{ "schema": "pointcast.balm-shelf/v1", "url": "https://pointcast.xyz/reviews/balm-shelf", "title": "Tiger Balm and the balm shelf", "dek": "Tiger Balm and everything like it: sixteen rubs, patches, oils and gels, what is actually in them, what the evidence says they do, and where the category could go next. Labels read and prices checked September 29.", "byline": "cc", "asOf": "2026-09-29", "hero": "/images/balm-shelf/hero.jpg", "heroWebp": "/images/balm-shelf/hero.webp", "heroAlt": "A pixel-dithered specimen sheet in black, cobalt, sun yellow and tiger orange: an open round balm tin, a tube of clear gel, a medicated patch peeling from its backing, a glass bottle with a dropper, a heap of white camphor crystals, a sprig of mint, a red chili pepper, wintergreen leaves with red berries, a cobalt snowflake and an orange flame, above a greek-key border.", "heroCredit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast, after Mike Hoydich’s specimen sheets", "method": "Desk review. Active ingredients and percentages are copied from each product’s Drug Facts label as filed on DailyMed (the National Library of Medicine’s label database), checked September 29, 2026; where the retailer’s listing differed, we used the label for that exact form and say so. Prices are Target.com prices for ZIP 90245 (El Segundo) on September 29, 2026, except White Flower (Weee!, same day); four products have no price because we could not load a US price we could verify. Evidence summaries lean on Cochrane reviews (especially the 2017 overview of topical analgesics), the 2020 American College of Physicians / American Academy of Family Physicians guideline on acute musculoskeletal pain, FDA safety communications and product labels. History comes from Tiger Balm’s own heritage page, Singapore’s National Heritage Board and Hong Kong Memory. PointCast has not used, smelled or tested any of these. There is no star rating because nothing was handled.", "disclosure": "No link on this page earns PointCast anything. Links go to the retailer page where we checked the price, or to the product’s Drug Facts label when we couldn’t verify a price. No maker paid for or reviewed placement. This page is not medical advice: it summarizes labels and published reviews. For anything beyond a minor ache, for children, in pregnancy, or if you take blood thinners or other pain relievers, ask a pharmacist or doctor.", "endnoteTitle": "A tin for the feeling, a diclofenac gel for the arthritis, and nothing near the heating pad.", "verdict": "Tiger Balm, Bengay, Icy Hot and their cousins are counterirritants: they make the skin feel cold, hot or both, and that sensation can take the edge off a minor ache for a while. The trials behind them are thin, and Cochrane reviewers found the evidence doesn’t support salicylate rubs for fresh sprains. If you want the option with the strongest evidence, it is a different kind of product: topical diclofenac (Voltaren Arthritis Pain), an NSAID gel that works for some people with hand and knee arthritis. Whatever you use, read the Drug Facts box. Keep these off broken skin, away from heat and tight wraps, and out of children’s reach, because camphor and methyl salicylate are dangerous if swallowed.", "groups": [ { "id": "classics", "label": "The classics", "need": "The tins and jars. Camphor and menthol, a strong smell, a century of habit." }, { "id": "rubs", "label": "Rubs & gels", "need": "American drugstore creams. Menthol, often with methyl salicylate (wintergreen)." }, { "id": "patches", "label": "Patches", "need": "The same idea, stuck in place. Less smell on your hands." }, { "id": "liniments", "label": "Liniments & oils", "need": "Thin, alcohol or oil-based liquids. Often the strongest percentages on the shelf." }, { "id": "different", "label": "A different class", "need": "Not counterirritants: an NSAID, a numbing agent, and chili-pepper capsaicin." }, { "id": "trend", "label": "Trend shelf", "need": "Arnica and CBD. Popular, loosely regulated, thinly supported." } ], "picks": [ { "id": "tiger-balm-ultra", "name": "Tiger Balm Ultra Strength Ointment", "brand": "Tiger Balm (Haw Par Healthcare)", "group": "classics", "award": "The strongest Tiger Balm tin", "price": 7.69, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. Tiger Balm doesn’t sell direct in the US.", "size": "0.63 oz (18 g) jar", "actives": [ { "name": "Camphor", "pct": 11, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 11, "temp": "cool" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Ointment", "smell": "Strong camphor and menthol; Tiger Balm calls the aroma its trademark", "feel": "mixed", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor aches of muscles and joints: simple backache, bruises, strains, sprains, arthritis (label).", "review": "The white-ish tin most people mean when they say Tiger Balm. Tiger Balm’s own FAQ says Ultra and its Arthritis Rub carry its strongest concentrations, camphor 11% and menthol 11%, and the label confirms it. The US product page says Ultra is non-staining. The inactive base is petrolatum with cajuput, clove, cinnamon and dementholised mint oils, which is where most of the smell comes from.", "caveat": "The label says not to use it within an hour before or 30 minutes after bathing, not to cover it with a wrap or heating pad, and that it’s for adults and children over 12. Camphor is toxic if swallowed, which is why the tin belongs out of children’s reach.", "verdict": "The classic, at the classic strength. Rub a little on, keep it off your face and away from heat.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/tiger-balm-ultra-strength-ointment-0-63oz/-/A-14678013", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=f0561804-e0f7-495d-9768-9b86a208c51e", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/tiger-balm-ultra.jpg", "alt": "Tiger Balm Ultra Strength carton on white: orange and black box with a small amber jar in the front window", "credit": "Product image: Target / Haw Par Healthcare" }, { "id": "tiger-balm-extra", "name": "Tiger Balm Red Extra Strength Ointment", "brand": "Tiger Balm (Haw Par Healthcare)", "group": "classics", "award": "The red one", "price": 6.19, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026.", "size": "0.63 oz (18 g) jar", "actives": [ { "name": "Camphor", "pct": 11, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 10, "temp": "cool" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Ointment", "smell": "Camphor and menthol with cassia and clove; warmer and spicier", "feel": "mixed", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor aches of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, simple backache, bruises, strains and sprains (label).", "review": "Red Tiger Balm is red because of cassia oil, Tiger Balm says, and that same oil can stain clothes. The label says so too, and suggests the White Regular Strength or Ultra if staining matters. Actives are nearly the same as Ultra (menthol 10% instead of 11%); the difference you notice is the base: cassia, clove, cajuput and dementholised mint oils in paraffin and petrolatum.", "caveat": "May stain fabric. Same label rules as Ultra: not on wounds or irritated skin, no bandage or heating pad, no bathing an hour before or 30 minutes after, over-12s only unless a doctor says otherwise.", "verdict": "Buy it for the smell and the ritual; it isn’t meaningfully stronger than Ultra.