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You are standing in front of the shelf looking at four packages. All of them “for muscles”, all of them “after exercise”, all of them with herbs. They differ in price, volume and name. The choice does not come down to a list of ingredients. It comes down to a single question: what you want the product to feel like on your skin.
How products for external use differ
Products for the skin around muscles and joints differ above all in how they act on the sensory receptors in the skin.
Cooling comes mainly from menthol, often supported by camphor. The effect is refreshing and brings a feeling of relief when the skin feels heavy and overheated – after a run, after a long day on your feet.
A thermally neutral action means products without menthol or camphor. They give neither warmth nor cold – they work purely on the care layer. This is the choice for sensitive skin, for evening use and for frequent application.
Occlusion is a separate category: fat-based products that stay on the skin for a long time and do not absorb quickly. They work where you want prolonged contact between the ingredients and the skin. Once you know these three directions, choosing from our range becomes obvious.
A comparison of four Gorvita products
Comfrey Ointment with Ironwort and CBD Oil (140 ml)
- Feel on the skin: neutral, neither warming nor cooling
- Texture: ointment, absorbs well
- Composition: comfrey, ironwort, boswellia, 5% CBD, coconut oil
- When to reach for it: everyday care, sensitive skin, evenings
- Price: PLN 22.25*, i.e. about PLN 15.89 per 100 ml
Cooling Horse Ointment (130 ml)
- Feel on the skin: distinctly cooling
- Texture: ointment
- Composition: menthol, camphor, arnica, comfrey, white willow bark, boswellia, over 20 plant extracts in total
- When to reach for it: after training, after a long day on your feet, when the skin feels hot
- Price: PLN 14.64*, i.e. about PLN 11.26 per 100 ml, the cheapest of the four
Peat Mud Ointment (130 ml)
- Feel on the skin: lightly cooling
- Texture: rich, occlusive ointment
- Composition: peat mud, menthol, fir and cedar oil
- When to reach for it: prolonged contact with the skin, evenings
- Price: PLN 23.00*, i.e. about PLN 17.69 per 100 ml
Hemp Balm with 5% CBD (200 ml)
- Feel on the skin: cooling
- Texture: gel, spreads easily
- Composition: hemp oil with 5% CBD, comfrey, arnica, boswellia, menthol, camphor
- When to reach for it: massaging larger areas of the body, after training
- Price: PLN 23.86*, i.e. about PLN 11.93 per 100 ml
* All prices are valid as at 5 August 2026 and may change. You will find current prices in the shop.
All four products have a vegan composition, so that is not a criterion that separates them. Per millilitre the cheapest is the Cooling Horse Ointment, closely followed by the Hemp Balm; the most expensive is the Peat Mud Ointment.
Comfrey: what it gives the skin
Three of the four products contain comfrey. That is no accident.
Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is one of the best-established herbs in the European herbal tradition – a natural source of allantoin, an ingredient with a well-documented moisturising action that supports the regeneration of the epidermis. Allantoin is by now such a standard cosmetic ingredient that it appears in everything from hand creams to products for atopic skin.
In Gorvita products, comfrey extract has a regenerating, moisturising and firming effect and brings relief to the skin around the joints and muscles.
Comfrey Ointment with Ironwort and CBD: the thermally neutral option
This is the newest product in the group and the only one that contains neither menthol nor camphor. It neither warms nor cools.
That sounds like a drawback until you put it next to a situation in which you want to use a product in the evening, before sleep, or several times a day, or on skin that stings in response to menthol. Then neutrality is exactly what you are looking for.
The formula combines comfrey with ironwort (Sideritis scardica, a Balkan mountain herb we have written about separately), boswellia and hemp oil with cannabidiol at a concentration of 5%. Coconut oil, allantoin and panthenol complete it. The texture was chosen with massage in mind: it gives slip but does not absorb instantly, so you can work calmly on a tense spot.
Reach for it when: you want a product for everyday use, you have sensitive skin, you apply it in the evening, you are looking for a product for regular massage.
See the Comfrey Ointment with Ironwort and CBD Oil →
Cooling Horse Ointment: composition and when to reach for it
The Cooling Horse Ointment is the most recognisable formula in this group. The name is traditional: it took hold long ago for thick herbal ointments with an intensive composition.
The formula contains over twenty plant extracts and oils: arnica, comfrey, white willow bark, boswellia, ginkgo, marigold, lavender, aloe, ribwort plantain, rue and amber, along with thyme, fir and eucalyptus oils.
Its character, however, is decided by two items on that list: menthol and camphor. They are what give the cooling sensation felt within seconds of application.
What distinguishes it from the Hemp Balm, which also cools, is the texture: the Horse Ointment is an ointment, the balm is a gel. An ointment is easier to work with on smaller areas of the body, a gel on larger ones.
Reach for it when: you are coming back from training, after a long day on your feet, when the skin feels hot and you are looking for a sensation of cold.
Practical notes:
- Wash your hands thoroughly after applying. Menthol transferred to the eye area is very unpleasant.
- Do not apply to irritated skin or open wounds.
- Avoid the eye area and mucous membranes.
- It is the only product of the four that contains a colourant, so give it a moment to absorb if you are wearing light clothing.
