Menthol shows up in a surprisingly wide range of products, from cough drops and pain creams to shampoos, chewing gum, and candy. It comes naturally from mint plants, but synthetic versions are also widely used in manufacturing. Here’s a breakdown of where you’ll find it and how much is typically in each product.
Where Menthol Comes From
Menthol is a compound produced naturally by mint plants, especially cornmint (sometimes called Japanese mint) and peppermint. Cornmint is the primary industrial source. The essential oil from cornmint plants grown in India contains roughly 75% menthol, while Chinese varieties average around 72% and Brazilian plants about 65%. Peppermint oil also contains menthol but in lower concentrations, which is why cornmint dominates commercial production.
Most of the menthol in consumer products today is either extracted from cornmint oil or made synthetically in a lab. The synthetic version is chemically identical to the natural compound, so your body responds to both in the same way.
How Menthol Creates That Cooling Feeling
Menthol doesn’t actually lower the temperature of your skin or mouth. Instead, it activates a specific receptor on your nerve cells called TRPM8, the same receptor that fires when something cold touches you. When menthol binds to these receptors, your brain interprets the signal as “cold” even though nothing has changed temperature-wise. This is why a peppermint candy feels icy on your tongue and why menthol chest rubs feel cool on your skin.
Cough Drops and Cold Remedies
This is probably the most familiar category. A typical cough drop contains between 5 and 10 milligrams of menthol per lozenge. Brands like Halls, Ricola, and Luden’s all use menthol as their primary active ingredient, though concentrations vary by product line. “Extra strength” versions sit at the higher end of that range.
Vapor rubs and chest balms like Vicks VapoRub also rely on menthol, combined with other ingredients like camphor and eucalyptus oil. These products work by triggering that cooling sensation in your nasal passages, which makes breathing feel easier even though they don’t actually open your airways. Mentholated nasal inhalers and throat sprays use the same principle.
Pain Relief Creams and Sprays
Topical pain products are one of the biggest categories for menthol. Biofreeze contains 4% menthol. Icy Hot, Bengay, Tiger Balm, and Aspercreme with lidocaine all include menthol at varying concentrations, typically ranging from 1% to 16% depending on the specific product format (gel, patch, spray, or cream). The menthol creates a cooling or warming sensation on the skin that distracts nerve signals from underlying muscle or joint pain.
Candy, Gum, and Food Products
Anything labeled “peppermint” or “mint” flavored almost certainly contains menthol, whether from natural mint oil or added separately. This includes peppermint candies, candy canes, breath mints, mint chocolate, and chewing gum. Hard candies use an average of about 2.1 milligrams of menthol per gram. The most intensely minty confectionery products average around 3.5 milligrams per gram. Mint-flavored ice cream, toothpaste, and mouthwash also contain menthol, though toothpaste and mouthwash use it primarily for flavor rather than any therapeutic purpose.
Shampoos, Body Washes, and Skin Care
Menthol appears in a wide range of personal care products. “Cooling” or “tingle” shampoos, scalp treatments, body washes, aftershave, face washes, and lip balms all commonly contain it. The concentrations in shampoos and body products are generally quite low, well below what you’d find in a pain cream. Menthol in these products causes mild blood vessel dilation in the skin and has some anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties, though most cosmetic formulations contain too little for a meaningful therapeutic effect. The primary purpose is sensory: that cool, tingly feeling signals “clean” or “refreshing” to most people.
Lip balms are a particularly common source. Many popular brands, including original Burt’s Bees and Carmex, use menthol for flavor and for the slight plumping effect it creates as blood flow increases to the lips.
Cigarettes and Tobacco Products
Menthol cigarettes are one of the most well-known (and controversial) uses of menthol. The compound is added to tobacco to create a cooling sensation that masks the harshness of smoke, making it easier to inhale deeply. Menthol is also found in some smokeless tobacco products, often at levels comparable to or higher than those in mint candies.
Products You Might Not Expect
Menthol also turns up in places that aren’t immediately obvious. Medicated body powders, some sunburn relief sprays, insect bite treatments, and eye drops may contain it. Certain e-cigarette liquids use menthol flavoring. Even some scented candles and aromatherapy products include menthol or peppermint oil. If a product description mentions “cooling,” “icy,” or “mint,” menthol is almost certainly involved.
Safety Considerations for Children
The FDA recommends against giving any cough and cold products to children under 4 years of age. Manufacturers voluntarily pulled OTC infant cough and cold products intended for children under 2 after reports of serious side effects including convulsions, rapid heart rates, and death. For children 4 and older, mentholated cough drops and cold products are generally available, but only at the recommended dose and never using adult-strength formulations. The key risk is giving a child more than one product containing the same active ingredient at the same time, which can lead to an unintentional overdose.