I have been given this product as part of a product review through the Chronic Illness Bloggers network. Although the product was a gift, all opinions in this review remain my own and I was in no way influenced by the company.
I’ve been dying to try a topical pain relieving lotion. I was thrilled when asked to review Resonant Botanicals lotion Invigorate. Now I’ve been tempted by many a snake oil salesman before, so I wanted to take this review very seriously. Invigorate is pricey, retailing between $20 for 2 oz., and $55 for the 8 oz. bottle. Upon investigating their website, I found that the company offers a “pay it forward” option. I’ll let their words on their website explain the system:
“How our Pay It Forward program works:
1. Customers and Friends may contribute to the program through a donation which will be applied to the cost of an Invigorate or Qi of Calm™ two ounce lotion to help us reach those in need. Resonant Botanicals will cover the shipping and handling costs and provide our product at wholesale cost.
If you are in need, send your mailing address along with your product preference. Once the Program is funded, we will ship it to you at no cost.
2. Resonant Botanical Customers who have been liberated from prescription opioids through the use of our products can share a two ounce bottle with a friend in need. Simply leave us feedback and share your success story. Then enter your original order number and we will send them a two ounce lotion.” (http://resonantbotanicals.com/pay-it-forward/)
Pretty cool, right?! This pay it forward program sets this company apart in my opinion. They believe in their product and want people to get it. I think that is great!
Now, the big question. Is this product worth it? Let me tell you about it….
First impression: Ok. First impressions are important. I opened the product and immediately squirted two pumps into my hand. I liked that the lotion was not greasy. It was smooth and dried relatively quickly. Then I smelled it. It’s not an unpleasant smell, rather it was familiar and I just could not place it. (It drove me nuts!) I could only describe it as a pleasant-yet-mildly-medicinal smell. After a few minutes; however, the smell settled to something light and pleasant. I just could not place the first impression scent. I took the product to a friends house and had them try it. The consensus was it smelled like the old 1970’s and 80’s skin care product Noxema. Yep!! That was it, a woodier-citrus scent but somewhat similar! I should mention, my friends all liked the scent a lot.
Does the lotion work? Again, I’m always a skeptical reviewer. I’ve been scammed by so many products in the past that I took this review very seriously. When I first began using the lotion, my elbows and my feet were really bugging me. I wasn’t able to sleep one night, so I got up and got the lotion. Within about 5-10 minutes, the throbbing of the pain subsided. I began moving my elbow and the pain returned. So I learned that topically, the lotion did make a difference in numbing the painful joints….which in turn, helped me find comfort enough to sleep, BUT it does not prevent pain in motion. I should note, that I did not go the the company website prior to using the lotion. I didn’t want a preconceived notions to ruin my review (I had read a basic bio). After using the lotion, I went to the website and read that the product was developed for the inventor’s mother so she could sleep at night. Well, they did a good job with that!! The funny thing is that with a name like “Invigorate”, I expected that this product would rev me up, instead once that initial scent settles, it’s actually quite relaxing and calming. Now it sits by my bedside for nightly use.
What is in the lotion? Again, I’ll quote from their website, so I don’t mess it up.
“Invigorate starts with an infusion of herbs such as turmeric, valerian, devil’s claw, Manjistha and Arjuna and those are steeped in organic Grape Seed Oil for over six weeks. Then, the infused herb oil is added to organic Hemp Oil, Hemp Oil Extract, Apricot Kernel Oil, Jojoba Oil, Clove Oil Extract, and Borage Oil, essential oils such as Sandalwood and Rose Otto from the Kazanlak region of Bulgaria, and combined (emulsified) into a truly delightful pain relieving lotion.” It also has “Bottom notes of Frankincense and Sandalwood allow Lavender, Bergamot, Bulgarian Rose and Orange to dance playfully on top and usher you into preparation for what you are about to experience once you apply Invigorate to a painful area: relief.” (http://resonantbotanicals.com/product/invigorate/)
You can tell the essential oils are of a good quality because of the lasting effect and scent. They are also quick to absorb into the skin, which is a huge plus! When you apply the lotion on your skin there is no burning or heating sensation. You are impacted more by the relaxing scent, especially when it is combined with heat.
The product also uses MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane), which many of us who live in chronic pain, are familiar with. I usually take MSM combined with Calcium daily. I never heard of it in a topical, so I was intrigued. The site recommends using heat with the lotion, and I have to admit, that is an awesome combination. You can really smell the essential oils when the products heats. It’s relaxing. I used this product on my feet, elbows, back, and knees. One day in particular, the throbbing of my foot was extreme. Invigorate really did help when I needed some relief. I feel like it is a good tool to have in my arsenal.
Pros:
Quick absorption, non-greasy, pleasant light scent (after a few minutes) and does what it says, provides some relief to pain. The “Pay it forward” program is awesome.
Cons:
Cost, although justifiable with all the quality products like essential oils, can be pricey for someone on a fixed income, but this can be offset by Pay it Forward. The initial scent is truly invigorating, but it is strong (at first), but it is way better than over the counter products that have an extreme menthol scent.
So do recommend Invigorate lotion? Yes, I do! If you are looking for a topical pain relieving product that can help to take the edge off pain, try this product. I’m glad to have this as a tool for pain relief. You can find their website here:
#resbontanicals
asmyjointsturn.com 
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