Surfing, training, work, travel, poor sleep, repetitive stress, and long days.
Stiffness, heaviness, tightness, soreness, fatigue, and reduced mobility.
The issue is often accumulated load outpacing recovery.

A North Shore-born recovery cream built for surfers, watermen, athletes, laborers, and heavily used bodies.
SURFER highlights the story behind Catalyst Recovery Cream, why it was built on Oʻahu’s North Shore, and how active bodies are using it as part of their post-session recovery routine.
Catalyst started in Dr. John Baker’s North Shore clinic, where surfers, athletes, laborers, and everyday people trusted him with heavily used bodies.
Real Customer Video
Real Customer Video
Real Customer Video
Real Customer Video
“Usually after 3–4 straight days of surfing, my shoulders and low back are smoked. Catalyst became part of my nightly routine during winter and I genuinely noticed I was recovering better between sessions and waking up feeling less worked over.”
“I’m not a professional athlete — just someone whose body gets stiff and tired from work, training, and life. After a couple weeks of consistent use, I noticed I was moving better in the mornings and recovering faster after long days.”
“I’m on my feet all day, train a few times a week, and usually end up carrying that heavy, stiff feeling into the next morning. Most creams I’ve tried just felt cold for a bit and that was it. Catalyst was the first one that actually felt supportive afterward. Hard to explain, but my body just feels less beat up when I use it consistently.”
Dr. John Baker is a Chiropractic Physician, Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization Exercise Trainer specializing in physical medicine, biomechanics, and human performance.
Over the course of his career, he has worked with athletes across nearly every level of sport — including Olympic hopefuls and Olympic Gold Medalists, as well as World Surf League athletes, Championship Tour World Champions, Big Wave World Champions, and winners of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.
Before entering clinical practice, Dr. Baker built his foundation as a strength and conditioning coach, Ocean Lifeguard, and EMT, giving him a unique perspective on how the body performs, adapts, breaks down, and recovers under real physical stress.
Catalyst was born from that experience — not in a boardroom, but through years of working hands-on with surfers, athletes, lifters, watermen, laborers, and heavily used bodies on Oʻahu’s North Shore.
Sourcing these ingredients individually would easily exceed $100 — before accounting for formulation, ingredient synergy, or the pharmaceutical-grade DMSO delivery system that helps Catalyst absorb and integrate the way it does.
And that’s before you factor in the physician-formulated blend that took years of working with heavily used bodies on the North Shore to develop.
Training, surfing, work, travel, poor sleep, and long days all create demand on the body. Catalyst was built to support the recovery environment before the body forces you to slow down.
Most topicals are designed to make you feel something fast. Catalyst was designed around a higher standard: physician-formulated recovery support, intentionally layered ingredients, and small-batch craftsmanship.
Developed by Dr. John Baker, DC, CSCS, DNSet, after years of working with athletes and heavily used bodies.
Made in the USA in small quantities. No mass production. No cutting corners. Just care behind every jar.
No synthetic fragrance, no artificial dyes, and no petroleum-based fillers.
Packaged in a recyclable amber glass jar and never tested on animals.
Catalyst is not trying to be the loudest cream in your cabinet. It was built to support the recovery environment your body depends on after training, surfing, work, travel, and long days.