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/tiger-balm-extra-strength-joint-and-muscle-pain-ointment-0-63oz/-/A-93164516", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=ce703715-4c11-472c-9270-daac87b7be05", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/tiger-balm-extra.jpg", "alt": "Tiger Balm Red Extra Strength carton on white: red, yellow and green box with a small jar in the front window", "credit": "Product image: Target / Haw Par Healthcare" }, { "id": "vicks-vaporub", "name": "Vicks VapoRub", "brand": "Vicks (Procter & Gamble)", "group": "classics", "award": "The chest-rub cousin", "price": 7.49, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026.", "size": "1.76 oz jar", "actives": [ { "name": "Camphor", "pct": 4.7, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 2.6, "temp": "cool" }, { "name": "Eucalyptus oil", "pct": 1.2, "temp": "cool" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Ointment", "smell": "Camphor, eucalyptus and menthol", "feel": "cool", "evidence": "Different job", "evidenceScore": 1, "for": "Its main label use is cough: rubbed on chest and throat to suppress cough from minor throat and bronchial irritation. It is also labeled for minor muscle and joint aches.", "review": "Same family of ingredients as Tiger Balm, far lower strengths, and a different job. VapoRub is sold first as a cough suppressant whose vapors reach the nose and mouth; the muscle-ache use is secondary. It’s here because it sits in the same drawer and people reach for it the same way.", "caveat": "The label is unusually specific: not by mouth, not in nostrils, not on wounds, not under tight bandages, never heated or microwaved (it can splatter and burn), and not for children under 2. A cough lasting more than a week needs a doctor.", "verdict": "A cold-season rub. Don’t treat it as a stronger muscle balm; it isn’t one.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/vicks-vaporub-cough-suppressant-topical-chest-rub-38-analgesic-ointment-1-76oz/-/A-13327570", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=0a3086b7-a670-474e-81cf-8f989af425c2", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/vicks-vaporub.jpg", "alt": "Vicks VapoRub jar on white: a cobalt blue jar with the lid off showing white ointment", "credit": "Product image: Target / Procter & Gamble" }, { "id": "bengay-ultra", "name": "Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Cream", "brand": "Bengay (Kenvue)", "group": "rubs", "award": "The American drugstore standard", "price": 7.99, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026.", "size": "4 oz (113 g) tube", "actives": [ { "name": "Methyl salicylate", "pct": 30, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 10, "temp": "cool" }, { "name": "Camphor", "pct": 4, "temp": "warm" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Non-greasy cream", "smell": "Wintergreen and menthol, the classic locker-room smell", "feel": "warm", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints: simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains (label).", "review": "All three classic counterirritants in one cream, led by 30% methyl salicylate: the compound that gives oil of wintergreen its smell and a chemical relative of aspirin. In a cream, it spreads farther and washes off easier than a balm.", "caveat": "Methyl salicylate is where the evidence gets thin. Cochrane reviewers found the evidence doesn’t support salicylate rubs for acute injuries like sprains, and only limited evidence in chronic pain. Its label says no heating pad, no wounds, and not for a child under 12 with arthritis-like conditions.", "verdict": "Fine for the sensation. If you’re allergic to aspirin, read the label first.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/bengay-ultra-strength-pain-relieving-cream-4oz/-/A-13404451", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=0a41ec65-bd0b-4fc6-807d-74f353341cc7", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/bengay-ultra.jpg", "alt": "Bengay Ultra Strength tube on white: a red and white tube standing cap-down", "credit": "Product image: Target / Kenvue" }, { "id": "icy-hot-balm", "name": "Icy Hot Original Pain Relieving Balm", "brand": "Icy Hot (Chattem)", "group": "rubs", "award": "Ice, then heat", "price": 7.99, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026.", "size": "3.5 oz jar", "actives": [ { "name": "Methyl salicylate", "pct": 29, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 7.6, "temp": "cool" } ], "activeNote": "The balm’s label lists menthol 7.6% and methyl salicylate 29%. Icy Hot’s stick and cream are stronger (10% and 30%).", "form": "Balm", "smell": "Wintergreen-forward", "feel": "mixed", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor pain of arthritis, simple backache, muscle strains, sprains, bruises and cramps (label).", "review": "The name is the pitch: menthol’s cool first, wintergreen’s warmth after. It’s the same formula family as Bengay, minus the camphor. Icy Hot sells the same actives as a stick, a cream and a no-mess roll-on.", "caveat": "Its label carries an aspirin and salicylate allergy alert, warns that rare cases of serious burns have been reported, and says not to bandage tightly or add heat or another medicated patch. When the FDA looked at burns in 2012, the worst cases were mostly products combining menthol and methyl salicylate at high strengths, like this one.", "verdict": "Use a thin layer and nothing on top of it. Stop if the burn gets worse instead of fading.