We’ve been talking quite a bit about movement lately. Working our bodies, pushing them to the limits of what they’re capable of in the form of running, dancing, doing yoga, getting in the water… whatever your workout of choice may be. It’s incredible what these bodies of ours can be capable of – and exercising those muscles and bones also reminds us of how important it is to take good care of ourselves.
You don’t necessarily need to be sore to enjoy this ginger cayenne muscle rub. Nothing feels better than coming home after a run, taking a hot shower, and rubbing this on aching muscles and joints. The combination of coconut oil and shea butter as a base makes it super silky and moisturizing, and the ginger and cayenne give it that warming, tingly quality that I love so much. Cayenne contains capsaicin, which soothes pain, and ginger root powder has been shown to reduce inflammation. You could use a number of different essential oils but I chose eucalyptus, which is known for its ability to sooth sore muscles.
What you need:
½ cup shea butter
¼ cup coconut oil
1 tsp ginger root powder
1 tsp cayenne pepper
10 drops eucalyptus essential oil
Directions:
Melt the coconut oil and shea butter using a double boiler system – I always just use a mason jar, and place it right in a sauce pan with some water on medium heat. Once they’ve melted, mix in the ginger and cayenne powder. Once the ingredients are thoroughly mixed, remove from the heat and add the drops of essential oil. Stir, transfer to a jar, and place in the fridge to cool.
Rub on sore muscles and joints as needed!*
*I recommend testing a small amount on your hand first to make sure your skin doesn’t react to the mixture.
This looks like such a fantastic DIY, esp. because I have been suffering from sore muscles after yoga. This will def. come in handy! Thanks for the DIY :)
Rae | love from berlin
It looks so useful! thank you, freepeople.
http://www.safran-bolu.com
This sounds amazing! Thank you for the recipe – can’t wait to give it a go. How long will it store for?
Warm Regards,
Alexandra
http://www.littlewildheart.com
I am sure I will be needing this as I start the Kayla Itsines BBG in Feb! :)
http://www.finallyfreckled.com/
ahh.. just right timing, i have shoulder aches, thanks for the recipe :)
http://trulyaddia.wordpress.com
Useful posting!
Thanks for sharing.
http://www.safran-bolu.com
This is awesome! Definitely going to give this a go :)
This sounds like it would be amazing!
xx Kelly
Sparkles and Shoes
ITS AMAZING!! would recommend peppermint oil
Mine came out much more red than this…and I used exact measurements.
Does this muscle rub remain solid at room temperature? I’d like to put mine in a push-up style container, to avoid messy fingers.
I want to make this for my boyfriend but he lives in England, Would you know if this is capable of sending overseas?
I am allergic to cayenne. Could I substitute Turmeric, which also has anti-inflammatory properties?
I’m excited to try this rub. Unfortunately, I ache all of the time, especially during the transition of seasons but mainly when it’s cold. I have MS and I believe this would help me. Thanks for the recipe.
You can also use ginger essential oil and black pepper essential oil. They should be used at about 2 drops per5ml of your carrier base since they are pretty powerful
IS THE WATER ON THE SAUCE PAN OR IS IT IN THE MASON JAR?
Hi, this is something I WILL have to try at home! Thanks for the post! I have been ordering one online that works wonderfully as well. As a woman that cares about her health, it was hard for me to find something all natural, that really worked for my aches and pains. Until I found ZEN! Exactly what I needed to keep me going at work and on the go . The scent they have for women was a beautiful touch as well! Not to mention that I use it for cramps to smooth over that time for myself, and everyone around me, lol. Try for yourself before believinghttp://www.Zensportsbalm.com , they provide the EXACT mixture of natural oil ingredients to help with healing including peppermint oil, lavender oil, cinnamon leaf oil, jasmine oil,much more they list it all on their website, those were just the few that popped into mind. Thanks for your time and have a white light healing day
Thanks for this. Will definetly try this.
Would it be ok to strain this through cloth to get all powder partials out or would you loose most of the goodness from the herbs