Recovery cream? This has to be a gimmick, I thought. But I'm always partial to a dash of sweet-smelling unguent, so I gave Nature's Kiss Recovery rub a try. And here's the thing: it works.
Usually after a long sportive or a hard all-day training ride, I have a protein drink, then do a bit of stretching, then have some proper food, and then retire to the bedchamber. But my leg muscles often take a long while to relax, and twitch at night, keeping me (and my long-suffering wife) awake.
It's not unusual to find me pacing around at 3am trying to loosen up, before being banished to sleep on the sofa. But enough of my personal life.
After my most recent long rides, within half an hour of finishing I've anointed my tired legs with a creamy dollop of Nature's Kiss Recovery, and each night I've slept like a baby.
Of course, it could be applying the Recovery cream (rather than the cream itself) that works the magic here. Any masseur will tell you that simply rubbing in any oil or cream will help your muscles recover, but I'm talking 20 or 30 seconds on each leg, not a half-hour massage. The Nature's Kiss Recovery's all-natural ingredients - including arnica, beeswax, lanolin, rosemary and lavender - seem to be doing the work on their own.
A 90g tub of Nature's Kiss Recovery retails for a little under a tenner. It seems a lot of dosh for a small tub, but for your humble correspondent it definitely does the trick: great for muscles, great for a good night's sleep - and no bad thing for marital harmony either.
Verdict
Highly effective apres-ride massage cream - perfect for tired muscles
road.cc test report
Make and model: Natures Kiss Recovery rub
Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?
The Natures Kiss website described this product as a: 'silky smooth massage lubricant created especially to aid recovery. Great for use after a morning in the garden or a strenuous training regime or competition. Also suitable for between activities where you will be on the move more than once in the same day.' I'm not so sure about the gardening, but it definitely helps after a long ride. The bit about activities more than once in a day means it might also be useful for track riders doing several short races at one meeting.
Rate the product for quality of construction:
9/10
The ingredients undeniably do the job, so I'd say construction is very good indeed
Rate the product for performance:
10/10
Rate the product for value:
8/10
It seems expensive, but then if it does the job, it's pretty fair value.
Did you enjoy using the product? Yes
Would you consider buying the product? Yes
Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes
Age: 50 Height: 5ft 10 / 178cm Weight: 11 stone / 70kg
I usually ride: an old Marin Alp My best bike is: an old Giant Cadex
I've been riding for: Over 20 years I ride: A few times a week I would class myself as: Experienced
I regularly do the following types of riding: touring, club rides, sportives, mtb,
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