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/icy-hot-original-pain-relieving-balm-with-menthol-3-5oz/-/A-94886042", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=40c8c02f-fa5f-4e80-81a0-48271fa6f94b", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/icy-hot-balm.jpg", "alt": "Icy Hot Original Balm jar on white: a white tub with a blue lid and red and blue lettering", "credit": "Product image: Target / Chattem" }, { "id": "biofreeze-gel", "name": "Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel", "brand": "Biofreeze (Reckitt)", "group": "rubs", "award": "Menthol, and only menthol", "price": 8.49, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026.", "size": "3 fl oz (89 mL) tube", "actives": [ { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 4, "temp": "cool" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Gel", "smell": "Menthol", "feel": "cool", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints: simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains (label).", "review": "A single-active cooling gel at 4% menthol. Menthol works on TRPM8, the skin’s cold receptor: it makes skin feel cold without cooling it. The 2020 ACP and AAFP guideline for fresh muscle and joint injuries recommends topical NSAIDs, “with or without menthol gel,” as first-line treatment, one of the few places a guideline names menthol at all.", "caveat": "The label says it’s flammable (keep it away from flame and high heat), not to use it with a heating pad or device, and to wash your hands with cool water afterward. The guideline’s nod is to menthol alongside an NSAID, not a verdict on menthol alone.", "verdict": "The cleanest way to try cold-without-ice. No salicylate, no camphor.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/biofreeze-pain-relieving-gel-3-fl-oz/-/A-51405751", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=83d5c2f2-2413-4d28-83b2-0808d0917b4d", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/biofreeze-gel.jpg", "alt": "Biofreeze gel tube on white: a green tube with white lettering standing cap-down", "credit": "Product image: Target / Reckitt" }, { "id": "tiger-balm-patch", "name": "Tiger Balm Pain Relieving Patch", "brand": "Tiger Balm (Haw Par Healthcare)", "group": "patches", "award": "Tiger Balm, no hands", "price": 6.39, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026, for a box of 5.", "size": "5 patches, 4 × 2.75 in each", "actives": [ { "name": "Camphor", "pct": null, "mg": 80, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": null, "mg": 24, "temp": "cool" }, { "name": "Capsicum extract", "pct": null, "mg": 16, "temp": "warm" } ], "activeNote": "Patch actives are listed per patch, not as a percentage: camphor 80 mg, menthol 24 mg and capsicum extract 16 mg, per Tiger Balm’s product page and the carton.", "form": "Hydrogel patch", "smell": "Low; Tiger Balm recommends its patches if you want less odor", "feel": "warm", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Temporary relief of minor aches and pains (label).", "review": "Tiger Balm’s patches add capsicum (chili pepper) extract to the camphor-menthol pair, which pushes the feel toward warm. Tiger Balm’s FAQ points people who dislike the smell of the tins to the patches. The label says to change the patch once or twice a day.", "caveat": "No heating pad or external heat, no wrap except clothing, not on damaged skin, and the same bathing gap as the balms. Capsicum on your fingers can sting eyes: the directions say to wash your hands after applying.", "verdict": "The tin’s idea in a form you can wear under a shirt. Mind the heat rule.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/tiger-balm-pain-relieving-patch-5ct/-/A-14674278", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://www.tigerbalm.com/us/product/tiger-balm-pain-relieving-patch-small/", "sourceLabel": "Tiger Balm product page", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/tiger-balm-patch.jpg", "alt": "Illustration: a square pixel-dithered medicated patch with one corner peeling from its backing", "credit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast. The carton art shows a body, so we used our own drawing." }, { "id": "salonpas-patch", "name": "Salonpas Pain Relieving Patch", "brand": "Salonpas (Hisamitsu)", "group": "patches", "award": "The small, cheap, famous one", "price": 10.39, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026, for 60 patches.", "size": "60 patches, 2.83 × 1.81 in each", "actives": [ { "name": "Methyl salicylate", "pct": 10, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 6, "temp": "cool" }, { "name": "Camphor", "pct": 3.1, "temp": "warm" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Thin adhesive patch", "smell": "Menthol and wintergreen", "feel": "mixed", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints: arthritis, simple backache, strains, bruises, sprains (label).", "review": "Hisamitsu’s little patches are made in Japan and sold by the box of 60. Hisamitsu also makes a different, larger Salonpas Pain Relief Patch (methyl salicylate 10%, menthol 3%) that was approved through a full New Drug Application, NDA 022029; its label calls methyl salicylate an NSAID and carries a stomach-bleeding warning. Same brand, different rules, so check which box you’re holding.", "caveat": "Aspirin or salicylate allergy alert on the label; not on wounds, not with a heating pad, don’t bandage tightly. Up to 3 or 4 times a day, adults and children 12 and over.", "verdict": "Good for small spots. Read the box: the Salonpas line isn’t one product.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/salonpas-pain-relieving-patch-8-hour-pain-relief-60ct/-/A-46787473", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=5bb6c6a3-7dc0-463d-ab2c-9f3bd3f3eff5", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/salonpas-patch.jpg", "alt": "Back of a Salonpas 60-patch box: the blue-bordered Drug Facts panel listing camphor 3.1%, menthol 6.0% and methyl salicylate 10.0%", "credit": "Product image: Target / Hisamitsu (back panel; the front art shows a body)" }, { "id": "tiger-balm-liniment", "name": "Tiger Balm Liniment", "brand": "Tiger Balm (Haw Par Healthcare)", "group": "liniments", "award": "Tiger Balm for big areas", "price": 13.68, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026.", "size": "2 fl oz (57 mL) bottle", "actives": [ { "name": "Methyl salicylate", "pct": 28, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 16, "temp": "cool" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Oil-based liquid", "smell": "Wintergreen, eucalyptus and spike lavender", "feel": "mixed", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor aches of muscles and joints with simple backache, arthritis, bruises, sprains and strains (label).", "review": "No camphor here: the liniment swaps to methyl salicylate 28% with menthol 16%, which is the top of the menthol range the FDA’s monograph allows. Tiger Balm says the oil is made for massaging over larger areas than the tins cover.", "caveat": "Allergy alert for aspirin and salicylates on the label. A liquid this strong in wintergreen is the kind of thing to lock away from small children: methyl salicylate is dangerous if swallowed, and federal rules require it in child-resistant packaging.", "verdict": "For a whole back, not a thumb. Cap it every time.