I first came across FourFive a couple of years ago, briefly chatting to George Kruis and Dom Day on Instagram, the rugby legends and founders of the brand.
It’s remarkable to see how much FourFive has grown since then, now recognised as one of the biggest CBD brands in the UK, available in big retail stores such as Tesco’s and Sports Direct.
The CBD oil will always be the hero product, but being rugby players themselves, finding a rub that can speed up the recovery process will always be critical and at the heart of the company, so I was eager to test out the FourFive CBD muscle rub.
The Feeling
When it comes to muscle recovery CBD solutions, you tend to get either a balm or a cream. A cream is much easier to rub into the skin, but you inevitably use a lot more, so balms tend to last longer and stop any wastage.
As you can imagine, both have their own set of benefits, but overall I tend to prefer creams as they’re easier to rub in. However, this rub is different to many of the others I tried. It was easily wiped onto the finger with minimal effort.
It also rubbed easily into the skin after just a few seconds. A dermatologist once explained that with any balm or lotion, you should rub it into the skin for 20 seconds to ensure it is properly absorbed, but this seemed to take a lot less time.
Obviously, extreme temperatures, whether too hot or too cold, will affect how easily it will rub in and its texture, so make sure to be wary of where you keep it and don’t have it in direct sunlight. A bathroom cabinet should do the trick.
When Do You Take It?
For the testing period, I planned on working out four days a week and using it straight after, then the other three days using it after going for a long walk. Well, I now have to be honest and say I didn’t quite manage my four workouts (the New Year’s Resolutions are starting to dip).
However, I did manage to have a couple of spin sessions and one workout, using the lotion straight after getting out of the shower. The ache the next day certainly didn’t seem to be as profound as normal.
I did apply it quite liberally, making sure to target the muscles I’ve worked that day. I also applied it to my shoulders as I tend to get pain there following a sports injury a decade ago.
Some muscle rubs I’ve used end up leaving that tickly feeling, which is made worse when you put clothes on against the applied area, however this didn’t seem to be the case with the FourFive muscle rub.
But remember to wash your hands after application, one of the days I forgot and rubbed my eye, which can be a little uncomfortable and tingly, so this is a gentle reminder to wash them straight after use.
What Does The Product Include?
Firstly and most importantly, the muscle rub contains 300mg of CBD. This is a CBD isolate, meaning you shouldn’t expect to find any other cannabinoids present in the certificate of analysis, accessible from the footer of the page.
The rub contains menthol, as the majority of muscle rubs do, which creates the cooling feeling on the skin, which can help to distract you from the pain you’re dealing with. The counterirritant factor is why they’re so pivotal for these types of treatments.
This rub also contains Niaouli oil, which is antiseptic, antiviral and can help to stimulate the immune system. It has commonly been used with radiotherapy to protect the skin against burns. But the main point for its inclusion is that it has also been shown to soothe muscle pain and inflammation.
Another ingredient you will find is Vitamin E, which can help to nourish and protect the skin, packed full of antioxidants and commonly used in moisturisers.
This vitamin can help to heal wounds, it can fight skin damage, protect against sun damage and reduce any itchiness or rough skin, just to name a few of the benefits.
How Much Does It Cost?
You can pick up a 45ml tub from their website for £28, or you can subscribe to a regular delivery option, at which point it will cost you £22.40 (20% off). With the subscription model, you can cancel any time, so this is a great option if you think you will use it regularly and need a consistent supply.
Another option I haven’t seen before with other CBD brands is the addition of the 30 day pay window, via Klarna, which comes with no interest and no fees. I haven’t looked into whether there would be a late fee if you didn’t pay within that window, but if you want to order a tub and don’t want to wait until payday, this could be an interesting option.
The delivery cost is £3 (£5 for next day delivery), or free if you opt for the subscription model.
I always think you should shop directly rather than supporting big corporations, but in case you preferred to go with a big chain, they’re also available from Amazon, Tesco and Holland & Barrett.