See the Cooling Horse Ointment 130 ml →
Peat Mud Ointment: peat mud instead of a compress
Peat mud is a therapeutic peat – a material formed over thousands of years from decomposed plant remains in anaerobic conditions. In Polish health resorts, peat compresses are among the oldest and most recognisable treatments.
Our peat mud ointment is based on peat extract (in the INCI list: Peat Extract), supplemented with menthol, fir and cedar oil, allantoin and panthenol.
What sets it apart is the texture. The formula contains occlusive ingredients, thanks to which the product stays on the skin far longer than lighter ointments. That is its most important feature: it allows prolonged contact between the active ingredients and the skin, and makes it a more convenient home alternative to a classic compress. It is, on the other hand, the most expensive per millilitre, which is understandable given that it comes in the smallest volume in this comparison.
Reach for it when: you want a prolonged action, you apply it in the evening, you like the health-resort character of this type of product.
See the Peat Mud Ointment 130 ml →
Hemp Balm with 5% CBD: what hemp oil does on the skin
A good deal of myth has grown up around CBD in cosmetics, so let us say plainly what you can expect and what you cannot.
Hemp seed oil (Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil) is a plant oil with a favourable fatty acid profile. In cosmetics it is valued for its emollient properties and for supporting the epidermal barrier: it spreads well during massage and leaves no heavy film. Cannabidiol at a concentration of 5% completes the formula and supports the regeneration of the epidermis.
What it does not do: it has no psychoactive action and it does not replace any medical treatment. It is a care ingredient.
Our Hemp Balm has a gel texture, which sets it apart from the other products in this comparison. It spreads easily and quickly, which matters in practice when massaging larger areas of the body (the back, thighs, calves). Alongside hemp oil it contains comfrey, arnica and boswellia, while menthol and camphor give a cooling, refreshing effect.
Reach for it when: you are massaging large areas of the body, you want a refreshing effect after training, you prefer the light texture of a gel to a thick ointment.
See the Hemp Balm with 5% CBD →
Mineral water from Rabka in every formula
There is one ingredient that connects all four products: water from our own borehole.
For our formulas we use mineral water from a deep borehole in the Rabka-Zdrój area: bicarbonate-chloride-sodium, bromide-iodide-boron water. Its total dissolved solids exceed 23,000 mg/dm³, almost forty times more than in ordinary water. Among its minerals are calcium, magnesium, iron, iodine, bromine, selenium and zinc. We produce in Szczawa, in the Gorce mountains, without interruption since 1989.
How to use an ointment: massage in three steps
Step 1. Prepare the skin. It should be clean and dry. We apply these products only to undamaged skin.
Step 2. Measure out the amount. For a single area (the neck, a calf, a forearm) a portion the size of a hazelnut is enough. More does not mean better; the excess simply will not absorb.
Step 3. Massage for a few minutes. Calm, circular movements towards the heart. A few minutes of contact with a tense spot already does more than quickly spreading the product around.
All four products are used externally, several times a day or as needed, massaging them into the skin until absorbed.
Regularity beats intensity. A short, daily application gives a better effect than occasional, generous use.
When not to use these products
There are situations in which you should not reach for any of these products:
- A fresh injury with swelling or bruising. In the first twenty-four hours the right approach is cooling and rest, not massage. If you suspect a more serious injury, consult a doctor.
- Damaged skin: grazes, wounds, sunburn, skin lesions.
- The eye area and mucous membranes. This applies especially to products with menthol and camphor.
- Known hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the product.
- Before first use carry out a patch test on a small area of skin and wait several hours.
- Small children: products with menthol and camphor are not intended for them.
Frequently asked questions
Which ointment is best after training?
It depends on what you are after. When the dominant feeling is heaviness and overheating, a cooling product works well: the Cooling Horse Ointment for smaller areas of the body, the Hemp Balm for larger ones. For everyday, gentle care the Comfrey Ointment with Ironwort is the better choice. When you want the product to stay in contact with the skin for longer, reach for the Peat Mud Ointment.
How does the horse ointment differ from the comfrey one?
Above all in how it feels. The Cooling Horse Ointment contains menthol and camphor, so it gives a distinct cooling effect. The Comfrey Ointment with Ironwort is thermally neutral – it neither warms nor cools and works purely as skincare, so it suits sensitive skin and frequent use better.
Can two ointments be used alternately?
Yes, for example a cooling one after exercise and a neutral one in the evening. You should not, however, apply two products to the same place at the same time.
Which ointment is the most economical?
Per millilitre the cheapest is the Cooling Horse Ointment, closely followed by the Hemp Balm. The most expensive is the Peat Mud Ointment. You will find current prices in the shop.
Are these ointments vegan?
Yes. All our products for external use have a vegan composition. The only exception in our range is the propolis ointment.
Are the ointments suitable for people with sensitive skin?
Thermally neutral products, without menthol and camphor, are the better choice for sensitive skin. Whichever product you choose, we recommend a patch test before first use.
There is no single ointment for everything – and that is a good thing, because different situations call for different actions. Two are enough at home: one cooling and one neutral. That covers most everyday needs.
See all our skin and body care products →
Products for external use. Do not apply to irritated skin, open wounds, the eye area or mucous membranes, or in case of hypersensitivity to any ingredient of the product. A patch test is recommended before first use. If irritation occurs, discontinue use and consult a doctor or pharmacist.