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/tiger-balm-non-staining-pain-relieving-liniment-2-fl-oz/-/A-1002976940", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=51293a06-5922-4072-ae14-afaba9c1b58e", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/tiger-balm-liniment.jpg", "alt": "Tiger Balm Liniment carton on white: a tall yellow and red box with a green pattern", "credit": "Product image: Target / Haw Par Healthcare" }, { "id": "zheng-gu-shui", "name": "Zheng Gu Shui", "brand": "Guangxi Yulin Pharmaceutical", "group": "liniments", "award": "The Chinese-medicine staple", "price": null, "priceNote": "No price: we couldn’t load a US retail price we could verify on September 29. It’s sold mostly by Chinese-medicine suppliers and Asian grocers.", "size": "3.4 fl oz (100 mL) bottle", "actives": [ { "name": "Camphor", "pct": 5.6, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 5.6, "temp": "cool" } ], "activeNote": "The label also lists herbal inactive ingredients in alcohol and water: Japanese knotweed, paniculate swallowwort root, shin-leaf prickly ash root and zedoary.", "form": "Alcohol-based liquid", "smell": "Camphor and alcohol", "feel": "mixed", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints from arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains and simple backache (label).", "review": "The name translates roughly as “bone-setting water.” In the US it’s sold as an ordinary external analgesic, with a Drug Facts box listing camphor and menthol at 5.6% each; the herbs are listed as inactive ingredients.", "caveat": "Flammable. The label says children under 2 shouldn’t use it and to stop if nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash develop. It has no maker site in English we could find, so the label is your manual.", "verdict": "A cultural classic with modest actives. Keep it away from flame and small hands.", "url": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=17552943-4f11-42d6-ad41-fbc53f2bbd9a", "cta": "Read the label →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=17552943-4f11-42d6-ad41-fbc53f2bbd9a", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/zheng-gu-shui.jpg", "alt": "Front panel of the Zheng Gu Shui carton from its filed label: red with a gold border, white Chinese characters and the English name", "credit": "Label image: DailyMed / Guangxi Yulin Pharmaceutical" }, { "id": "white-flower", "name": "White Flower Analgesic Balm (oil)", "brand": "Hoe Hin Pak Fah Yeow", "group": "liniments", "award": "The most concentrated bottle here", "price": 15.99, "priceNote": "Weee! (online Asian grocer), September 29, 2026. Not sold at Target.", "size": "0.676 fl oz (20 mL) bottle", "actives": [ { "name": "Methyl salicylate", "pct": 40, "temp": "warm" }, { "name": "Menthol", "pct": 15, "temp": "cool" }, { "name": "Camphor", "pct": 6, "temp": "warm" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Oil", "smell": "Wintergreen and menthol with a floral note", "feel": "mixed", "evidence": "Limited", "evidenceScore": 2, "for": "An external analgesic; follow the carton directions.", "review": "Despite the word “balm,” White Flower is a thin oil in a tiny bottle, invented in Penang in 1927 by Gan Geok Eng and later run from Hong Kong, per Hong Kong Memory’s company history. At 40% methyl salicylate it is the strongest wintergreen product on this page; a few drops go a long way.", "caveat": "Concentrated methyl salicylate can cause severe salicylate poisoning if swallowed, and federal rules require products containing it to come in child-resistant packaging. Keep it capped and high up. The label says not on wounds or irritated skin, and on the face only as directed.", "verdict": "Potent and portable. Treat the bottle like medicine, not perfume.", "url": "https://www.weee.com/en/product/HOE-HINWhite-Flower-External-Analgesic-Balm-Oil-20ML/2055259", "cta": "See it at Weee! →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=f3e3b8b5-b12b-49ac-9318-b0c358b136e9", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/white-flower.jpg", "alt": "Front panel of the White Flower carton from its filed label: cobalt and white, with a small bottle, lilies and scrollwork around Chinese characters", "credit": "Label image: DailyMed / Hoe Hin Pak Fah Yeow" }, { "id": "voltaren-gel", "name": "Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel", "brand": "Voltaren (Haleon)", "group": "different", "award": "The one with the strongest evidence", "price": 12.29, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026, for the 1.7 oz tube.", "size": "1.7 oz tube", "actives": [ { "name": "Diclofenac sodium", "pct": 1, "temp": "none" } ], "activeNote": "Diclofenac sodium 1% (equivalent to 0.93% diclofenac), an NSAID.", "form": "Gel, with a dosing card", "smell": "Not a counterirritant: no cooling or warming is intended", "feel": "none", "evidence": "Best supported", "evidenceScore": 4, "for": "Arthritis pain only, and only in the hand, wrist, elbow, foot, ankle or knee (label).", "review": "Not a balm at all: diclofenac is the same kind of drug as ibuprofen, absorbed where you rub it. It was prescription-only in the US until the FDA switched it to over-the-counter on February 14, 2020. Cochrane’s 2017 overview found topical diclofenac helped hand and knee arthritis over 6 to 12 weeks, though modestly: about 1 extra person in 10 got good relief compared with placebo. For fresh sprains, some diclofenac gels did much better in trials, but the US over-the-counter label covers arthritis only.", "caveat": "It carries full NSAID warnings: a severe allergy warning (especially if you’re allergic to aspirin), liver and stomach-bleeding warnings, not with other diclofenac, not with heat or a bandage, and not at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later unless a doctor directs. If it hasn’t helped in 7 days, the label says stop. If you take blood thinners, ask first.", "verdict": "If your ache is arthritis in a hand or knee, start here, and use the dosing card.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/voltaren-diclofenac-sodium-topical-arthritis-pain-relief-gel-tube-1-7-oz/-/A-78100319", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=30a94282-0892-442a-aa10-6525cbd4fe88", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/voltaren-gel.jpg", "alt": "Illustration: a pixel-dithered tube of clear gel with its blue cap off", "credit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast. Voltaren’s logo is a human figure, so we used our own drawing." }, { "id": "aspercreme-lidocaine", "name": "Aspercreme with 4% Lidocaine Cream", "brand": "Aspercreme (Chattem)", "group": "different", "award": "Numbs instead of tingles", "price": 7.69, "priceNote": "Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026.", "size": "2.7 oz (76.5 g) tube", "actives": [ { "name": "Lidocaine HCl", "pct": 4, "temp": "none" } ], "activeNote": null, "form": "Cream", "smell": "Fragrance-free, per the box", "feel": "none", "evidence": "Very low", "evidenceScore": 1, "for": "Temporary relief of minor pain (label).", "review": "Lidocaine