Hot Love from California Exotics are reusable heating pads you can use anywhere on your body. Use them to soothe sore muscles, menstral cramps, arthritic joints, or for warming your hands and feet.

The heating pads are made of vinyl, which is somewhat porous, so don’t use massage oils with them because the material can break down. Each are 4 inches across, and completely round. They are pink with the words "hugs" and "kisses" so they are a bit more feminine, but anyone can use these. The compact size means you can place them easily under clothing, or sneak them in your gloves in the winter. Oh the possibilities with little miracle heating pads.

You get two heating pads packaged in a cardboard box with all the information you need to know on it. It tells you how to use them, reuse them, and some warnings. It also tells you the product is sold as a novelty only, and made in China. The heating pads are individually wrapped in plastic. The box is kind of flimsy, so it’s best to store them somewhere else where they won’t get damaged.

When you are ready to use them, snap the little disk back and forth, and there’ll be an almost instant reaction. The pads will warm up to a thrilling temperature of 54 C (129 F). This may be to warm for some, so use them over clothing or in a piece of fabrick if that’s the case. The liquid will then crystallize, and the pads will be less flexible. If you want the pads to be in a certain shape, place them into position as soon as you start the reaction.

The warmth lasts for about 30 minutes, and the pads will become rock hard. You can’t reuse them until you boil them, and they will return to their liquid state. Bring a pot of water to a boil, then place these in the pot, and let them boil for 8 to 10 minutes, making sure the crystals are gone. Take them out with tongs (I use silicone ones so it’s less likely they’ll be punctured), and leave to cool. Then you can snap the disk whenever you are ready to use them again. For such wonderful little heating pads, it really isn’t much work.

OTHER THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW:
1. Make sure there is enough water in the pot to boil these for 10 minutes;
2. Don’t leave pot unattended while boiling;
3. Make sure the contents inside are completely liquidized. If you feel any grittiness, place them back in the pot for a couple more minutes;
4. Boil them within the same day of use;
5. You can use these on your feet, just don’t walk on them;
6. Discontinue use if vinyl is punctured;
7. Keep out of reach of children and pets;
8. Do not heat these in the microwave;
9. I also don’t recommend using these as ice packs.
Some of these warnings are already written on the package.

I don’t even know how I lived without these. I have a large heating pad that plugs into the wall, so I can’t even move around with it, and it takes forever to warm up. Hot Love gives me instant warmth. They are totally convenient, and easy to use. I love using them on my shoulders and back, but feel great anywhere on my body. The heating pads are just amazing, and would be especially handy during the winter months. These would make for an excellent gift.

These little warmers are still going strong. A couple of times they activated on their own because the slightest movement of the metal disk will start the reaction. When these decide not to work on me anymore, I would get more of them in a heartbeat.