Actimas: Drug-Free Creams for Joint & Muscle Care
Actimas is our range of drug-free creams for everyday joint and muscle aches, stiffness and pain. Rubbed straight into the area, they help ease aches and support flexibility, built around clinically researched Celadrin and plant-based Boswellia and Commiphora. Dermatologically tested and made in Britain.
Shop the Actimas range
What is Actimas?
Actimas is a British range of drug-free creams for everyday joint and muscle aches, stiffness and pain. Rather than relying on oral painkillers, each cream is rubbed straight into the affected muscle or joint, so you can use it as often as you need, alongside gentle movement and warmth.
The range gives you two options. Celafen is fast-acting, built around clinically researched Celadrin, a complex of esterified fatty acids, with cooling menthol and soothing arnica, and many people feel it working within around 30 minutes. Boswellia & Commiphora is plant-based and vegan, built around frankincense and myrrh with arnica and comfrey, and designed for slower, long-term joint support with daily use. Many people use the two together, Celafen for fast relief and Boswellia & Commiphora for ongoing joint care.
Actimas is dermatologically tested and made in Britain.
Actimas benefits
Works through active ingredients rubbed into the skin, not painkilling drugs, so it is suitable for regular daily use and a popular choice for people who would rather not rely on oral painkillers.
Helps soothe aching muscles and stiff, sore joints, and supports flexibility, so you can keep moving more comfortably.
Celafen is fast-acting, with cooling menthol and clinically researched Celadrin, and many people feel it working within around 30 minutes, ideal for flare-ups and night-time aches.
The plant-based, vegan Boswellia & Commiphora Cream, made with frankincense and myrrh, is designed for slower, ongoing joint support with daily use.
Built around Celadrin, studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled trial for flexibility and comfort, and Boswellia, the subject of many published studies on joint comfort and stiffness.
Creams you apply directly to the affected muscle or joint, such as the knees, hands, hips, shoulders and back, so care goes exactly where you need it.
Boswellia & Commiphora is registered as vegan with PETA. Celafen is not vegan, as it contains animal-derived Celadrin. Both are cruelty-free.
Dermatologically tested and made in Britain, and free from parabens, SLS and MI. Both creams contain sweet almond and wheat germ oils, so patch test first if you have a nut or wheat allergy.
Why choose Actimas?
If you live with everyday joint and muscle aches or stiffness, you may not want to rely on oral painkillers, or you may want something you can use directly on the area as often as you need. Actimas gives you two drug-free creams to do exactly that: Celafen for fast, cooling relief, and Boswellia & Commiphora for gentle, long-term joint support. Both are rubbed straight into the muscle or joint, are dermatologically tested, and are made in Britain.
How to use Actimas
Actimas Boswellia & Commiphora Cream
(every day, for long-term joint support)
Massage into stiff or aching joints, like knees, hands, hips and shoulders, once or twice a day. Plant-based and vegan, made with frankincense and myrrh, it is built for steady joint support that adds up over time.
(every day, and the moment pain flares)
Rub into sore muscles and stiff joints morning and evening, and again whenever pain flares, after exercise or before bed. With cooling menthol and clinically researched Celadrin, most people feel it working within around 30 minutes, and the benefit deepens with daily use.
Which Actimas cream is right for you?
The two creams do different jobs and work well together. Choose Boswellia & Commiphora for everyday, long-term support of stiff or worn joints, especially if you prefer a plant-based, vegan formula. Reach for Celafen when you want faster relief, or for muscle pain, flare-ups and aches that disturb sleep, where its cooling menthol and Celadrin work quickly. Many people use both: Boswellia & Commiphora daily to keep joints comfortable, and Celafen for fast relief when they need it.
Actimas: frequently asked questions
1. What is Actimas, and who is it for?
Actimas is a range of drug-free creams for adults with everyday joint and muscle aches, stiffness and pain. They are rubbed straight into the affected muscle or joint, and are popular with people who would rather not rely on oral painkillers, including for the discomfort associated with conditions like arthritis and fibromyalgia.