is a local anesthetic: it quiets the nerve endings in the skin rather than distracting them, and it doesn’t reduce inflammation, as Cleveland Clinic puts it. No smell and no burn make it the easy one to wear to work. Aspercreme’s packaging calls 4% the maximum strength available without a prescription.", "caveat": "Cochrane’s overview rated the evidence for topical lidocaine as very low quality. The label says not to use it on large areas, on cut, irritated or swollen skin, with heat, alongside other topical pain relievers, or for more than a week without asking a doctor.", "verdict": "Pleasant, odorless, and more hopeful than proven for muscle aches.", "url": "https://www.target.com/p/aspercreme-lidocaine-pain-relieving-creme-2-7oz/-/A-16836627", "cta": "See it at Target →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=d5da67c3-c2ec-4e3e-abe9-cc862dcfc8bd", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/aspercreme-lidocaine.jpg", "alt": "Side panel of an Aspercreme Lidocaine box: the Drug Facts listing lidocaine HCl 4% as a topical anesthetic", "credit": "Product image: Target / Chattem (side panel; the front art shows a hand)" }, { "id": "capzasin-hp", "name": "Capzasin HP Arthritis Pain Relief Cream", "brand": "Capzasin (Chattem)", "group": "different", "award": "The chili pepper", "price": null, "priceNote": "No price: we couldn’t load a US retail price we could verify on September 29.", "size": "1.5 oz tube", "actives": [ { "name": "Capsaicin", "pct": 0.1, "temp": "warm" } ], "activeNote": "Capsaicin is potent at tiny amounts; 0.1% is a lot by drugstore standards.", "form": "Cream", "smell": "Little; the heat is the point", "feel": "warm", "evidence": "Very low", "evidenceScore": 1, "for": "Minor pain of muscles and joints with arthritis, simple backache, strains, sprains, bruises. Adults 18 and over (label).", "review": "Capsaicin, from chili peppers, switches on TRPV1, the skin’s heat-and-pain receptor; using capsaicin to find that receptor was part of the 2021 Nobel Prize in medicine. With repeated use it depletes a pain-signaling chemical in the nerve endings. The label warns that a burning feeling is normal at first and usually fades over several days.", "caveat": "The evidence splits by strength. Cochrane rated low-concentration capsaicin creams very low quality, and they cause more skin side effects than placebo. A high-concentration prescription patch has moderate evidence of limited benefit for nerve pain after shingles. The label says wash your hands, keep it from eyes, skip heat and direct sun, and don’t use it with other topical analgesics.", "verdict": "Only if you’ll stick with it for days and can tolerate the burn.", "url": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=345c9159-0efe-436b-9068-3b717678936b", "cta": "Read the label →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=345c9159-0efe-436b-9068-3b717678936b", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/capzasin-hp.jpg", "alt": "Illustration: a single pixel-dithered red chili pepper on a grey tile", "credit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast. We couldn’t find a clean product photo." }, { "id": "arnicare-gel", "name": "Arnicare Bruise Gel", "brand": "Boiron", "group": "trend", "award": "The homeopathic one", "price": null, "priceNote": "No price: we couldn’t load a price we could verify on September 29.", "size": "1.5 oz (45 g) tube", "actives": [ { "name": "Arnica montana 1X HPUS", "pct": 7, "temp": "none" } ], "activeNote": "“1X HPUS” means a homeopathic dilution listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States.", "form": "Gel", "smell": "Fragrance-free, per the label", "feel": "none", "evidence": "Weak", "evidenceScore": 1, "for": "Minor pain, swelling and discoloration from bruises (label).", "review": "Arnica montana is a yellow mountain flower long used in folk remedies for bruises. Boiron sells it as homeopathic medicine. The FDA says there are no FDA-approved homeopathic products, and none has been reviewed by the FDA for safety or effectiveness.", "caveat": "Research on arnica is thin and mixed. The best result we found was one hand-arthritis trial where an herbal arnica extract gel (not a homeopathic one) did about as well as ibuprofen gel, which a Cochrane review called moderate evidence from a single study. That doesn’t transfer neatly to a homeopathic bruise gel.", "verdict": "Harmless-looking, loosely proven. Don’t count on it.", "url": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=9d86cfb0-e155-4b0f-8bd0-ad5e8a335707", "cta": "Read the label →", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=9d86cfb0-e155-4b0f-8bd0-ad5e8a335707", "sourceLabel": "Drug Facts on DailyMed", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/arnicare-gel.jpg", "alt": "Label image of Arnicare Bruise Gel: blue and white carton panel with a yellow arnica flower and a Drug Facts column", "credit": "Label image: DailyMed / Boiron" }, { "id": "cbd-balms", "name": "CBD balms (the category)", "brand": "Many brands", "group": "trend", "award": "Not a pick, a warning label", "price": null, "priceNote": "No price: we didn’t pick a brand. Doses, purity and labeling vary widely.", "size": "Varies", "actives": [ { "name": "Cannabidiol (CBD)", "pct": null, "temp": "none" } ], "activeNote": "CBD isn’t an active ingredient in the FDA’s external-analgesic monograph. If a CBD balm has a Drug Facts box, check which ingredient is listed as the active.", "form": "Balms, sticks, creams", "smell": "Varies by brand", "feel": "none", "evidence": "Not established", "evidenceScore": 0, "for": "No FDA-approved use as a topical pain reliever.", "review": "CBD balms are everywhere, and plenty of people like them. But the only FDA-approved CBD medicine is Epidiolex, an oral drug for two seizure disorders. The FDA says any product intended to treat or relieve a condition is a drug, and an unapproved drug can’t legally be sold across state lines. It has sent warning letters to companies making unauthorized health claims.", "caveat": "We couldn’t find strong clinical evidence that CBD rubbed on skin relieves muscle or joint pain, and we’re not going to pretend otherwise. If you try one, buy from a seller who publishes third-party lab results.", "verdict": "Neutral: unproven, not approved, sometimes pleasant. Your money, your call.", "url": "https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd", "cta": "Read the FDA’s CBD page →", "source": "https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd", "sourceLabel": "FDA", "image": "/images/balm-shelf/cbd-balms.jpg", "alt": "Illustration: a pixel-dithered round balm tin with its lid open and yellow ointment inside", "credit": "Illustration: Astra (Codex) for PointCast" } ], "ingredients": [ { "id": "menthol", "name": "Menthol", "class": "Counterirritant", "temp": "cool", "from": "Mint