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review
Skincare & embrocation
Joshua Tree Organic Cycling SalveJoshua Tree

Joshua Tree Organic Cycling Salve

8
by Lara Dunn
UPDATED Thu, Oct 15, 2015 04:24

First Published Feb 18, 2012

0
£11.00

VERDICT:

8
10
All-round natural healing balm. Personally I found it good for scrapes and scuffs but not everyone will buy into that
Weight: 
50g
Contact: 
www.motionjunkies.com
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Available either as a generous 50ml for £11 pot or in a handy portable 15ml portion for a fiver, Joshua Tree Organic Cycling Salve is one of those nebulous products that many will love, while some will be less enthused. It is intended to be a multi-purpose balm, there to address all the scratched, grazed, chapped, dry and sore bits a cyclist might experience.

It's made from a variety of 100% organic ingredients, mostly herbal extracts, gums and oils, together with beeswax and jojoba for their moisturizing properties. Tea tree, myrrh, lavender and echinacea are well-known for their effective anti-bacterial and healing effect, while calendula and comfrey are present to calm, soothe and help reduce discomfort.

The best thing about this stuff is that you can use it for all sorts of things. It's particularly good for scrapes, scratches, nettle stings, bites and the like. Thankfully I didn't have cause to try it out on road rash but I can imagine that it would be as soothing as it was on the scrapes etc. It's also effective at treating dry sore patches of skin (winter legs suffering from too long in technical fabrics) and dry hands and nails (the same with gloves). It also works as a low key remedy for saddle soreness. You'd not want to apply too much, as it's quite greasy, but a dab does diminish any existing soreness and chafing nicely.

The action is subtle, and here is where the word nebulous comes into its own. Some might doubt whether it even does anything at all, but I was genuinely of the opinion that the herbal extracts and oils and gums did assist with minor wounds healing cleanly and comfortably, and it did soothe soreness and irritation.

Handy for those who ride cross or mountain bike as well as road ride and are prone to more scratches, scrapes, stings etc

It smells good, it feels nice on the skin and its organic and natural. That all gets my vote.

Verdict

All-round natural healing balm. Personally I found it good for scrapes and scuffs but not everyone will buy into that.

road.cc test report

Make and model: Joshua Tree Organic Cycling Salve

Size tested: Cycling

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?

Aimed at all sorts of outdoor people. The balm comes branded for various activities but is essentially the same product.

Helps healing, soothes and disinfects, naturally.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Made from 100% Organic ingredients

Includes:

Myrrh

Lavender

Tea Tree

Beeswax

Eucalyptus

Calendula

Comfrey

Benzoin

Jojoba

Chapparal

Designed to be moisturising without destroying callouses, antiseptic and soothing and healing.

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

Small pot handy

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

Soothed, moisturised intensively and helped speedy healing

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

A little goes a long way

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
9/10

Small pot brilliant

Rate the product for value:
 
8/10

Good value for money considering it's 100% organic and natural and that a small pot will last such a long time. And it's versatile.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Performed very well as general purpose soothing ointment

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Smell, consistency, moisturising properties

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Nothing

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes. Especially mountain bikers

Anything further to say about the product in conclusion?

A pleasant soothing balm with many uses. Might appeal more to cyclists who tackle both on and off road riding.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 37  Height: 1.65m  Weight: 67kg

I usually ride:   My best bike is:

I've been riding for: 10-20 years  I ride: Most days  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, touring, general fitness riding, mtb,

 

Joshua Tree Organic Cycling Salve
salve
First aid
Lara Dunn

Lara has been riding bikes for longer than she'd care to admit, and writing about them nearly as long. Since 2009 she has been working as part of the road.cc review team whilst championing women's cycling on the side, most notably via two years as editor of the, sadly now defunct, UK's first and only women's cycling mag, erm, Women's Cycling. 

Believing fervently that cycling will save the world, she wishes that more people would just ride a bike and be pleasant to each other. 

She will ride anything with two wheels, occasionally likes to go fast, definitely likes to go far and is always up for a bit of exploring somewhere new and exciting. 

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