I've purchased several of these since I've found them, as wonderful as they are, they don't last forever. I'm the girl who always seems to be cold though, so these have been wonderful for me. They are also wonderful for massages, menstrual cramps, or any time you need a bit of heat. They are re-usable and inexpensive - and best of all, you don't need to plug them in.

They arrive in a cardboard box, and there is a picture of the heart on the front with directions on how to activate and reactivate it. The box is very sturdy, and just big enough to put the heart in. You could save it for storage if you like, or just put it in a drawer or on a counter. I keep mine out in plain view most of the time. I have even given these to friends and family members since they aren't exactly sexual in nature.

There are three colors: pink, purple, and red. I prefer the pink and the purple ones because they are made with a see-through plastic which is just tinted to match the color that it says on the box. The red hearts are made with a red PVC material which is mostly opaque, although you can see the metal disk inside it if you look carefully.

To activate these, you just click the metal disk inside the heart. I had to do some research to figure out what was inside these, but it is actually just plain salt. Yes, you heard right. These packets are a supersaturated sodium solution, and when you click the metal disk it causes a chemical reaction which turns the salt solid. The process of crystallizing the salt again creates a lot of heat, and the heart will stay soupy for a while. As the heat wears off, the heart will slowly become stiffer and more solid. How long the heat itself will last will vary depending upon the use of the heart.

You can give massages with these, and they feel great. You don't need any massage oil to glide these over the skin, but you could use some if you like. Just scrub your heart very well with soap and water afterwards to get all of the oil off. I find that if I am giving a massage with the heart, the heat will only last about one hour before it is solid and running low on heat.

If I am using the heart because I'm cold or have menstrual cramps, the heart is usually under a blanket with me. I think the blanket helps trap the heat and makes the heart last longer. I can usually get two or three hours of heat out of one this way.

Wait until your heart is completely completely cool before you reactivate it. You'll need to get a pot of water, and place a small tea towel inside it. Boil the water, and then carefully add the heart to the pot. I highly recommend using tongs or a spatula so you don't get splashed. Allow the heart to boil until it is completely liquid again. If there are any chunks of salt still active when you take the heart out of the pot and allow it to cool, then the heart will "break". It won't activate or deactivate anymore, and you will be unable to use it again. The same thing will happen if you try to activate the heart while it is still warm. You must make certain that the heart is completely cool before you click the metal disk and reactivate it again.

I really love these but like I mentioned, they don't last forever. The first one I ever got I decided to keep track of how many times I was able to activate it, and it lasted through 67 activations! That is really great especially for something so inexpensive.

Please make sure that you don't put this on people who can't remove it themselves though (like babies or disabled people) because the heart gets very hot at first and could cause burns. If you find that the heart is a bit too warm for you, try putting a wash cloth or a tea towel in between you and the heart.

This is still a wonderful reusable heart. I use it all the time for all sorts of things and I LOVE IT!