oils", "how": "Switches on TRPM8, the skin’s cold sensor, so skin feels cold without getting colder. It stimulates, then quiets, pain nerve endings.", "range": "1.25–16% under the FDA’s external-analgesic monograph (M017)", "found": "Nearly everything here", "source": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29524352/", "sourceLabel": "J Clin Pharm Ther, 2018" }, { "id": "camphor", "name": "Camphor", "class": "Counterirritant", "temp": "warm", "from": "Camphor laurel, or made synthetically", "how": "Irritates the skin just enough to compete with the ache underneath. Tiger Balm describes it as warming.", "range": "3–11% under M017, the FDA monograph", "found": "Tiger Balm, Vicks, Bengay, Salonpas, Zheng Gu Shui, White Flower", "source": "https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/omuf/monographs/OTC%20Monograph_M017-External%20Analgesic%20Drug%20Products%20for%20OTC%20Human%20Use%2005.02.2023.pdf", "sourceLabel": "FDA monograph M017" }, { "id": "methyl-salicylate", "name": "Methyl salicylate", "class": "Counterirritant (a salicylate)", "temp": "warm", "from": "Oil of wintergreen, or made synthetically", "how": "A warming counterirritant and a chemical cousin of aspirin. It gives rubs their minty, locker-room smell.", "range": "10–60% under M017", "found": "Bengay, Icy Hot, Salonpas, Tiger Balm Liniment, White Flower", "source": "https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/topical-counterirritants", "sourceLabel": "Cleveland Clinic" }, { "id": "capsaicin", "name": "Capsaicin", "class": "Counterirritant", "temp": "warm", "from": "Chili peppers", "how": "Switches on TRPV1, the heat-and-pain sensor. With repeated use it depletes substance P, a pain-signaling chemical, from nerve endings.", "range": "Fractions of a percent in drugstore creams; far higher in prescription patches", "found": "Capzasin, Tiger Balm patches (as capsicum extract)", "source": "https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2021/press-release/", "sourceLabel": "Nobel Prize, 2021" }, { "id": "lidocaine", "name": "Lidocaine", "class": "Local anesthetic", "temp": "none", "from": "Synthetic", "how": "Blocks pain signals at the nerve endings in the skin, so the area goes numb. It doesn’t reduce inflammation.", "range": "4% is the most sold without a prescription", "found": "Aspercreme Lidocaine; lidocaine versions of Salonpas, Icy Hot, Bengay and Biofreeze", "source": "https://health.clevelandclinic.org/topical-pain-relief-what-is-it-and-how-does-it-work", "sourceLabel": "Cleveland Clinic" }, { "id": "diclofenac", "name": "Diclofenac", "class": "NSAID", "temp": "none", "from": "Synthetic", "how": "An anti-inflammatory drug, like ibuprofen, absorbed through the skin into the tissue underneath.", "range": "1% gel over the counter (Voltaren Arthritis Pain)", "found": "Voltaren, and store-brand equivalents", "source": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28497473/", "sourceLabel": "Cochrane overview, 2017" }, { "id": "fringe", "name": "Arnica, CBD, essential oils", "class": "Everything else", "temp": "none", "from": "Plants", "how": "Cajuput, clove, cassia, eucalyptus and lavender oils mostly shape smell and color. Arnica and CBD have weak or no clinical backing for rub-on pain relief.", "range": "Not monograph actives (except eucalyptus oil in Vicks, as a cough suppressant)", "found": "Tiger Balm’s bases, Arnicare, CBD balms", "source": "https://www.fda.gov/drugs/understanding-over-counter-medicines/homeopathic-products", "sourceLabel": "FDA on homeopathic products" } ], "uses": [ { "title": "Sore muscles, strains and sprains", "rating": "Mixed", "score": 2, "text": "The best-supported rub-on option for fresh sprains is a topical NSAID. The ACP and AAFP’s 2020 guideline recommends topical NSAIDs, with or without menthol gel, as first-line treatment. Cochrane reviewers found the evidence doesn’t support salicylate rubs for acute injuries. Menthol and camphor balms may make an ache feel different for a while, which some people find worth it, but trials are thin.", "source": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32805126/", "sourceLabel": "ACP/AAFP guideline, 2020" }, { "title": "Arthritis in hands and knees", "rating": "Best supported", "score": 4, "text": "Topical diclofenac has the strongest evidence on this shelf: Cochrane’s overview found a real but modest effect over 6 to 12 weeks, with a small proportion of people getting good relief. Voltaren’s US label covers the hand, wrist, elbow, foot, ankle and knee. Salicylate rubs had only limited, possibly biased evidence in chronic pain.", "source": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28497473/", "sourceLabel": "Cochrane overview, 2017" }, { "title": "Tension headache", "rating": "One trial", "score": 2, "text": "A 1996 randomized, double-blind trial in Australian general practice found Tiger Balm relieved tension headache better than a placebo rub, and no worse than paracetamol (acetaminophen). It was one small study, nearly 30 years old. If you try it, keep it well away from your eyes.", "source": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8839380/", "sourceLabel": "Aust Fam Physician, 1996" }, { "title": "Nerve pain (after shingles, neuropathy)", "rating": "Mostly prescription", "score": 1, "text": "A high-concentration prescription capsaicin patch has moderate evidence of limited benefit after shingles. Drugstore-strength capsaicin and lidocaine creams rate very low. This is a see-a-doctor problem.", "source": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28085183/", "sourceLabel": "Cochrane, 2017" }, { "title": "Chest cold and cough", "rating": "Different job", "score": 1, "text": "Vicks VapoRub’s main label use is cough suppression when rubbed on the chest and throat. It isn’t a stronger muscle balm, and its label bans it for children under 2 and in nostrils.