Turn over your muscle cream. Read the back. Out loud.
Go ahead—I'll wait.
If you found yourself stumbling over chemical names that sound like they belong in a laboratory rather than on your skin, you're not alone. Most conventional muscle products read like a chemistry exam, filled with ingredients that require a science degree to evaluate.
Here on our Washington State farm, we believe you should be able to read—and understand—every single ingredient in products you're putting on your body. Not because unpronounceable ingredients are automatically bad, but because transparency matters. Because knowing what you're using gives you agency over your own care. And because, honestly, there are simpler, more natural ways to achieve the same results.
The Conventional Ingredient List
Let's look at what you'll find in a typical muscle cream from the drugstore:
Carbomer. Diisopropanolamine. Methylparaben. Polysorbate 80. Triethanolamine. Propylene glycol. Tocopheryl acetate. FD&C Blue No. 1.
Some of these serve functions you'd recognize if you knew the translations. Carbomer is a thickener. Propylene glycol helps ingredients mix together. Methylparaben is a preservative. FD&C Blue No. 1 is what makes the gel that distinctive bright blue color.
But here's the question: do you need any of them? Is synthetic blue dye doing anything for your muscles? Is propylene glycol the best possible way to formulate a product, or just the cheapest?
When ingredients are unpronounceable and unfamiliar, you're trusting completely that someone else made good choices on your behalf. Sometimes that trust is warranted. Often, there's a better way.
Our Ingredient List: A Translation
Here's what's in our Muscle Cream:
Aqua (Water) — Water. The universal solvent, the base of life. No mystery here.
Goat Milk (Not Reconstituted) — Fresh milk from our own goats on our Washington State farm. The "(not reconstituted)" matters—this is real milk, not powder mixed with water. It brings natural pH compatibility with human skin, fatty acids that support your skin barrier, and vitamins that actually nourish.
Organic Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Leaf) — Aloe vera, the same plant people have been using for skin care for thousands of years. Hydrating, soothing, and exactly what stressed skin needs.
Organic Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter) — Shea butter, derived from the nuts of the African shea tree. Rich, moisturizing, and absorbed readily by skin without feeling greasy.
Organic Borago Officinalis (Borage) Oil — Oil from the borage plant, exceptionally high in gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). Your skin uses this fatty acid for barrier function and overall health.
Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) — Okay, this one sounds technical. But it's simply bioavailable sulfur—the third most abundant mineral in your body. Sulfur is essential for connective tissue, and MSM provides it in a form your skin can actually absorb. One of the most functional ingredients in the entire formula.
Organic Punica Granatum (Pomegranate) Oil — Pomegranate seed oil. High in antioxidants, supportive of skin health, and a meaningful contributor to the formula's nourishing properties.
Sodium Hyaluronate (Hyaluronic Acid) — Another slightly technical name for something your body already knows well. Hyaluronic acid occurs naturally in your skin and draws moisture in. We're just providing more of what your skin already uses.
Organic Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Oil — Peppermint oil. The cooling sensation you expect from a muscle cream, derived from actual peppermint plants rather than synthesized in a lab.
Gaultheria Procumbens (Wintergreen) Oil — Wintergreen oil, traditionally used for muscle comfort for generations. Works synergistically with peppermint to create that characteristic cooling experience.
Organic Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Oil — Rosemary oil. Supports circulation and contributes to the formula's overall aromatic profile. Also has natural preservative properties.
Organic Piper Nigrum (Black Pepper) Oil — Black pepper oil—the hero ingredient. Contains piperine, which enhances circulation and helps other beneficial compounds absorb more effectively. This is ancient wisdom backed by modern research.
Organic Camellia Sinensis (Green Tea) Extract — Green tea extract. Powerful antioxidant that supports skin health and protects against oxidative stress.
Vitamin E — Vitamin E. Your skin uses it, benefits from it, and it helps preserve the formula naturally.
That's the complete list. Every ingredient is recognizable once you see the common name. Every ingredient serves a function. Nothing is included just for appearance, synthetic fragrance, or industrial shelf stability.
Why Transparency Matters
Some would argue that ingredient pronounceability is irrelevant—that what matters is whether a product works, not whether you can read its label.
There's a kernel of truth there. Plenty of effective pharmaceuticals have unpronounceable names. But muscle cream isn't a pharmaceutical. It's something you're applying to your body repeatedly, often to the same areas, sometimes multiple times a day for weeks or months.
In that context, knowing what you're using matters for several reasons.
Informed choice. When you understand ingredients, you can make real decisions rather than relying purely on marketing claims. You become an active participant in your own care rather than a passive consumer.
Troubleshooting. If something isn't working—or worse, if you're developing sensitivity—knowing your ingredients helps you identify what might be the issue. "Propylene glycol" might be the culprit, but you'd never know to investigate if you couldn't identify it.
Values alignment. Many people have preferences beyond pure effectiveness: organic sourcing, avoidance of petroleum derivatives, animal welfare considerations. You can only honor those preferences if you can evaluate what you're buying.
Trust. Companies that hide behind complex chemical names are often hiding something. Transparency demonstrates confidence in the formula. If ingredients were truly beneficial, why obscure them?
The Function-First Approach
Here's our formulation philosophy: every ingredient should do something beneficial.
Fresh goat milk isn't just a carrier—it actively nourishes skin with matched pH and fatty acids. Organic shea butter isn't just a texturizer—it provides lasting moisturization. Black pepper isn't just for sensation—it genuinely enhances circulation. MSM isn't just a label claim—it delivers bioavailable sulfur to tissues that need it.
Conventional formulas often work differently. The carrier is inert—just a vehicle for delivering the active cooling agent. Colors and fragrances are included for appeal, not function. Preservatives prioritize years of shelf stability over what's best for your skin.
When you can read and understand your ingredients, you can evaluate whether they're actually working for you—or just working for the manufacturer.
Real Results From Real Ingredients
One of our customers, with forty years of athletic injuries behind him and recently crushed ribs, uses our cream on all his joints daily. "It keeps me mobile and virtually pain free," he told us. "I love that it is all natural and I am not adding any toxins to my body."
That phrase—"I love that it is all natural"—reflects exactly what we're talking about. When you can read and understand your ingredients, you can use products with confidence. You're not wondering what you're absorbing. You're not hoping the unpronounceable chemicals are benign.
You're applying fresh goat milk, organic botanicals, and minerals your body actually uses. Simple ingredients with long histories and clear functions.
The Choice Is Yours
You might decide that conventional muscle creams work fine for your needs. Maybe you're comfortable trusting that carbomer and propylene glycol are serving you well. That's a legitimate choice.
But if you've ever wondered what you're actually putting on your body—if you've read those labels and wished you understood them—there's another option.
Ingredients you can pronounce. Functions you can understand. Results you can feel.
Skip the trip to cryotherapy. Skip the chemistry exam on the back of the bottle. There's a simpler way to take care of your muscles.
