What’s In My Heat CBD Cream? Top 5 Ingredients For Muscle Relief

What is Heat CBD Cream? “Like a hot tub in a bottle,” said a customer.

We’ve embraced the description for its poetic beauty and remarkable accuracy. However, hot tubs are just big bins of swirling hot water and are more expensive to buy and costlier to maintain than a CBD Cream.

Heat CBD Cream, meanwhile, is a specially-designed blend of powerful botanical extracts meticulously chosen, vetted, and formulated by an actual genius at our FDA-licensed lab in Dallas, TX.

Heat melts away tension from work and stress, loosens tight muscles before a workout, and warms away daily aches and discomfort naturally.

Here are the top five ingredients that make Heat CBD Cream work.

Wintergreen Extract: An Active Relief Ingredient

Also called methyl salicylate, this oil actually comes from a few different kinds of plants in the Gaultheria — or wintergreen — family, all of which have white flowers and bright red berries.

Wintergreen is used in a range of topicals as an anti-inflammatory — to provide relief from joint or ligament discomfort. It’s also used in liniments and ointments for relief from poison ivy, insect bites, and rashes.

Why Our Formulators Chose Wintergreen Extract

For Heat CBD Cream, we wanted ingredients that are proven to provide relief. Wintergreen extract is closely related to acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin, and gives similar results.

In fact, study after study has demonstrated wintergreen extract’s capabilities to give fast, thorough relief when used as a topical. Specifically, it’s been shown to inhibit the production of pro-inflammatory mediators in your joints.¹ And people have found it helpful in recovering from muscle strain², particularly in the back, shoulders, calves, and thighs.

Menthol: A Natural Go-To for Athletes

Menthol is a chemical found in peppermint and other mint plants. For its use in Heat CBD Cream we extract it naturally — it’s not created in a laboratory.

Menthol is known as a counterirritant — it works by causing the skin to feel first cool and then warm, and is commonly used in balms and cosmetics designed for athletes.

Why Our Formulators Chose Menthol

To create that “hot tub in a bottle” effect, we chose menthol for its immediate icy-warming sensation and its effectiveness for recurring, long-term muscle soreness and tightness.

And as we mentioned, menthol also works in combination with wintergreen extract. Studies have found that menthol and wintergreen extract provide better relief when used together than when either one is used alone.³

Menthol is also great at loosening muscles, particularly when applied around 30 minutes before exercise.

Safflower Seed Oil: A Traditional Treatment for Stiff Joints

The safflower is a yellow, thistle-like annual that’s been around a long long time. It was first cultivated in Mesopotamia around 2500 BC and has a history of therapeutic use across cultures and continents.

Safflower oil hydrates skin, soothes irritated skin, and treats joint stiffness — all qualities that make it popular in topicals such as moisturizers and essential oils, and traditional medicine.

Why Our Formulators Chose Safflower Seed Oil

In our experience, safflower seed oil is particularly effective on larger joints such as knees, shoulders, and elbows. That’s long been one of its functions in Persian traditional medicine, and modern science is beginning to back it up.⁴

We’ve also seen research that suggests safflower oil is useful for moderate swelling from trauma or injury.⁵ We’re looking forward to seeing further studies on the subject.

Aloe Vera: Long-Lasting Relief

Aloe vera is a staple of both traditional medicine and modern lotions, gels, and tonics.

Aloe vera is a succulent. A clear gel is extracted from the inside of its thick, fleshy leaves and used on sunburns and cuts as a moisturizer and gentle salve.

Why Our Formulators Chose Aloe Vera

Aloe vera is a potent source of vitamin A, enzymes, minerals, sugars, saponins, and 20 out of the 22 amino acids.

Each of these vitamins, compounds, and minerals uniquely promote a healthy inflammatory response in muscles — for example, C-glucosyl chromone and salicylic acid⁶, making Heat CBD Cream perfect for a pre-workout warmup, or end-of-day relaxation.

Aloe vera makes the rest of Heat more effective too. It contains lignin, an organic polymer that helps carry other ingredients through the skin.⁷

Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil: Softens Skin, Loosens Muscles

Eucalyptus globulus comes to us from Australia — specifically the southeastern part of the country. It’s a tall tree (growing up to 200 ft) also called Tasmanian Blue Gum.

The oil derived from eucalyptus leaves is strong and aromatic (some have even called it “spicy”), making it popular as an essential oil, especially in Central Asia.

Used on skin, eucalyptus leaf oil relieves discomfort and causes a light tingling sensation. It’s popular in various balms and massage blends.

Why Our Formulators Chose Eucalyptus Globulus Leaf Oil

We chose eucalyptus globulus leaf oil because two of its constituents, alpha-terpineol and eucalyptol, enrich skin and soothe muscles – for both short-term and long-term benefits.

In the short term, alpha-terpineol helps Heat’s other active ingredients get through the skin, while eucalyptol alleviates muscle discomfort.

In the long term, alpha-terpineol works to moisturize skin, and eucalyptol helps maintain joint health and flexibility.⁸

New research suggests eucalyptus oil’s connection to decreased muscle spasming⁸, which may add to Heat CBD Cream’s effectiveness as a pre-exercise and tension-reducing topical.

Sources

1. Xin W, Huang C, Zhang X, Xin S. Methyl salicylate lactoside inhibits inflammatory response of fibroblast-like synoviocytes and joint destruction in collagen-induced arthritis in mice [Internet]. British journal of pharmacology. U.S. National Library of Medicine; Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24712652/
2. Higashi Y, Kiuchi T. Efficacy and safety profile of a topical methyl salicylate and menthol patch in adult patients with mild to moderate muscle strain: a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group, placebo-controlled, multicenter study [Internet]. Clinical therapeutics. U.S. National Library of Medicine. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20171409/
3. Hebert PR, Barice EJ, Hennekens CH. Treatment of Low Back Pain: The Potential Clinical and Public Health Benefits of Topical Herbal Remedies. The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine [Internet]. 2014;20:219–20. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3995208/
4. Delshad E, Yousefi M, Sasannezhad P, Rakhshandeh H, Ayati Z. Medical uses of Carthamus tinctorius L. (Safflower): a comprehensive review from Traditional Medicine to Modern Medicine. Electronic Physician [Internet]. 2018;10:6672–81. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5984022/
5. Zhou X, Tang L, Xu Y, Zhou G, Wang Z. Towards a better understanding of medicinal uses of Carthamus tinctorius L. in traditional Chinese medicine: A phytochemical and pharmacological review. Journal of Ethnopharmacology. 2014;151:27–43.
6. Salehi B, Albayrak S, Antolak H, Kręgiel D, Pawlikowska E, Sharifi-Rad M, et al. Aloe Genus Plants: From Farm to Food Applications and Phytopharmacotherapy [Internet]. International journal of molecular sciences. MDPI; 2018. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6163315/
7. Surjushe A, Vasani R, Saple D. Aloe vera: A short review. Indian Journal of Dermatology [Internet]. 2008;53:163. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2763764/
8. Lin T-K, Zhong L, Santiago JL. Anti-Inflammatory and Skin Barrier Repair Effects of Topical Application of Some Plant Oils [Internet]. International journal of molecular sciences. MDPI; 2017. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/