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=0a3086b7-a670-474e-81cf-8f989af425c2", "sourceLabel": "Vicks Drug Facts" }, { "title": "Bruises", "rating": "Weak", "score": 1, "text": "Arnica is the traditional pick. The homeopathic versions haven’t been reviewed by the FDA for effectiveness. Time, and ice early on, are the dependable treatments.", "source": "https://www.fda.gov/drugs/understanding-over-counter-medicines/homeopathic-products", "sourceLabel": "FDA" } ], "interesting": [ { "kicker": "1870s · Rangoon", "title": "It started in a Burmese apothecary", "text": "Tiger Balm traces itself to Aw Chu Kin, a Chinese herbalist who set up a medicine shop called Eng Aun Tong, the Hall of Everlasting Peace, in Rangoon (now Yangon) in the 1870s. His ointment was sold as “Ten Thousand Golden Oils.”", "source": "https://www.tigerbalm.com/us/heritage/", "sourceLabel": "Tiger Balm heritage" }, { "kicker": "The names", "title": "A gentle tiger and a gentle leopard", "text": "His sons Aw Boon Haw (“gentle tiger”) and Aw Boon Par (“gentle leopard”) took over and named the product after Boon Haw. Tiger Balm’s FAQ adds, for the record, that no tigers have ever been harmed in making it.", "source": "https://www.tigerbalm.com/us/faq/", "sourceLabel": "Tiger Balm FAQ" }, { "kicker": "1926 · Singapore", "title": "A tiger watermark and a roaring car", "text": "Tiger Balm’s history says Boon Haw spotted a snarling tiger in the watermark of Singapore’s currency and took it as a sign. He moved the business there in 1926, into a Neil Road factory that Tiger Balm says produced ten times what Rangoon had. He toured Malayan towns in a custom car with a tiger’s head and a horn that roared, handing out samples.", "source": "https://www.tigerbalm.com/us/heritage/", "sourceLabel": "Tiger Balm heritage" }, { "kicker": "1937 · Pasir Panjang", "title": "Haw Par Villa, the advertisement you walk through", "text": "The family’s hillside estate in Singapore opened part of its garden to the public as an advertisement for Tiger Balm. It became known for larger-than-life dioramas from Chinese religion, history and mythology, was a popular outing into the 1980s, and still stands.", "source": "https://www.roots.gov.sg/en/stories-landing/stories/the-singapore-story-through-60-objects/self-government-and-independence/tiger-balm/story", "sourceLabel": "Singapore National Heritage Board" }, { "kicker": "Design", "title": "Why the red one stains", "text": "Red Tiger Balm gets its color from cassia oil, which can also stain cloth. The label itself tells you to switch to the White or Ultra if that matters. It’s a rare case of a Drug Facts box giving laundry advice.", "source": "https://www.tigerbalm.com/us/faq/", "sourceLabel": "Tiger Balm FAQ" }, { "kicker": "1927 · Penang", "title": "White Flower’s island origin", "text": "White Flower Embrocation was invented in Penang in 1927 by Gan Geok Eng, who made it by hand. The trademark was registered in Penang and Singapore in 1935, and the company later moved to Hong Kong.", "source": "https://www.hkmemory.hk/en/collections-postwar_industries-manufacturers-pak_fah_yeow-company_introduction.html", "sourceLabel": "Hong Kong Memory" }, { "kicker": "2021 · Stockholm", "title": "Balm chemistry won a Nobel", "text": "David Julius used capsaicin to find TRPV1, the heat sensor in our nerve endings. He and Ardem Patapoutian each used menthol to find TRPM8, the cold sensor. The chili-and-mint logic of a Tiger Balm patch is textbook physiology now.", "source": "https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2021/press-release/", "sourceLabel": "Nobel Prize press release" }, { "kicker": "Labels", "title": "Same brand, different rules", "text": "Most rubs are sold under the FDA’s external-analgesic monograph, M017, which sets the allowed ingredients and strengths. A few go through full drug approval instead: Voltaren (NDA 022122), and a Salonpas patch (NDA 022029) whose label calls methyl salicylate an NSAID.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=724bc4d3-0bc1-4275-a23b-4bbc62fbc0d2", "sourceLabel": "Salonpas Pain Relief Patch label" } ], "future": [ { "kind": "On shelves now", "title": "No-mess formats", "text": "Sticks, roll-ons and dry sprays are replacing the fingertip dip: Biofreeze Dry Stick, Vicks VapoStick, Icy Hot No Mess and Aspercreme’s dry spray. They’re the same actives with less on your hands.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=26d62cd2-9209-8cca-e063-6394a90a2028", "sourceLabel": "Biofreeze Dry Stick label" }, { "kind": "On shelves now", "title": "Odor-free and hydrogel patches", "text": "Salonpas sells 4% lidocaine patches marketed as odor-free, and Tiger Balm’s patches are hydrogel. The trend is toward patches you could wear in an office without announcing it.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=63911880-8194-4c7d-a72f-cab94761b2d7", "sourceLabel": "Salonpas Lidocaine label" }, { "kind": "On shelves now", "title": "Hot plus cold, stacked", "text": "Biofreeze’s Triple Target gel and roll-on combine camphor, capsaicin and menthol in one product. Expect more mixes of cold and heat actives.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=511852c8-7428-3234-e063-6394a90a5bc2", "sourceLabel": "Biofreeze Triple Target label" }, { "kind": "Real, not a rub (yet)", "title": "Cold-receptor drugs", "text": "In May 2025 the FDA approved Tryptyr (acoltremon), a first-in-class TRPM8 agonist, as an eye drop for dry eye. It targets the same receptor menthol does, turned into a prescription medicine. Nobody sells a TRPM8 drug for muscle pain; that part is our speculation.", "source": "https://www.drugs.com/history/tryptyr.html", "sourceLabel": "Drugs.com approval history" }, { "kind": "Real, not a rub (yet)", "title": "New pain targets", "text": "In January 2025 the FDA approved Journavx (suzetrigine), a non-opioid pill that blocks the NaV1.8 sodium channel in pain-sensing nerves. It’s oral and for acute pain. Whether that class could ever go topical is an open question, and our speculation.", "source": "https://www.drugs.com/history/journavx.html", "sourceLabel": "Drugs.com approval history" }, { "kind": "Real, rules", "title": "A faster lane for new OTC ingredients", "text": "The 2020 CARES Act replaced decades of monograph rulemaking with FDA administrative orders. Companies can now request that a new ingredient or use be added, with 18 months of exclusivity if they do the studies. That’s the realistic path for the next rub-on active.", "source": "https://www.ropesgray.com/en/insights/alerts/2020/05/cares-act-includes-overhaul-of-over-the-counter-otc-drug-monograph-framework", "sourceLabel": "Ropes & Gray on the CARES Act" }, { "kind": "Our idea", "title": "The refillable tin", "text": "Tiger Balm’s little jar is already iconic. A metal tin with paper-wrapped refill pucks would keep the ritual and cut the plastic and cartons. We haven’t seen anyone sell one.", "source": null, "sourceLabel": null }, { "kind": "Our idea", "title": "A heat-safe patch", "text": "The FDA’s burn warnings keep coming back to heat and tight wraps. A patch whose backing visibly changes color above skin temperature would turn a warning into a signal. Speculation, not a product.", "source": null, "sourceLabel": null }, { "kind": "Our idea", "title": "Strength on the front of the box", "text": "“Ultra,” “Extra” and “Max” mean different things at every brand. A front-of-pack strip showing each active’s percentage, like our table below, would do more than any adjective.", "source": null, "sourceLabel": null } ], "safety": [ { "title": "Skin only, and only intact skin", "text": "Not on wounds, cuts, rashes, sunburn or irritated skin. Keep away from eyes and the inside of the nose and mouth, and wash your hands after, especially with capsaicin.