Questions people actually ask

No. VITAS is a cosmetic product for massage and external use. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Many traditional muscle rubs use methyl salicylate, camphor or steroids. These ingredients are legal and widely used — but they are active medicinal substances with known precautions.

Methyl salicylate (wintergreen oil) is chemically related to aspirin. Medical sources warn that too much absorption — through ingestion, large-area use, broken skin or heat — can cause salicylate toxicity.

Camphor is allowed in low concentrations, but accidental ingestion — especially by children — can cause seizures and poisoning. The US FDA limits camphor in over-the-counter products to 11% for this reason.

Topical steroids are medicines, not daily wellness ingredients, and should be used under guidance.

VITAS 紓適寧 contains no methyl salicylate, no camphor and no topical steroids. Instead, it is built around grape seed, niaouli and eucalyptus for your warm-up and wind-down routine, with a cleaner profile — made in France to EEC GMP standard.

VITAS was created in Hong Kong to bring a French-made, plant-based recovery cream to a market dominated by strong medicated rubs. The formula — grape seed, niaouli and eucalyptus — comes out of two decades of formulation work in France, and the finished product has been on Hong Kong pharmacy shelves at Watsons and Mannings for over a decade. Today it is still a small, Hong Kong-run brand, and every formula is made in France to the same standard. Read the longer version on our About page.

Before training, it gives a warming sensation as you massage it in; after training, a fresh, cooling one. It has enough glide for a proper self-massage on legs, shoulders and neck, absorbs in under a minute and leaves no shine, so you can dress straight away. The scent is a faint eucalyptus note that fades within a minute — there is no methyl salicylate or camphor, so it does not carry across a room. It is a cosmetic massage cream: it supports your routine, it does not treat injury or illness.

Three plant actives in a light water- and oil-based cream gel: grape seed (Vitis vinifera) as the carrier, eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) for the cooling note, and niaouli (Melaleuca viridiflora) to round the scent. No hormones, no steroids, no methyl salicylate, no camphor. The full INCI list is printed on the carton — if you have a known essential-oil sensitivity, read it before you buy and patch test on the inner forearm.

In France, by a contract manufacturer producing with EEC GMP standard for cosmetics, then imported to Hong Kong in finished retail packs. Batch number and expiry date are printed on the crimp at the end of each tube. If you want the documentation behind a specific batch, write to us and we will send it.

Do not use it on broken skin, on the face or near the eyes. It is not recommended for children under 5. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, check with your doctor or midwife first — the formula contains eucalyptus and niaouli essential oils. If you have sensitive skin or a known reaction to essential oils, patch test on the inner forearm and stop if the skin becomes red or irritated. Severe, sudden or post-injury pain needs a doctor or physiotherapist, not a cream.

One to two applications a day on clean, unbroken skin. Both: before training it is a two-minute check-in on the muscles you are about to load; after training it is a massage medium for tired legs, shoulders and back. There is no need to reapply every few minutes. Neither use replaces a proper warm-up or a rest day.

No. Lactate clears on its own within about an hour of stopping exercise, and no topical cream drains lymph. VITAS is a low-odour, non-greasy massage cream gel for your warm-up and wind-down — warming before training, cooling after.

Order from the Shop page — checkout is handled by Stripe, which accepts card and Apple Pay / Google Pay. Local delivery within Hong Kong is free on orders of HK$250 or more and HK$30 otherwise, usually 2–4 working days. You can also buy in person at Watsons and Mannings across Hong Kong.

Unopened tubes can be returned within 14 days of delivery for a full refund — email us and we will arrange it. We cannot accept opened tubes back for hygiene reasons. If something arrived damaged, send a photo and we will replace it.