Hard to believe it, but the guy behind all this is a medical doctor… who can handle high-stakes neurology all day yet gets the heebie-jeebies from wrecked feet.

Dr. Donald “Doug” Strobel is a board-certified neurologist who spent decades treating patients with nerve pain, migraines, autoimmune conditions, and the everyday wear-and-tear that comes with life. Before that? He served in the Marines, then as a Navy pilot, and only then went to medical school and completed a neurology residency.

He’s been slimed, splattered, and sneezed on in every way medicine can throw at you—and kept a total poker face. But blistered, chewed-up, ultra-runner feet? That almost did him in.

When Doug started doing endurance races and ultra events, he ran into a huge problem:
everything on the market was either greasy, full of junk, or just… meh.

He wanted one thing he could throw in his pocket that would:

• Prevent blisters and chafing
• Soothe itchy, dry, cracked skin
• Be safe for sensitive areas
• Actually heal, not just sit there
  
  

So he did what a neurologist with a genetics background does: he went to the kitchen and started formulating.

After a lot of trial, error, and feedback from runners, patients, and very honest family members, Miracle Balm was born.

At the core of every product we make is Doug’s original Miracle Balm base:

• Organic Coconut Oil
  
• Organic Olive Oil
  
• Organic Beeswax
  
• Organic Shea Butter
  
• Organic Essential Oils of Lavender & Peppermint
  
• Vitamin E
  
  

No water. No preservatives. No parabens. No petroleum.
Just a dense, long-lasting balm that stays on from shower to shower and supports your skin barrier instead of stripping it.

From there, we build for specific needs:

• Original Miracle Balm – The “everything” balm for dry, itchy, cracked, angry skin.
• Miracle Balm + Clear Zinc – All the benefits of Miracle Balm with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for added protection.
• Magnesium Balm – Miracle Balm base + magnesium chloride for muscle and nerve support, sleep, restless legs, and cramps.
• Recovery Balm – Miracle Balm base + magnesium chloride + Arnica montana (and in some blends, botanicals like eucalyptus) for post-workout soreness, inflammation, and overworked joints.
• Baby Balm – A gentle, simplified version crafted for baby-soft, easily irritated skin—but loved by adults too.
• Bug Potion – Miracle Balm base + lemongrass, cinnamon and other essential oils to help keep critters away.
  
  

Every formula starts with the same question:
“Will this genuinely help someone feel and function better?”
If the answer isn’t a clear yes, it doesn’t go in the jar.

There are plenty of “natural” and “clean” brands. Here’s what sets us apart:

Neurologist-Developed, Dermatologist-Tested

These aren’t random kitchen experiments turned into a brand overnight. Doug brings decades of medical experience, a background in human/medical genetics, and years of treating real patients with real pain. Our balms are also dermatologist-tested, so you’re not just taking our word for it.

Non-Toxic, Simple Formulas

You can read our ingredient lists out loud in under ten seconds. No mystery chemicals. No long paragraphs of “other ingredients.” If it doesn’t serve your skin or your nervous system, it doesn’t make the cut.

One Family, Many Uses

We hear this all the time:

“We have one jar we reach for for everything—dry skin, bug bites, sore muscles, all of it.”

Our customers use Dr. Doug’s for:

• Dry, itchy, eczema-prone skin
  
• Cracked heels, elbows, and working hands
  
• Chafing and blisters (thighs, sports bras, feet, you name it)
  
• Muscle and joint soreness
  
• Restless legs and cramps
  
• Growing pains in kids
  
• Post-race recovery
  
• Pregnancy and postpartum support
  
• Baby bottoms, cheeks, and all the delicate spots
  

We’re not trying to sell you 25 different products. We’re here to give you a few great ones you actually finish.

Proven on the Trail, Trusted in Real Life

Our balms have been:

• Stuffed into race gear
  
• Stashed at ultra aid stations
  
• Used in dermatology, neurology, physical therapy and chiropractic clinics
  
• Carried in diaper bags, gym bags, and backpacks
  

Runners show up barely walking, get Recovery Balm on their legs, knees, or feet—and come back to the booth shaking their heads, “What is in this stuff?”

