Have we been busy! When Salus first opened its doors last year, one of the top products was Muscle Relief Gel (or MRG as we like to call it for short). It was so popular that we ran out of it in the first few months, and this made us realize that we were onto something special. So special and great that we wanted to take it to a larger market and tweak the formula based on some feedback and extended human testing. So that is exactly what we have done.
We took a careful look at or original ingredients and knew that we wanted to take a more pure approach and include Arnica Montana, replace the Capsicum with pure Capsaicin, get rid of the color, change the preservatives, and enhance the Essential Oil formula. The first few lab revisions with our current partner just did not turn our the way we wanted, so we started from scratch with a new partner, and what a great partner we found!!
In all it took about 30 revisions to the formula to get it exactly the way we wanted it. The reason for this was that we wanted it to be perfect. For example on of the tests we did was an everyday heat test due to the Capsaicin levels. To much Capsaicin leaves a painful sensation on the skin (think sunburn feeling), yet we wanted it to be an active OTC ingredient. According to the FDA to be listed as an active ingredient a final product must contain 0.025% Capsaicin (this threshold is also the reason that when you review research on Capsaicin the levels are 0.025% and higher but not lower). When we finalized our formula and sent it off for testing to adhere to FDA guidelines and ensure that the ingredient percentages we predicted were correct, we discovered that the final Capsaicin percent was x.xx%, and not 0.025% as we expected (we have to have some secrets). This also happened at the same time that we were having our tubes printed so we had to stop the printing presses. Our dilemma was that we had the perfect Capsaicin amount that resulted in a great complement to the Menthol cooling effect, yet a heat level that did not result in a a burning sensation, but we were beneath the FDA guidelines for active ingredient listing. Our decision was simple, leave the formula as we created it and change our active ingredient listing. We have the perfect formula, and know it.
We also partnered with Xelapack as our sample packet company because through them we were able to continue our commitment to the environment and use 100% Post Consumer Recycled Paper (PCRP) samples. Rob over at Xelapack was great to work with.
We are also proud of our efforts with Muscle Relief Gel because it is 100% Made In the USA!
So Yes! Muscle Relief Gel by Salus is finally here! We are sponsoring some GREAT athletic events (think Leadville Trail 100) and are looking forward to more sponsorships, events and promotions. We are also negotiating with some pretty big name premium retailers to get it into your local market, and we will be announcing these partnerships shortly. In the mean time you can buy MRG at the Salus webiste and find more information at MuscleReliefGel.com
Most importantly though we want to thank you and all of our customers!!!
-Jerèll Klaver