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=f0561804-e0f7-495d-9768-9b86a208c51e", "sourceLabel": "Tiger Balm Drug Facts" }, { "title": "No heating pads, no tight wraps", "text": "The FDA reported 43 cases of burns from these products between 1969 and 2011, some first- to third-degree. The worst mostly involved menthol plus methyl salicylate at high strengths. If a rub causes pain, swelling or blisters, stop and get medical care.", "source": "https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-rare-cases-serious-burns-use-over-counter-topical-muscle-and-joint", "sourceLabel": "FDA, 2012" }, { "title": "Dangerous if swallowed", "text": "Camphor can cause seizures, and concentrated methyl salicylate (wintergreen) can cause severe salicylate poisoning. Small children are most at risk. Store these high and capped. If anyone swallows some, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 right away.", "source": "https://www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2026/CPSC-Warns-Consumers-to-Immediately-Stop-Using-HiQiLi-Wintergreen-Essential-Oil-Due-to-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death-from-Poisoning-to-Young-Children-Violates-Mandatory-Standard-for-Child-Resistant-Packaging", "sourceLabel": "CPSC on methyl salicylate" }, { "title": "Aspirin allergy? Read twice", "text": "Salicylate rubs carry an allergy alert for people sensitive to aspirin, and diclofenac can cause severe allergic reactions, especially in people allergic to aspirin.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=30a94282-0892-442a-aa10-6525cbd4fe88", "sourceLabel": "Voltaren Drug Facts" }, { "title": "Blood thinners, pregnancy, kids", "text": "NSAID-labeled products (Voltaren, the Salonpas Pain Relief Patch) warn about stomach bleeding and say not to use them at 20 weeks of pregnancy or later unless a doctor directs. Nearly every label says to ask a health professional if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. Most are for ages 12 and up; Capzasin HP is for 18 and up; Vicks is not for children under 2.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=724bc4d3-0bc1-4275-a23b-4bbc62fbc0d2", "sourceLabel": "Salonpas Pain Relief Patch label" }, { "title": "Don’t stack products", "text": "Several labels say not to combine them with other topical pain relievers or a medicated patch on the same area. And if pain lasts more than 7 days, or clears up and comes back, the labels say see a doctor.", "source": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=345c9159-0efe-436b-9068-3b717678936b", "sourceLabel": "Capzasin HP Drug Facts" } ], "sources": [ { "label": "Derry S, et al. Topical analgesics for acute and chronic pain in adults: an overview of Cochrane Reviews. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2017.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28497473/" }, { "label": "Derry S, et al. Salicylate-containing rubefacients for acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2014.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25425092/" }, { "label": "Derry S, et al. Topical capsaicin (high concentration) for chronic neuropathic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2017.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28085183/" }, { "label": "Cameron M, Chrubasik S. Topical herbal therapies for treating osteoarthritis. Cochrane Database Syst Rev, 2013.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23728701/" }, { "label": "Qaseem A, et al. Management of acute pain from non–low back musculoskeletal injuries: ACP/AAFP guideline. Ann Intern Med, 2020.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32805126/" }, { "label": "Schattner P, Randerson D. Tiger Balm as a treatment of tension headache. Aust Fam Physician, 1996.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8839380/" }, { "label": "Pergolizzi JV, et al. The role and mechanism of action of menthol in topical analgesic products. J Clin Pharm Ther, 2018.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29524352/" }, { "label": "FDA Drug Safety Communication: rare cases of serious burns with OTC topical muscle and joint pain relievers, 2012.", "url": "https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-rare-cases-serious-burns-use-over-counter-topical-muscle-and-joint" }, { "label": "FDA OTC Monograph M017: External Analgesic Drug Products for OTC Human Use.", "url": "https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/omuf/monographs/OTC%20Monograph_M017-External%20Analgesic%20Drug%20Products%20for%20OTC%20Human%20Use%2005.02.2023.pdf" }, { "label": "FDA: Homeopathic products.", "url": "https://www.fda.gov/drugs/understanding-over-counter-medicines/homeopathic-products" }, { "label": "FDA: Regulation of cannabis and cannabis-derived products, including CBD.", "url": "https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-regulation-cannabis-and-cannabis-derived-products-including-cannabidiol-cbd" }, { "label": "Healio: FDA approves Voltaren Arthritis Pain for nonprescription use, February 2020.", "url": "https://www.healio.com/news/rheumatology/20200217/fda-approves-voltaren-arthritis-pain-for-nonprescription-otc-use" }, { "label": "Chan TY. The risk of severe salicylate poisoning following the ingestion of topical medicaments or aspirin. Postgrad Med J, 1996.", "url": "https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2398362/" }, { "label": "American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs. Camphor revisited: focus on toxicity. Pediatrics, 1994.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8008522/" }, { "label": "Jabbour SG, et al. Camphor oil toxicity: a case report. Cureus, 2023.", "url": "https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38022187/" }, { "label": "Cleveland Clinic: Topical counterirritants.", "url": "https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/drugs/topical-counterirritants" }, { "label": "Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2021, press release.", "url": "https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2021/press-release/" }, { "label": "Tiger Balm (US): heritage and FAQ.", "url": "https://www.tigerbalm.com/us/heritage/" }, { "label": "Singapore National Heritage Board (Roots): Tiger Balm.", "url": "https://www.roots.gov.sg/en/stories-landing/stories/the-singapore-story-through-60-objects/self-government-and-independence/tiger-balm/story" }, { "label": "Hong Kong Memory: Hoe Hin Pak Fah Yeow company introduction.", "url": "https://www.hkmemory.hk/en/collections-postwar_industries-manufacturers-pak_fah_yeow-company_introduction.html" }, { "label": "DailyMed (U.S. National Library of Medicine): Drug Facts labels for each product, linked on its card.", "url": "https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/" } ], "affiliateLinks": false, "handsOn": false, "medicalAdvice": false }