Parents write us because their kid finally slept, or wasn’t clawing at eczema all night.
That’s the bar we hold ourselves to.

Our Philosophy: Helping One Person at a Time

We’re not a giant lab or a faceless conglomerate. We’re a small team that cares a ridiculous amount about people.

• We believe in doing the right thing, even when no one is watching.
  
• We believe your skin deserves fewer toxins and more common sense.
  
• We believe you don’t need 14 products when one or two truly effective ones will do.
  
• And we believe if something doesn’t work for you, you shouldn’t be stuck with it—hence our happiness guarantee.
  

Every jar that goes out the door is made with the same intention Doug had when he mixed his very first batch:

“How do I help someone feel better, faster, without harming the rest of them in the process?”

Co-Founder • Neurologist • Ultra Runner • Reluctant Foot Expert

Dr. Donald “Doug” Strobel is the medical brain behind Dr. Doug’s.

• Neurologist in practice since 2003
  
• Diplomate of the American Academy of Neurology
  
• MD, UT Health San Antonio
  
• MS in Human/Medical Genetics, Texas A&M University
  
• BA in Chemistry and Biology, Indiana University
  
• Former Marine and Navy pilot
  
  

Doug’s passion has always been helping people with complex neurologic conditions—neurodegenerative diseases, autoimmune disorders, migraines, neuropathy, and more. Over time, he saw the same themes again and again: chronic pain, poor sleep, inflammation, and a sense that people were drowning in medications and products that weren’t giving them their lives back.

When he began training for adventure races and ultras, he realized his patients weren’t the only ones suffering. His own body—and especially his skin—needed support. The balms he created for himself quickly made their way into his clinic, into his patients’ hands, onto runners’ battered feet, and eventually onto thousands of bathroom counters.

Today, Doug continues to:

• Practice neurology
  
• Develop and refine Dr. Doug’s formulas
  
• Educate on brain health, pain, and prevention
  
• Test products the hard way—often on long runs, in real weather, with real blister risk
  
  

He’ll joke that he’s “a brain doctor who accidentally became a balm guy,” but the throughline is simple:
he wants to help people hurt less and live more.

Meet Natalie Gardner

Co-Founder • Biotech Veteran • Heart of the Brand

If Doug is the brain, Natalie is the heartbeat behind Dr. Doug’s.

With nearly 20 years in the biotech industry, Natalie has spent her career at the intersection of science, operations, and human stories. She’s seen how powerful modern medicine can be—and also where it sometimes falls short for everyday quality of life.

When Doug started handing her jars of his “race balm,” Natalie felt the difference immediately. Her reaction was simple:

“People need this. Not in five years. Now.”

Natalie:

• Leads the business, operations, and partnerships side of Dr. Doug’s
  
• Works directly with customers, athletes, parents, doulas, practitioners, and retailers
  
• Keeps the brand anchored in clean, non-toxic, family-safe values
  
• Advocates fiercely for simple solutions that actually work
  
  

She’s the one answering DMs late at night, talking to moms about restless legs in pregnancy, helping runners figure out their chafing issues before a big race, and building relationships with practitioners who want better tools for their patients.

To Natalie, this is more than a product line. It’s a way to:

• Reduce the chemical load families are exposed to
  
• Help people feel empowered in their own healing
  
• Prove that simple, organic, small-batch products can hang with—and often outperform—the big guys
  
  

Welcome to the Dr. Doug’s Family

Whether you found us through a friend, a race, your chiropractor, your doula, or late-night scrolling while scratching your legs—we’re glad you’re here.

Our hope is simple:

• That you find one jar you can rely on.
  
• That you feel safer about what you’re putting on your skin.
• That you experience a real, noticeable difference in your comfort, sleep, and daily life.
  
  

Because at the end of the day, we’re not chasing trends.
We’re just here to help you feel better in the skin you live in—one non-toxic, neurologist-crafted balm at a time.