IsaveraCreams (Targeted Relief Heat Rub)

I am in my late 40's and have chronic pain from a car accident, and have competitive swimmers who have occasional pain from overuse of their muscles. We have tried several different muscle creams and keep going back to biofreeze.This arrived in a sealed plastic bag and I could smell what seemed like toothpaste when I opened it. The jar is clear plastic . . . I would have preferred a tint to protect from light damage. The lid is a simple twist off, there is no seal under the lid.The cream is a lightweight gel type lotion. It has a very odd smell . . . a mix of fruit and toothpaste that I don't find particularly appealing. The directions are to apply liberally and allow to dry. It applies more like an aftersun aloe type treatment than a heat rub, which I actually like as it makes it easy and fast, soaking into my skin and not leaving a tacky feeling once dry.This isn't the most effective heat rub I have tried. It has a sort of icy-hot feel to it, more cooling to me than hot. It doesn't seem to last as long as other products I have tried either . . . maybe the delivery method . . . but it does seem to help beyond what other creams do, which is hard to explain.I find this to be not as effective on my lower back, which might because those are big muscles. It works nicely on my shoulders and neck, and it really shines when used on my feet at the end of a long day.Made in the USA.

It has a lovely minty scent, the texture is nice and thick which makes it easier to pick up and apply on your skin. It dissolves easily and your skin is a bit shiny in those areas. I tried it on my right side leg by the knee because I kept having this dull ache almost a tingling pulling sensation. After several application over the course of 3 days at least 5 to 6x a day. I can't say it helped any. Then I proceeded to try a few applications on the back of my arm from pain/soreness from exercising over several days, several times a day and I felt minor relief. Then when I got my 2nd booster I felt some swelling and soreness on my arm where the vaccination shot was and that actually did give me some relief, but I had to constantly keep reapplying it throughout the 2 days ensuing the vaccination. But it did help some.Pros1. Cooling feeling2. Slight tingly sensation3. Dissolves easily4. Smells incredible5. Lovely scent6. Thick texture7. Some relief from sorenessCons1. Didn't experience much relief from minor pain2. Little sticky/tacky feeling post application and drying3. Numerous applications for minor relief from soreness

CURRENT/CHRONIC INJURIES -- OA (osteoarthritis) of the knees; peroneal tendon injury in the footTRIAL -- I used it on both the KNEES and FOOT (before work and after dinner)PORTION SIZE -- average for anti-inflammatory creams (a.k.a. "normal")INGREDIENTS -- Arnica, menthol, peppermint, aloe leaf juice, cayenne, camphor, clove bud etc.SNIFF -- cloves, menthol and peppermint is what I sniffed; quite pleasing in a therapeutic wayTEXTURE -- more loose white colored hair gel type consistency; very slight sticky quality to it which slightly inhibited rubbing it in thoroughly (I wonder if that was the aloe?)SENSATION -- After applying it there is a cooling and tingling which kicks in within about 30 seconds to 1 minute; I would label this sensation "moderately" strong; this dwindles within 30-60 minutes approximatelyRELIEF/RESULTS -- 90 minutes of pain relief approximately. I worked an incident (I work in Asset Protection for an upscale retailer) for nearly 2 hours and it got me through it with no issues. After dinner I was on my feet less but it got me through the night with little residual discomfort or pain.

We're fans of topical pain creams and rather like the smell. I was curious about this particular combination of ingredients and like the tub because nothing goes to waste. The first thing I noticed was this was not sealed in any way. Just twist open, and there's an opaque, jiggly gel. It spreads easily, absorbs quickly, and doesn't seem to stain. I suspect that's because the first ingredient is (a lot of) water which may also be why this seemed so weak. My husband said it barely got warm and did nothing for his arthritic knee pain, but his is pretty severe. He rated it 2 stars, and he's so nice, he gives everything 5 stars. I tried it on my sore neck and lower back/hip. It warmed a bit on my neck for a few minutes, but I couldn't feel anything on my back/hip. My soreness remained everywhere. I thought it smelled mostly like peppermint with chemical undertones similar to chewing gum. It was tolerable, and I think I only faintly smell it when I sniff my clothes. This felt like a watered down, dollar store quality product except 20x more expensive. There are much better products out there for less.

After a few days of baby wearing and house cleaning, my lower back was aching pretty severely last night. It was the kind of pain that makes you realize you’re holding your breath when you move.My husband graciously rubbed some Isavera Targeted Relief Heat Rub on my lower back. I know “heat” is in the name, but I felt a very strong cooling sensation throughout the area. It was pretty intense - but effective. It lasted longer than I expected and when I woke up this morning, I had completely forgotten I was in pain the night before.I put the baby back in the wrap today and the pain didn’t return, so it seems the relief is long lasting. I’ve only tried this stuff once, but I will gladly update this review if I experience anything less than these results.I will likely purchase this when this jar runs out