When it comes to fighting inflammation, I can assure you, I’m an extremely unlicensed expert…but an expert nonetheless.
From collagen peptides to turmeric to functional mushrooms to CBD to fish oil (and trust me, so much more), I have surely tried everything to fight any onset of chronic ‘itis as a newly aging Millennial.
I still suffer from the ever-so-often pilates-induced “shouldn’t have lifted that leg so high” soreness or the “did I really just get week-long knee pain for trying to twerk properly?” strain. For a long time, I assumed that I should just wait it out (like my mother’s generation said). But then I met Foria’s Relief Salve.
Back in August 2020, when things were DIRE, I was lucky enough to tango with their good vibe-causing Wellness Tonic (it’s truly one of the best CBD tinctures I’ve tried). So obviously, when I was faced with slathering my body with their euphorically brilliant-smelling salve (which you can also call a “balm” if you think salve is pronounced SAL-V), I didn’t think twice.
And let me tell you, I put it basically everywhere.
All The Ways I Love (And Used) This CBD Body Balm
I was very fortunate that my Relief Salve arrived during what can only be referred to as an “inflammatory bout” for me. My skin was dry, I had just started my period, my digestion was off, and my body was sore for compulsive exercise because there is no other way to see friends and blow off steam!
Visually, I seemed normal. Internally, I would have described myself as bald, bloated, and befuddled.
I found the salve / balm / magic potion to be a true do-it-all solution for my many complaints. If you hadn’t already noticed, I definitely have a Leo Moon (which means I’m potentially dramatic)!
Complaint No. 1 | Menstrual Cramping
On the first day of my cycle, I was feeling crampy and achy, with an added touch of lower back pain. Post-shower, I gave the salve a whirl by luxuriously rubbing it all over my lower abdomen. To my surprise, I felt a significant decrease in cramping and even slept through the night. It was awesomely not greasy, which meant I could apply it the next day whenever I felt a twinge coming on.
Pro Tip: I paired my velvety salve with Foria’s infamous Relief Suppositories for a 360-degree period approach that left me feeling like a million bucks during my cycle. Unheard of!
Complaint No. 2 | Muscle / Joint Pain
My muscle soreness and inflammation is not dissimilar to the children’s song “Head, Shoulders, Knees, and Toes.” My patellar tendon was acting a fool alongside a sassy hamstring, so I decided I would forego the 1970’s-inspired Tiger Balm in my mom’s cabinet and opt for Foria’s salve instead. WABLAM. I woke up the next day with little-to-no traceable discomfort.
I also found that the salve worked for any kind of tension, including post-video call headaches. Just rub a little on your temples and you’ll feel like you didn’t just hear the word “circle back” from your boss.
Complaint No. 3 | Digestive Discomfort
Listen, my digestion is a full WIP (work in progress). It’s so much better than it was a couple of years ago when I thought candida was a normal part of life, but I still experience discomfort and bloating from time to time. While Foria doesn’t make any claims to fame about soothing digestion with their balm, I decided to give it the good ol’ college try and covered my entire stomach during a #bloating moment. I kid you not, I felt so much relief as my abdominal muscles relaxed and let the good times ~flow~.
Pro Tip: Add a heating pad and lie on the floor with your legs in the air. Enough said.
Complaint No. 4 | Dry Skin
I think it’s safe to say that Los Angeles has almost skipped winter entirely. However, we still have our VERY cold evenings and our intense Santa Anas (yes, East Coast, I’m talking to you), which means raging heaters and incredibly dry skin. While I definitely wouldn’t recommend using this salve as a full-body moisturizer, it absolutely doubles as a skin soother. Castor oil, beeswax, and coconut oil come together as a super hydrating trio for topical relief that goes beyond the surface.
The Foria Relief Salve
Foria prides itself with its thoughtfully-formulated, batch-tested products that can be used internally or externally for improved relief, wellbeing, and intimacy.
The Relief Salve takes the magic of Foria’s high-quality, 100% USDA organic, regenerative hemp (say that five times fast) and combines it with synergistic botanicals and deeply-moisturizing coconut oil, beeswax, and castor oil for topical, targeted relief that you could basically eat (please don’t!).
A look at what’s inside the stuff that goes on the outside:
BROAD-SPECTRUM CBD | In addition to being 100% USDA organic, Foria’s CBD is from a regenerative hemp farm, which means it’s better for the environment and therefore better for you. As someone who has leaned on their Wellness Tonic for months now, I can attest to its smoother-than-butter nature and highly effective dose. Each bottle of salve gets you a whopping 600mg of CBD.
KAVA ROOT | Kava root is not only nature’s xanax (my naturopath once gave it to me after I arrived at her office in a catatonic state), but it is also an analgesic, anti-inflammatory muscle relaxant that helps literally melt tension and pain away.
ST JOHN’S WORT | St John’s Wort—which, admittedly, should consider going through a name change—has been around for HUNDREDS of years. Typically used for anxiety and depression, SJW (cute, right?) can also be incredibly effective for wound-healing, muscle pain, and bruising.
GINGER | Ginger is like an OG anti-inflammatory. Like kava kava, ginger has analgesic and maaaajor anti-inflammatory properties that have been shown to help people suffering from chronic joint pain. Spicy.
How Topical CBD Works
While most people associate CBD with an anti-anxiety solution, it actually has amazing anti-inflammatory properties that can work just as well on the outside as it can on the inside.
How, you ask?
The endocannabinoid system (ECS) lives within the brain, immune cells, organs, connective tissues, and glands throughout the body. When applied topically, CBD is able to surpass the skin’s deepest layers and access the muscles and tendons beneath the surface to provide localized relief for pain and inflammation. There is even some research to suggest that CBD can help soothe skin conditions in addition to muscle soreness. The best part? Topical CBD does not reach the bloodstream and will therefore not impede on or add to any other internal CBD usage.
Now back to Foria’s Relief Salve (which is sitting in a beautiful, SUSTAINABLE amber glass jar next to me as I write this).
Final (Calming) Thoughts
Plain and simple: The Relief Salve was a relief before I even used it. The smell was intoxicating (I still open it every night just to smell it) as was the experience of rubbing it in, which felt like a wellness routine in its own right.
The idea that I could tackle my pain using natural, plant-based ingredients that were centered around age-old medicinal practices tickled my holistic fancy (again, as an unlicensed inflammation expert).
Foria’s product line up is incredibly exciting because their products are rooted in a thoughtful process that works hard (and smart) to be an easily-integratable facet of any self-love and self-care routine. Hell, forget routine. With Foria, let’s make it a ritual.
This story is brought to you in partnership with Foria. From time to time, TCM editors choose to partner with brands we believe in to bring our readers special offers. The Chalkboard Mag and its materials are not intended to treat, diagnose, cure or prevent any disease. All material on The Chalkboard Mag is provided for educational purposes only. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified healthcare provider for any questions you have regarding a medical condition, and before undertaking any diet, exercise or other health-related programs.
