Borage oil contributes to this foundation by supplying essential fatty acids that the barrier requires and calming inflammation that perpetuates barrier dysfunction. It's not a complete solution—no single ingredient is—but it addresses fundamental mechanisms that other ingredients don't target.

Participation in the half-marathon was associated with significantly increased markers of oxidative stress, muscle damage, and pain—exactly what exercise physiology would predict. While the time-by-treatment results didn’t reach statistical significance for outcome measures, the MSM group saw clinically significant reductions in both muscle and joint pain compared to placebo.

In 2007, a study published in Rheumatology International quietly challenged everything athletes thought they knew about managing muscle and joint discomfort. Researchers compared topical arnica—a flowering plant that's been used for centuries in traditional medicine—directly against ibuprofen gel in patients with confirmed joint issues. The results weren't just encouraging. They were paradigm-shifting.

Physical fitness, he wrote in 1945, is the first requisite of happiness. He spent his entire life understanding what that fitness required and developing a comprehensive system to achieve it.

The first World Championship took place in Oberhausen, Germany in 2019, drawing roughly 600 participants—mostly German, since the sport hadn't yet expanded significantly beyond its home country. German athletes Lukas Storath (the first man to finish under one hour) and Imke Salander claimed the inaugural titles.

The numbers tell a remarkable story. According to Strava's 2024 Year in Sport report, running club participation increased 59% globally in a single year. Women joining running clubs surged by 89% over the previous year. Running USA estimates that over 50 million Americans now run or jog, and industry data suggests approximately 25% are connected to some form of running club or group. When Strava surveyed Gen Z participants, one-fifth reported going on a date with someone they met at a group fitness activity.

The story of the CrossFit Games begins in early 2007, when Dave Castro—who would become the longtime Director of the CrossFit Games—invited Glassman to his family's ranch in Aromas, California. Glassman looked around the property, with its open spaces and rustic facilities, and suggested hosting what he called a "Woodstock of Fitness" for the CrossFit community.

The skin's barrier function takes time to recover from environmental stress. Research indicates that compromised barrier function can persist for hours after exposure to harsh conditions. This is why the immediate post-run period is so critical—the products you apply during this window encounter skin that's actively trying to repair itself, making them more effective than the same products applied hours later.

The competition itself is straightforward on paper: eight one-kilometer runs alternated with eight functional workout stations, all completed indoors in convention centers and exhibition halls. In practice, it's an hour or more of sustained effort that creates unique challenges for your skin—challenges that most skincare brands haven't begun to address because they don't understand what happens when you push a sled across a convention center floor while your body temperature soars and sweat pours from every pore.

Before examining specific interventions, it's essential to understand that not all athletic pain is created equal. The pain from a sprained ankle minutes before competition demands different management than the accumulated muscle soreness from a week of intense training. Sports medicine has developed increasingly sophisticated frameworks for categorizing and addressing different types of athletic pain.

One thing that sets our Active Cream apart for runners is the fresh goat milk base. Running is notoriously hard on skin—between chafing, weather exposure, and the drying effects of repeated showering, runners often struggle with skin health alongside muscle recovery.

Scientific studies have examined arnica's effects on various inflammatory conditions. Research published in the Journal of Science and Food Agriculture explored how arnica compounds affected inflammation in arthritis models, with findings suggesting potential benefits.

Modern research has explored the mechanisms behind arnica's traditional use. The flower's bioactive compounds, including sesquiterpene lactones and flavonoids, have been studied for their effects on inflammatory processes and microcirculation.

Our Active Cream uses USDA Certified Organic Arnica Montana blossom oil, which means the arnica meets organic standards for purity and sourcing. We formulate at concentrations established by traditional use and current best practices—enough to be effective, not so much as to increase risk unnecessarily.

In our Active Cream, we use organic Arnica montana as one of our key ingredients precisely because we understand how it fits into the bigger picture of athletic recovery. Combined with MSM, chondroitin, and glucosamine, it's part of an integrated formula designed to support the active bodies that use it.

On our Washington State farm, where the physical demands of daily work rival many training programs, we've learned to think about joint health as a long-term investment. The choices we make now—including consistent glucosamine application—influence whether we're still moving freely decades from now.

Active Cream includes MSM in every batch—that same methylsulfonylmethane the research identifies as having anti-inflammatory properties that work synergistically with arnica. We've added chondroitin and glucosamine (both shellfish-free for those with allergies), ingredients traditionally taken orally for joint support but increasingly studied for topical application.

Other creams might contain arnica or MSM, but suspending these ingredients in goat milk rather than water or synthetic bases changes how they interact with your skin. It's one of our key differentiators as a goat milk skincare company.

There's a yellow flowering plant that's been used for thousands of years to address exactly these concerns. It grows in the mountainous regions of Europe and Siberia, and today you'll find it in North America too. It's called Arnica Montana, and if you haven't heard of it yet, you're about to discover why professional athletes and weekend warriors alike have made it a staple in their gym bags.

When you use arnica, particularly arnica formulated thoughtfully with complementary ingredients like fresh goat milk and MSM, you're giving your body natural support for the recovery process. You're working with your physiology, not against it. And over time, that makes all the difference.

Studies explored arnica's effects on inflammatory pathways, examining how its compounds interact with cellular processes involved in healing and recovery. Germany's Commission E conducted formal evaluations and approved arnica for external use on bruises, sprains, and rheumatic complaints—a significant validation in a country known for rigorous herbal medicine standards.

Here on our Washington State farm, we've raised two Division I NCAA track and field athletes and watched them navigate the constant tension between training hard and staying healthy. What we've learned is that injury prevention isn't just about stretching and strength work. It's about treating your whole body—including your skin—as part of a connected system.