When is the best time to use it — before exercise or after?

Both timings make sense, and which you choose depends on what you want from it.

Before movement: many people use warming gels of this type as part of preparing the body for activity — massaging it into muscles and around joints before a workout, a long walk, or physically demanding work such as gardening. The warming sensation combined with a few minutes of hands-on massage helps the area feel less stiff going into the effort. Note that this complements, but does not replace, an actual physical warm-up.

After strain: the other common use is an evening self-massage when the body feels loaded — after sport, long hours at a desk, repetitive motion, or a day of heavy tasks. Here the routine is typically a slower, more thorough massage of the areas that feel heavy or overworked, such as the neck and shoulders after desk work or the calves and knees after being on your feet.

A few timing-related cautions: avoid applying it immediately before a hot shower, bath or sauna, since heat and water contact will amplify the warming sensation on skin that already carries the product. If you use it in the evening, apply it early enough that it has been massaged in and your hands washed well before bed. And whichever timing you choose, keep it off broken or irritated skin and stick to a small amount until you know how your skin reacts.