and pains you might suffer.
Receiving the Ethica CBD Sports Gel in December, this meant I fancied the unforgiving task of exercising during the festive period in order to test it out. But I’m grateful now I’ve gone into January with a few workouts under my belt.
What Does The Sports Gel Contain?
The key ingredients that make this product so worthwhile is the presence of CBD and CBG. Going by the lab report, it contains a greater quantity of cannabidiol, with 606mg of CBD in the pack and 109mg of CBG.
As you would expect, the lab report highlights that there is no level of detection for THC, meeting FSA regulations.
The sports gel also contains other key ingredients such as organic silicium, black pepper oil, menthol and camphor.
What Is Organic Silicium?
I’ll be honest, despite previously working in the cosmetics industry and having tested out numerous topical treatments, I hadn’t actually heard of this before. In fact, even Microsoft Word was trying to correct my spelling.
Silicium helps to protect the bones and joints, it strengthens your nails and hair and embellishes the skin. The mineral is apparently being used increasingly in skincare products over the past two years, predominantly ones focused around muscle pains and injuries.
The Staple – Menthol
Arguably the most recognisable ingredient if you’ve ever used a muscle rub is menthol, creating that notable scent and tingly feeling on the skin.
The menthol cools the skin and then warms it up, which can actually distract you from pain. A counterirritant, menthol is commonly utilised in products to provide temporary relief, which many people will be seeking when purchasing a sports gel to distract from the aches and pains of a workout.
Why Use Camphor?
This study of the application of camphor topically highlighted that it has relaxant properties and is antispasmodic, meaning it can relieve and suppress muscle spasms.
This ingredient is commonly included in topical treatments as it has antibacterial and anti-fungal properties, helping to heal infections and relieve skin irritation.
But the main reason for including this is for its ability to relieve pain and inflammation, which is covered in further detail in this study.
As with menthol, it creates a bit of a tingly warm feeling, so the pair combined work together to distract while helping to repair the damaged area.
Why Opt For This Brand?
There are a number of sports gels and creams available on the market, some containing cannabinoids and some without, all at varying pricing points, so it can be hard to work out which one to go for.
There are a few reasons why Ethica CBD are certainly worth considering, which I wanted to highlight. Firstly, I personally felt the results from testing it out which I’m happy to report about.
Secondly, Ethica CBD are an award winning brand, producing products of the highest level, while they took home the award for the best CBD cosmetic product at the World CBD Awards, competing against some huge brands and products. The competition cannot be understated and they are certainly worthy winners.
The final point, more from a sentimental aspect, is that they’re a family run company and a great bunch of people. I had the good fortune of meeting them and getting to know them and they’re a great set, who are truly passionate about the industry and helping others.
Many of the family run CBD brands are being bought out by the bigger names, so it’s nice to see a number of them still pushing and growing.
How Much Did You Use?
I predominantly used this on my shoulders post-workout, as I have a number of rotator cuff injuries in my past which I’m constantly concerned about.
I also used it on my legs after a few spin sessions, as well as my lower back, which can sometimes ache a bit after a spin session as my form tends to dip when I get past the 30 minute mark.
While it’s difficult to directly state how much of an impact something has, I can say that by the next day after my spin sessions my legs felt 100% back to normal, while my weight training affected me for 2 days (which is almost inevitable).
It was also quite a nice ritual post-shower to rub it into my skin, reminding me to do a bit of a stretch, which I’m often guilty of leaving out.
Make sure to rub it into the skin for 20 seconds, most people will spend 1-2 seconds rubbing, but after speaking to a dermatologist a couple of years ago, they explained that with topical treatments you actually need to rub them in for 20 seconds to ensure they’re properly absorbed.
Gel Over Balm
This is one of those points where I’m making it from a personal preference aspect, but I much prefer gels over balms.
The gel easily squeezes out of the tube, you can add the pertinent amount to your palm and easily rub it into the skin until it’s absorbed.
In contrast, balms are hard to get much onto your hand, they’re not easy to measure in regards to how much you’re applying and they often harden even further over time or in certain weather conditions.
Where Can I Purchase This From?
You can order a pack directly from their website for £26, which really is a reasonable pricing point. For CBD based topical products I’ve tested out, the price is normally around £40 for this quantity of cannabinoids and size of pack, therefore this seems like a decent price.
They also offer free shipping in the UK, so you don’t have to worry about the price increasing when you go to checkout.
