07/25/2025
Why do I utilize this brand with every session? Because I want the absolute best experience and relief for what ails them!!
⚠️ Are Synthetic Topical Ingredients Doing More Harm Than Good?
When it comes to topical care for horses—or even humans—we’re often led to believe that stronger, colder, or “clinical-smelling” means better.
But here’s a little-known truth: many synthetic ingredients commonly used in gels, liniments, and sprays can actually trigger oxidative stress in the body.
Oxidative stress = cellular damage. And that means slower healing, inflammation, and long-term tissue degradation—the exact opposite of what you want for recovery.
Let’s take a closer look:
🔬 What Is Oxidative Stress?
Oxidative stress occurs when there’s an imbalance between free radicals (reactive oxygen species, or ROS) and the body's ability to detoxify them with antioxidants. While short bursts of ROS help signal healing, excess levels—especially from chemical exposure—cause inflammation, mitochondrial damage, and even DNA disruption.
🚫 Top Offenders in Topicals: What the Science Says
1. Synthetic Wintergreen (Methyl Salicylate)
Used for its cooling effect, lab-made methyl salicylate can disrupt redox balance and irritate skin and muscle tissues. It readily penetrates the skin, metabolizing into salicylic acid—which can be pro-oxidant in high or chronic doses.
✅ One study showed increased skin vasodilation and metabolic activity without improved oxygenation—an oxidative warning sign
📚 Frontiers in Physiology, 2024
2. Synthetic Menthol / Peppermint
Menthol affects TRP channels (TRPM8) in sensory nerves. While natural forms include balancing compounds, synthetic menthol can disrupt sodium and calcium ion channels, leading to overexcitation and ROS production with repeated use.
✅ Studies show lab-isolated menthol can cause increased oxidative stress in certain cell lines
📚 ScienceDirect, 2022
📚 Wikipedia: Menthol
3. Alcohols (Ethanol, Isopropyl Alcohol)
These are often used as carriers or preservatives—but they strip the skin’s lipid barrier, allowing deeper chemical pe*******on and increasing vulnerability to oxidative damage. Ethanol in particular has been shown to activate enzymes that generate ROS, even in dermal applications.
✅ Ethanol exposure elevates oxidative enzymes like CYP2E1 and promotes lipid peroxidation in skin cells
📚 Toxicology Letters, 2008
📚 Springer: Alcohol and Oxidative Damage
🧠 Real-World Impact
Repeated exposure to these synthetic ingredients may lead to:
Chronic muscle stiffness or delayed soreness
Worsening inflammation instead of resolution
Skin irritation, dryness, or barrier dysfunction
Subtle but accumulating mitochondrial fatigue in soft tissues
🌿 The Safer Path: Plant-Based Biocompatibility
Natural ingredients contain a synergy of antioxidants and supportive compounds that reduce the risk of oxidative overload. For example:
Steam-distilled essential oils (like peppermint, wintergreen, cypress)
Herbal infusions (like turmeric, rosemary, helichrysum)
Natural solvents or carriers (like aloe, DMSO in low concentrations)
These offer true support for the body's natural healing cascade—without generating toxic stress.
🧪 Ask Before You Buy:
❓ Is the wintergreen naturally sourced or synthetic?
❓ Is alcohol used as the main carrier?
If the answer is vague—or no—it’s time to consider alternatives that work with your horse’s body, not against it.
💡 Choose recovery, not reaction. Support healing through nature-informed, antioxidant-respecting topicals.
At Rodeo Road Essentials, we use only pure, plant-based ingredients that support natural tissue oxygenation and recovery—never synthetic compounds that contribute to oxidative stress.
www.rodeoroadessentials.com
