“Menthol?”Here!mint extract
Hasn’t appeared in a scanned product yet.
In personal care
A compound found naturally in peppermint and other mint oils, also produced synthetically; it is the molecule responsible for mint's cooling sensation.
Why it’s used
It produces a cooling, tingling feel on skin and lips, and is used in lip balms, muscle rubs, and toothpaste for that sensory effect as well as mild topical pain relief.
What the evidence says
We haven’t found a source for this one that you can open and check, so we’re not summarizing the evidence.
Look it up yourself
We would rather point you at the shelf than summarize something you can’t check. These are the same places we search:
- PubChem — what the substance is, chemically — names, synonyms and structure
- PubMed — every paper indexed by the US National Library of Medicine that names it
These are starting points, not our findings — we haven’t run them for you. A substance whose name is also an ordinary word (“Heart”, “Alanine”, “Water”) will return papers that are not about the ingredient at all.
Context
Irritation potential rises with concentration; the levels used in cosmetic and personal-care products are generally well below those associated with irritation in testing.
Rumors
Menthol dries out skin and lips, so products containing it make lip balm users keep reapplying.
Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence
Measured as an outcome.
- Are Lip Balms and Chapsticks Bad for You? And Could They Be Addictive? (Journalism) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Juicy Chemistry — a brand: sells certified organic skincare
How we know who this is
- “Juicy Chemistry is India's first brand to hold full COSMOS V4 organic certification from Ecocert France across its entire product range.” (their page)
Menthol in toothpaste fights the bacteria that cause gum problems and bad breath.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Smyle — a brand: sells oral care products such as toothpaste tabs and electric toothbrushes
How we know who this is
- “At Smyle, we’re on a mission to make oral care better, healthier, and more fun.” (their page)
- “From our toothpaste tabs to the Smyle Ebrush, we’re reshaping dental wellness, one product at a time.” (their page)
- Smyle — a brand: sells oral care products such as toothpaste tabs and electric toothbrushes
Menthol irritates the skin when used in cosmetics.
Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence
Measured as an outcome.
- Mint (Database) · Funding not checked
- Contact dermatitis due to transdermal therapeutic systems: a clinical update (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- thebeautybrains.com — we couldn’t open the site to see who runs it
Menthol soothes the skin and relieves itching and irritation.
We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.
What was measured is not yet noted.
Who’s saying this
- Smyle — a brand: sells oral care products such as toothpaste tabs and electric toothbrushes
How we know who this is
- “At Smyle, we’re on a mission to make oral care better, healthier, and more fun.” (their page)
- “From our toothpaste tabs to the Smyle Ebrush, we’re reshaping dental wellness, one product at a time.” (their page)
- Smyle — a brand: sells oral care products such as toothpaste tabs and electric toothbrushes
Menthol stimulates hair growth by increasing blood flow to the scalp.
Not gradedhealth and safety evidence
Sources cited — no verdict reached.
What was measured is not yet noted.
- A Mixture of Tocopherol Acetate and L-Menthol Synergistically Promotes Hair Growth in C57BL/6 Mice (Peer-reviewed) · Funded by National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF), Korean Government; Ministry of SMEs and Startups (government) · No conflicts declared
- Topical menthol increases cutaneous blood flow (Peer-reviewed) · Funding not checked
Who’s saying this
- Divi — a brand: sells scalp and hair care products
How we know who this is
- “Divi partners with and educates stylists all across the country to bring quality scalp care to your local salon.” (their page)