fourfive offer a small number of CBD topical products, including their CBD Muscle Rub plus Menthol. While I’m not an athlete, I was excited to try this one because my regular fitness routine often leaves me with stubborn aches and pains. It comes in a 45ml jar and contains 300mg CBD isolate combined with vitamin E and menthol. You also get a range of beneficial essential oils and carrier ingredients (the full list can be seen on the main product page).
Designed to soothe tired muscles and assist with recovery from exercise, fourfive CBD muscle rub is 100% natural and can be applied directly to your skin. Rubbing it in will allow the CBD and other active ingredients to have a localised effect on your endocannabinoid system. fourfive suggests that for a broader range of results, you can combine it with CBD capsules or CBD oil.
As well as the standard third-party lab results, this rub has been BSCG tested to certify that it’s free from THC and other banned substances. That makes it ideal for professional sports people and anyone who needs to take regular drug tests.
The directions don’t suggest how much you should use for each application, just that you should apply it directly to your skin. I chose to apply it to my calves, shoulders and neck every morning after a workout and then again last thing before bed.
fourfive 300mg CBD Muscle Rub in Brief
The rub has a pleasant menthol smell.
After rubbing it in for a few seconds I noticed relief from the usual workout muscle aches.
The container is small enough to chuck in your gym bag.
You can access the lab results via the ‘certificates of analysis’ tab on the site footer.
Lab results come with a batch number.
fourfive 300mg Muscle Rub
Specifications
Container size:
45ml
Strength:
0.67%
Total CBD:
300mg
CBD per application:
Unknown
Mg per ml:
6.67mg
Extract type:
Isolate
Extraction method:
CO2 Extracted
Hemp is grown in:
Unknown
Organic:
Herbicide and pesticide free
Third-party lab tested:
Yes
Contents
Who is fourfive?
fourfive is a UK brand based in St Albans that aims to harness the power of CBD and produce ‘sports-trusted CBD products’. During their professional rugby careers, fourfive founders George and Dom often turned to natural supplements to support their lifestyle. When they discovered CBD, they were keen to share it with friends and colleagues. However, they felt that there weren’t many brands available with products that met the athletes’ standards. To address this, they created fourfive.
fourfive aims to be a quality CBD and supplement range that helps the UK industry move towards universal standards of cleanliness, transparency and reliability. To achieve this and to verify the contents of the products they employ clinical neuroscientist Dr. Elisabeth Philipps and various well-known labs, including Phytovista, Eurofins and Triverity. A sample from each batch is sent to the lab for analysis, the results of which are published on the website.
They’ve had an exceptionally positive response from their customers with almost 500 customer reviews posted on Trustpilot. As of 02/02/2023, they had an overall grade of excellent and a large majority of five-star ratings. There are lots of mentions of the great product range and positive results.
The lab results for fourfive products can be accessed via a link labelled ‘Certificates of Analysis’ in the website footer. When I followed that link on 08/02/2023 there was only one certificate for the 300mg Muscle Rub and it didn’t match the batch result on my product (FF-M2212-45). This is likely because I’ve received a product from a new batch and the results haven’t been published yet. When I followed this up with fourfive they confirmed it was because the product is new and sent me the relevant lab results.
The lab results show the results of a cannabinoid profile and the banned substance testing. The cannabinoid profile tests for 12 cannabinoids (CBD, CBDa, CBDV, CBDVa, CBG, CBGa, CBN, THCV, Δ8-THC, Δ9-THC, CBC and THCa). 309.3mg of CBD was detected and no other cannabinoids. This confirms that the rub is made with isolate and holds slightly more than the amount of CBD on the label.
Previous lab certificates for this rub also included the results of banned substance testing that looked for 491 prohibited compounds. Disappointingly, this was not present on the certificate for my muscle rub.
Herb Reviews Terminology:
Full-spectrum – A product that contains a complete range of cannabinoids including THC.
Broad-spectrum – A product that contains a complete range of cannabinoids except for THC.
Isolate – A product that only contains CBD.
I was pleased to see this detailed analysis of cannabinoids and that the sample contained slightly more CBD than expected. However, I didn’t award full points because there was no screening for contaminants.
fourfive Ease of Use
As with the entire fourfive CBD range, the muscle rub is designed to be easy to use on the go. The tub is perfectly sized to fit in a bag or pocket and the top screws off with no hassle. The rub is relatively soft and it’s easy to pick up a small amount on the end of a finger and then work it into the target area with your whole hand. It does leave a slightly oily residue at first, but it’s fully absorbed after about 20 minutes.
Fragrance
Some menthol-scented products can be unpleasant and overpowering but this one is mild enough to be minty and pleasant. The fragrance will last on your skin for quite a while afterward but it’s only mildly noticeable under clothes.
fourfive CBD Rub Potency/ Effectiveness
The action of rubbing this product into my muscles immediately began to reduce soreness and aching. However, after the rubbing, I didn’t notice any prolonged effects of the rub and most of the deeper muscle aches and pains persisted. As with most muscle rubs, I enjoyed the benefits of regular use but it was hard to tell whether they came from the product or the regular rubbing.
Value for Money
A 45ml container of fourfive CBD Muscle Rub containing 300mg CBD costs £28 as a one-off purchase and £22.40 as a subscription. This works out at about 9.3p per mg of CBD (7.5p with a subscription). That’s relatively good value, particularly if you commit to the subscription option. However, if you want to treat those muscles on a budget, your best bet is a 20g tin of Mint and Rosemary Muscle Salve from Simply CBD (5p per mg of CBD).
Overall, the attention to detail that’s gone into making the Muscle Rub has paid off, providing good value for money and making it a convenient way to relieve mild muscle aches.
Would I Buy it Again?
Yes, I would buy this rub again, but only at the subscription price. The mild menthol scent, controlled substance screening and convenient size make it ideal for use after a workout.
fourfive CBD Muscle Rub Final Scores
fourfive CBD Muscle Rube Review
Overall
The CBD Muscle Rub plus Menthol is a conveniently sized topical balm that can be rubbed into aching muscles to aid recovery. The menthol scent is pleasant without being overwhelming. I rubbed it into my calves, shoulders and neck after workouts and found the process immediately relaxing. It didn’t remove deep aches or longer-term pain but was generally useful. The lab results verified that it contained slightly more than 300mg of CBD (in an isolate extract) and was free from THC.
Third-party lab results
7.5
Ease of use
9
Potency/effectiveness
8
Value for money
7
Pros
It’s made from hemp grown without herbicides or pesticides.
The small container is easy to use and convenient to carry.
The menthol scent is pleasant and not too strong.
Rubbing it in reduced the soreness of post-workout muscles.
It’s tested for prohibited substances including THC.
