Ingredient Library
Menthol
Menthol (from Mentha arvensis)
Menthol is a cooling compound from mint that refreshes and soothes the feel of skin and muscles. Brisk and tingly, it suits tired skin and balm formulas.
A natural history
Menthol is the cool heart of mint made crystalline, the single pure compound responsible for that unmistakable refreshing chill. Lifted chiefly from cornmint and peppermint, it forms pale, faceted crystals that carry one clean, cooling note, the very sensation that makes a balm or a lip product feel bright and awake.
Its magic is a gentle trick of the senses. Menthol does not actually lower the temperature of anything. Instead it switches on the very nerve receptor in the skin that detects real cold, so the skin feels cool and refreshed though nothing has chilled, a small marvel that has made menthol a beloved classic for generations.
What it does for your skin
Menthol's cooling touch is one of the loveliest effects in all of skin care. Research identified the receptor menthol activates, the same one that detects genuine cold, which is why menthol feels so refreshing.[1] In a human study, menthol applied to the skin produced a distinct cooling sensation.[2] In a formula, used at gentle levels, menthol lends a cool, refreshing, invigorating lift to tired or overheated feeling skin. Its gift is sensation, so a little goes a long way.
References
[1] Bautista DM, et al. The menthol receptor TRPM8 is the principal detector of environmental cold. Nature. 2007;448(7150):204-208. doi:10.1038/nature05910
[2] Gillis DJ, et al. Influence of repeated daily menthol exposure on human temperature regulation and perception. Physiol Behav. 2015;139:511-518. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2014.12.009
Found in these formulas
Questions, answered
It activates the same skin receptor that senses real cold, so skin feels refreshingly cool without any actual drop in temperature.
Menthol is the isolated crystalline cooling compound, drawn chiefly from mint; peppermint is the whole plant, with its own layered character and a separate library entry.