If you have followed my posts for any length of time you will know that Elemis is one of my favorite skincare brands. It is rare though that I will branch out of face products. I have used the muscle relaxion oil, which I really liked. It was an oil that you basically used as a massage oil. I enjoyed it because it reminded me to take the time to massage my legs and arms after a hot post workout shower.
And yes after a workout I really give the water heater a work out. I love hot water on sore muscles and will run out the hot water. Following with the oil was great.
Somehow I thought this would be similar, just in cream form. And it sort of is. This Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel is designed to be massaged into sore muscles. which as I am slowly increasing my workout every week or so I thought this was a great product to try out.
Somehow I didn’t expect it to actually work like a sports cream.
In retrospect, when i look over the description I can sort of see it.
A revitalising body gel formulated with soothing Arnica and Camphor that delivers relief to tired and tense muscles in seconds.
I know, it seems obvious, but somehow I thought it was just like a refreshing body lotion. It isn’t. It is moisturizing and it is hydrating on the skin. However it is very much like putting on a sports cream like BenGay or IcyHot onto your skin. Which you might want to know before applying it. I had a very surprising first application. After the first application, I was expecting the intense cool and tingling of the gel.
It is a clear gel that absorbs very quickly and starts relieving muscle ache almost instantly, just as it claims. It is also hydrating without being greasy. I didn’t need to apply a moisturizer over it. Which was nice. Typically with something like Icy hot, after I apply it my skin dries out a little. the muscles are relieved, but the skin needs some back up. With this Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel I didn’t need a follow up body cream.
It is intensely scented. As you may expect from the inclusion of camphor in the description, it has a scent that I think of as Vicks Adjacent. It is very medicinal. Now in my house we have the great Vicks Vapor Rub debate. Growing up my mother loved it and now my Babydoll adores it. I will tolerate it when i have to. For me this gel works well enough that I will put up with the scent. It also smells very Vicks like so I actually found it disappearing faster than I was using it. My babydoll has been dipping into the tube. I caught him at it when i found the Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel disappeared from my collection of products and was put into his collection. I like this gel, but i have the feeling that I will have to hunt for it when I want to use it and that it will be one of his regular products.
For me the scent is not my favorite. But it works well enough that I am willing to over look the scent in order to get the benefits of the product. My babydoll likes the muscle relief, but he also adores the scent. I suspect this Elemis Instant Refreshing Gel will be around our house for a while.
Ms. Mimsy Reviews 