2. What is the difference between Celafen and Boswellia & Commiphora?
Both are Actimas muscle and joint creams, but they do different jobs. Celafen is fast-acting, built around Celadrin, and a popular choice when you want quick relief, including for flare-ups and night-time aches. Boswellia & Commiphora is plant-based and vegan, built around frankincense and myrrh, and designed for slower, long-term joint support with daily use. Many people use the two together.
3. What is Celadrin, and how does it work?
Celadrin is a clinically researched complex of esterified fatty acids and the key active in Celafen. Applied to the skin, it is thought to support the cushioning and lubrication around joints and muscles while easing discomfort and helping flexibility. In a published, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, people using Celadrin showed greater flexibility and reported less pain than those using a placebo.
4. What are Boswellia and Commiphora?
Boswellia (frankincense) and Commiphora (myrrh) are two aromatic plant resins that have been used to support joints for centuries, and Boswellia in particular has been the subject of many published studies on joint comfort and stiffness. In this cream they are massaged into the skin over the affected joint, supported by arnica and comfrey.
5. Are Actimas creams drug-free?
Yes. They work through their active ingredients, Celadrin, menthol and arnica in Celafen, and frankincense, myrrh, arnica and comfrey in Boswellia & Commiphora, rather than through painkilling drugs. That makes them suitable for regular, daily use and a popular choice for people who would rather not rely on oral painkillers.
6. Which Actimas cream is vegan?
Boswellia & Commiphora is vegan and registered as vegan with PETA. Celafen is not vegan, because it contains animal-derived Celadrin. Both creams are cruelty-free and approved under PETA's Global Animal Test Policy.
7. How quickly do Actimas creams work?
It depends on which one. Many people feel Celafen's cooling relief within around 30 minutes, which makes it useful for flare-ups and sudden aches. Boswellia & Commiphora is designed to work gradually, with many people noticing their joints feel more comfortable over a few weeks of daily use.
8. Where are Actimas creams made?
Actimas creams are made in Britain and dermatologically tested for sensitive skin.
9. Do they contain nuts or wheat, and are they suitable for sensitive skin?
Both creams contain sweet almond oil and wheat germ oil, so they are not suitable for anyone with a nut or wheat allergy. Boswellia & Commiphora also contains pinene and limonene, fragrance compounds that occur naturally in the frankincense and myrrh oils. Both are dermatologically tested and free from parabens, SLS and MI, and we recommend a patch test before first use.
10. How do I use Actimas creams, and how often?
Rub a small amount into the affected muscle or joint. Celafen can be used as often as you need, up to several times a day, and Boswellia & Commiphora is best massaged in daily. Both are for external use only, so avoid broken skin and the eye area, wash your hands after applying, and patch test before first use.
11. Can Actimas help with arthritis, osteoarthritis or fibromyalgia?
Many customers use Actimas creams to help manage the everyday joint pain, muscle aches and stiffness associated with arthritis, osteoarthritis and fibromyalgia, rubbing them into affected areas such as the knees, hands and hips. They are not a medical treatment and will not cure these conditions, but as drug-free creams they can be a helpful part of a daily comfort routine. If your symptoms are severe, new or worsening, speak to your GP.
12. Can I use Actimas alongside my usual painkillers or medication?
Many people use a topical cream alongside their other pain management. If you are taking prescribed medication or are unsure, check with your GP or pharmacist first, and never stop a prescribed treatment without medical advice.
13. Can I use Actimas during pregnancy or breastfeeding?
We would not recommend using Boswellia & Commiphora during pregnancy or while breastfeeding without first checking with your midwife, GP or pharmacist, as it contains essential oils. It is sensible to get personalised advice before using any topical product with essential oils at this time, so if you are in any doubt, speak to a healthcare professional first.
14. Can I use Actimas before or after exercise?
Yes. Many people use Celafen for aching or overworked muscles after exercise or activity, and its cooling menthol makes it a popular choice for post-exercise soreness. As with any use, apply it to the affected area, avoid broken skin, and patch test before first use.
