High atop Ebey’s Landing Trail, I lost my cool and waddled my way back down to the shoreline. It’s not the scariest of trails—really. I don’t know what happened, but at some point, I looked over at the rocky beach far below and panicked. In fact, I started to feel a little dizzy, so I spent some time reassuring myself:
“Seriously, Cecilia. Calm down. This trail is basically level and flat for the most part and I’m pretty sure you won’t roll all the way down the hill, even if you fall.”
Nevertheless, I tensed the muscles in my feet and calves and hiked at a much slower pace than Nate and Alex. My natural inclination was to try to grip the path, despite my thick tennis shoes, thinking I could “dig” my toes into the earth and anchor myself. As a result, my feet in particular felt tired and sore. However, we hopped into the car and drove to Langley, a charming beach town with quaint shops and refreshing ocean views. I pushed my tired feet and calves through several streets and an arts festival, just so I wouldn’t miss a thing. As we crossed over to First Street, I saw the sign for the Whidbey Island Natural store and made a beeline for the “Sore Muscle Rub.”
The woman at the cash register greeted us warmly and pointed to some pictures on the wall to her right.
“This is my son,” she said as she pointed to a photo and told me about the shop, which is a family-owned business. The company was founded in 1995 by David and Kimberly Tiller. The shop features soaps and lotions made with natural plant oils. The ingredients in all of the products are organic.
I bought the 1-oz “Sore Muscle Rub” tin for $8.00. The ingredients include sunflower seed oil, castor seed oil, olive fruit oil, bees’ wax, Shea butter, fruit, comfrey leaf, arnica Montana flower extract, cinnamon oil, peppermint oil, and a multitude of other plant-based oils such as black pepper, ginger, rosemary, and eucalyptus. While some of the plant names listed might have been difficult to pronounce, I didn’t see anything that looked like added dyes, colors, or chemicals.
After a good night’s rest, I rubbed my feet with a small amount of the ointment. I had some difficulty opening the container, but once I got it open, I was able to see that a lot of product was packed into one small space. The thick, brownish green ointment had a spicy cinnamon aroma, but I could also detect the peppermint with some notes of chocolate that seemed to linger. The mixture, once applied to the body, was smooth and clear. I didn’t have to use a lot in order to cover both of my feet. Once applied, the rub felt soothing and luxurious. My feet felt refreshed and healed enough to shop aggressively at the grocery store during Memorial Day weekend. In fact, it has been several hours since my shopping trip and I don’t feel like I need to re-apply the ointment.
I can’t say for certain that it’s a “miracle product,” but I like it. It takes the edge off my aching feet. Oh—and I just caught a whiff of myself: Spicy cinnamon with notes of awesomeness! Yes!
Your Turn: What is a new product you’ve recently tried and what was your experience? Share and discuss!
Fixin' Leaks and Leeks 