Heat rub is used by many people to help sore muscles and other pains, and there are several things you should look at when choosing such a rub. There are various ingredients that can be used to cause the heat sensation in heat rub, and each one may have a different feeling, smell and texture. Depending on the ingredients, the rub may have common allergens such as peppers or shellfish that can affect you if you are allergic. The rub's carrier also may change how you can use it, because creams and sprays are used differently. Some rubs also specialize in helping a certain type of pain, which may be beneficial, depending on your needs.
The active ingredient in heat rub is the cause of the heat sensation, and there are many different ingredients that can cause this. For example, menthol, shark cartilage, cayenne pepper and peppermint oil can all cause this feeling. At the same time, each one heats the target area in a different way, and they all have different smells and textures. You should choose an active ingredient based on your preference, if you have one.
Heat rub sometimes will contain common allergens that may cause you to swell up or experience other allergic symptoms when using the rub. If you have any sort of allergy, then it may be a good idea to check for allergen information. There are many types of active ingredients, so you typically can avoid experiencing allergic reactions.
Cream is the most common carrier for a heat rub, but there also are several other carriers. There are sprays, swabs and patches, and each is used in different ways. For example, a spray is of a thinner consistency than cream, so it may be easier to absorb, while patches are easier to keep on the target area. While each rub will affect you differently, this mostly is preference-based.
Most heat rub products are made to help with general pains and muscle soreness, but there are some that are specialized to fix specific types of pain. For example, one rub may specialize in night pain while another may be best for athletes. If you are experiencing a specific type of pain, then it might be a good idea to select a specialized rub, but most pain can be treated with a general product.