The 12 Year Formula: The Story Behind Rematch

Rematch is a young brand. The formula is not.

I am Cole Stegman. I have made and refined this camphor and menthol balm for 12 years. I play pickleball in Scottsdale most mornings, and Rematch is the jar I wanted in my own bag: something that works, made from ingredients I could pronounce, with a label that tells you exactly what is inside.

This is the story of how it became a brand, and why it is still made by hand.

It started as a jar for my own bag

Before Rematch had a name, it was a balm I made for myself. The goal was simple. I wanted the cool and the warm of a classic camphor and menthol rub without the things I did not want on my skin: a petroleum base, synthetic fragrance, dyes.

So I made my own, in a base of oils and butters I would be happy to cook with.

Twelve years of small changes

People sometimes imagine a formula arrives fully formed. Mine did not. Over 12 years, the work went into the details that decide whether you reach for a jar every morning or leave it in a drawer.

The base

A balm has to be firm in the jar and melt the moment it meets skin. Too much wax and it drags. Too little and it turns to oil in a hot car. The balance of organic beeswax, shea butter, coconut oil, castor oil and hemp seed oil is where most of the refining happened. Arizona summers are a good test.

The actives

Camphor 6.5% and menthol 1.75%. Both are FDA monograph actives, and both are at real strength. The cool should arrive first and clearly, then the warm should settle in behind it.

The scent

Camphor and peppermint, then it fades. No added fragrance to cover anything up.

The label

The actives are printed on the front of the jar, because nobody should need reading glasses and a flashlight to find out how strong a balm is. Every ingredient is on the back. Every jar is lot-coded.

Why "Rematch"

In any game, a rematch is the one you play after a loss. You want another shot, and you want it soon.

That is the feeling the brand is built around. You played hard, you feel it the next morning, and you want to be back out there at the same time tomorrow. The name, and the line "Same time tomorrow," came from the courts.

Rematch is for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints. It is not a treatment for anything. It is a good jar to have in your bag when you play a lot.

Why it is still handmade

When a product starts selling, the usual next step is to send it to a big factory. We did not, for three reasons.

1. Quality. A person checks every batch for texture, scent and fill. That is how the formula stays the formula.
2. Freshness. Small batches mean the jar you get was made recently.
3. Control. From the oils to the lot code, nothing is outsourced, and we answer for every jar.

You can read more about why that matters in Handmade in the USA: why small batch balm beats mass market rubs.

What we will not do

A few rules have held for all 12 years:

• No petroleum, no synthetic fragrance, no dyes, no fillers.
• No claims we cannot stand behind. Rematch is for temporary relief of minor aches and pains, and that is what we say.
• No hiding ingredients. If it is in the jar, it is on the label.

Where Rematch is going

The original 2 oz Balm is still the heart of the line. Since then we have added the 1 oz Travel for the bag, the fragrance-free Rematch Sensitive for dry, overworked hands, and the Rematch Cream in a 4 oz tube for bigger areas.

We also make Rematch available to clubs, gyms, clinics and pro shops through wholesale, and to brands who want the same formula under their own label through private label.

Same time tomorrow

If you play a lot, garden a lot, lift a lot or chase grandkids a lot, this is the jar I made for people like us. Try Rematch Balm. It is covered by a 60-day guarantee, and if you have a question, write to info@rematchbalm.com. I read them.

Use only as directed on the Drug Facts panel.

FAQ

Who makes Rematch?

Rematch was founded by Cole Stegman in Scottsdale, Arizona. Every jar is made by hand in small batches in our own facility there.

How long has the formula been around?

Cole has made and refined the formula for 12 years.

Why is it called Rematch?

Because the point is to play again tomorrow. Same time tomorrow is the promise we built the brand around.

Has the formula changed?

The core has stayed the same: camphor and menthol in a base made with organic oils and butters. Years of refining went into the balance of the base, the texture, and the strength of the actives.

Is Rematch only for pickleball players?

No. It is for anyone with the minor aches and pains of muscles and joints that come with an active life: golfers, gardeners, lifters, grandparents on the floor with the kids.