Resveratrol is a natural molecule found in red wine and some plants (ours comes from Japanese knotweed). It’s long been known to be a powerful antioxidant, but Ted and Greg discovered that it has a unique effect on pain, especially when applied topically. It appears to help pain neurons (nociceptors) return to their baseline state after an injury. No other product on the market is known to do this.

Ted and Greg are academic neuroscientists who teach and do basic science research at a major US university. Their lab specializes in the science of pain and has shed light on many enduring mysteries around how pain works at a molecular and biochemical level. They have published over 300+ peer reviewed articles on their work and their research has been cited over 25,000 times by other scientists. Ted and Greg co-lead The Center for Advanced Pain Studies, and are recognized around the world as leaders in the field of pain science.

The FDA’s labelling requirements for over the counter medications are very stringent, and we are committed to following them faithfully. The only ingredient in Ted and Greg’s pain rub that meets the definition of “active” for pain is methyl salicylate (wintergreen oil). That won’t change until some pharmaceutical conglomerate forks out the approximately seven bazillion dollars necessary to run phase 1, 2 and 3 clinical trials on resveratrol, which they are very unlikely to do within the incentive structures of our current medical system.

Resveratrol is a natural molecule, which is good. But that means that by law it can’t be patented. So if some pharma giant spent all the money it would take to get trials done, they couldn’t profit on the results. They’d be doing it out of the goodness of their hearts. Which, no comment. But hey, feel free to ask them anyway, you never know.

This is a big issue for people, we know, but as of now, no, we only have the Pain Rub, which does smell like wintergreen. To be clear, that’s not a scent we added for fun, that’s because methyl salicylate is itself minty smelling. It’s the oldest topical analgesic known to man, and it works pretty great on its own. But it works even better, in our humble science-based opinion, with resveratrol.

No, they’re two different things, though both are often used in pain treatment. Methyl salicylate (wintergreen oil) is one of our ingredients because it metabolizes into salicylic acid, an NSAID pain reliever. Menthol is peppermint oil and used in other pain treatments like Bengay, but its pain relief properties are likely a trick - what we in the pain science world call a “counterirritant,” meaning it just distracts your body from pain temporarily with a new sensation.

Many of the ingredients in our Pain Rub are natural (like resveratrol and arnica) but not all. Rest assured we limited the synthetic ones as best we could, and made sure the ones we did include were high quality and effective.

While resveratrol can turn brown as it reacts with air, our new airless pumps should help prevent that.

We recommend rubbing a pea-sized amount into an aching spot thoroughly, three times a day for a week, then stopping to evaluate how the pain has changed. There’s no danger in using it longer, but our research shows that lingering pain can resolve itself when pain neurons are exposed to resveratrol consistently.

Yes, you can. As a topical treatment, our Pain Rub is less likely to interfere and interact with other medications. But it’s always best to check with your doctor to be sure.

Not yet, but we’re looking into it. Thanks for your patience!

That’s the plan! We know there’s a demand for an unscented version, and we also have ideas for lots more. Stay tuned for what’s next from Ted and Greg’s!