Many chiropractors are beginning to look for natural ways to decrease pain relief to use in conjunction with spinal adjustments. One of the biggest products that has been widely accepted by many in the chiropractic community is the topical pain reliever Biofreeze. I was introduced to Biofreeze a year ago in Florida while attending the Chiro-Games. At the event, every chiropractic student was given a goodie bag filled with different odds and ends as well as a hefty supply of Biofreeze. I asked some of my friends about the product and they swore by its effects, saying it would loosen up tight muscles immediately. During one of the soccer games, I had a terrible hamstring injury that I could barely walk on and decided to rub some of the Biofreeze on it. To my shock, the cream worked and I was able to play without any pain or discomfort from my hamstring. However the next day my injury remained. I tried to rub the cream on it once again before my soccer game but did not get the same results.
In the last few days I decided to do a little more research on the product, wondering why a topical drug was being used so commonly amongst chiropractors. I soon found out that the active ingredient in Biofreeze is Menthol, which is usually derived from the mint plant. Researching Menthol, I found out that it has a very low toxicity but if orally consumed in large quantities can cause poisoning. Biofreeze also contains an extract from South American Holly called Ilex which the company seems really proud of because it is "all natural." However they do not list it as one of their active ingredients, rather an inactive ingredient so I am not sure how effective they plant extract really is. It should also be noted that Biofreeze has claimed that none of its chemicals enter the bloodstream.
While talking about Biofreeze with some students at Sherman College, I was informed that you had to be wary of Biofreeze because there have been a bunch of cases of poisoning due to overuse of the product. Unsure as to the accuracy of these claims, I researched the negative effects of Biofreeze. I found a couple of cases of Methyl Salicylate poisoning, an active ingredient found in some topical ointments such as BenGay and Icy Hot that had lead to some serious cases of poisoning. However Biofreeze does NOT contain this ingredient. I found no instances of Biofreeze poisoning up to this point in my internet browsing, but if somebody has any information on some good evidence of the product doing harm please let me know. As far as I can tell these are the only side effects to this natural cream:
Warnings: Ask a doctor before use if you have sensitive skin. Keep away from excessive heat or open flame. Avoid contact with the eyes or mucous membranes. Do not apply to wounds or damaged skin. Do not use with other ointments, creams, sprays or liniments. Do not apply to irritated skin or if excessive irritation develops. Do not bandage. Wash hands after use. If pregnant or breast-feeding, ask a health professional before use. Keep out of reach of children. If accidentally ingested, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center.
Rice moisturizer is one natural moisturizers it helps protect the skin from being damaged by UVA and UVB which are the cause of melasma, freckle, and skin cancer. Because it has plentiful minerals, unsaturated fatty acid and vitamins especially the natural vitamin E which is in high quantity as Tocols (Tocopherol & Tocotrienol), Gamma-Qryzanol and Ceramide.
Posted by: Angel (I love rice moisturizer) Rice | November 08, 2008 at 04:23 AM