The balm
shelf.

01 / The classics · The strongest Tiger Balm tin

Tiger Balm Ultra Strength Ointment

• Camphor 11%
• Menthol 11%

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.

Size

0.63 oz (18 g) jar

Form

Ointment

Feel

Cool + warm

Smell

Strong camphor and menthol; Tiger Balm calls the aroma its trademark

For

Minor aches of muscles and joints: simple backache, bruises, strains, sprains, arthritis (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

The classic, at the classic strength. Rub a little on, keep it off your face and away from heat.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. Tiger Balm doesn’t sell direct in the US. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

02 / The classics · The red one

Tiger Balm Red Extra Strength Ointment

• Camphor 11%
• Menthol 10%

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.

Size

0.63 oz (18 g) jar

Form

Ointment

Feel

Cool + warm

Smell

Camphor and menthol with cassia and clove; warmer and spicier

For

Minor aches of muscles and joints associated with arthritis, simple backache, bruises, strains and sprains (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

Buy it for the smell and the ritual; it isn’t meaningfully stronger than Ultra.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

03 / The classics · The chest-rub cousin

Vicks VapoRub

• Camphor 4.7%
• Menthol 2.6%
• Eucalyptus oil 1.2%

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.

Size

1.76 oz jar

Form

Ointment

Feel

Cooling

Smell

Camphor, eucalyptus and menthol

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.

Evidence

Different job

The catch. 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.

A cold-season rub. Don’t treat it as a stronger muscle balm; it isn’t one.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

04 / Rubs & gels · The American drugstore standard

Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Cream

• Methyl salicylate 30%
• Menthol 10%
• Camphor 4%

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.

Size

4 oz (113 g) tube

Form

Non-greasy cream

Feel

Warming

Smell

Wintergreen and menthol, the classic locker-room smell

For

Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints: simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

Fine for the sensation. If you’re allergic to aspirin, read the label first.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

05 / Rubs & gels · Ice, then heat

Icy Hot Original Pain Relieving Balm

• Methyl salicylate 29%
• Menthol 7.6%

The balm’s label lists menthol 7.6% and methyl salicylate 29%. Icy Hot’s stick and cream are stronger (10% and 30%).

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.

Size

3.5 oz jar

Form

Balm

Feel

Cool + warm

Smell

Wintergreen-forward

For

Minor pain of arthritis, simple backache, muscle strains, sprains, bruises and cramps (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

Use a thin layer and nothing on top of it. Stop if the burn gets worse instead of fading.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

06 / Rubs & gels · Menthol, and only menthol

Biofreeze Pain Relieving Gel

• Menthol 4%

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.

Size

3 fl oz (89 mL) tube

Form

Gel

Feel

Cooling

Smell

Menthol

For

Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints: simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

The cleanest way to try cold-without-ice. No salicylate, no camphor.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

07 / Patches · Tiger Balm, no hands

Tiger Balm Pain Relieving Patch

• Camphor 80 mg/patch
• Menthol 24 mg/patch
• Capsicum extract 16 mg/patch

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.

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.

Size

5 patches, 4 × 2.75 in each

Form

Hydrogel patch

Feel

Warming

Smell

Low; Tiger Balm recommends its patches if you want less odor

For

Temporary relief of minor aches and pains (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

The tin’s idea in a form you can wear under a shirt. Mind the heat rule.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026, for a box of 5. · Tiger Balm product page ↗

08 / Patches · The small, cheap, famous one

Salonpas Pain Relieving Patch

• Methyl salicylate 10%
• Menthol 6%
• Camphor 3.1%

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.

Size

60 patches, 2.83 × 1.81 in each

Form

Thin adhesive patch

Feel

Cool + warm

Smell

Menthol and wintergreen

For

Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints: arthritis, simple backache, strains, bruises, sprains (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

Good for small spots. Read the box: the Salonpas line isn’t one product.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026, for 60 patches. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

09 / Liniments & oils · Tiger Balm for big areas

Tiger Balm Liniment

• Methyl salicylate 28%
• Menthol 16%

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.

Size

2 fl oz (57 mL) bottle

Form

Oil-based liquid

Feel

Cool + warm

Smell

Wintergreen, eucalyptus and spike lavender

For

Minor aches of muscles and joints with simple backache, arthritis, bruises, sprains and strains (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

For a whole back, not a thumb. Cap it every time.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

10 / Liniments & oils · The Chinese-medicine staple

Zheng Gu Shui

• Camphor 5.6%
• Menthol 5.6%

The label also lists herbal inactive ingredients in alcohol and water: Japanese knotweed, paniculate swallowwort root, shin-leaf prickly ash root and zedoary.

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.

Size

3.4 fl oz (100 mL) bottle

Form

Alcohol-based liquid

Feel

Cool + warm

Smell

Camphor and alcohol

For

Minor aches and pains of muscles and joints from arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains and simple backache (label).

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

A cultural classic with modest actives. Keep it away from flame and small hands.

Read the label →

No commission · 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. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

11 / Liniments & oils · The most concentrated bottle here

White Flower Analgesic Balm (oil)

• Methyl salicylate 40%
• Menthol 15%
• Camphor 6%

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.

Size

0.676 fl oz (20 mL) bottle

Form

Oil

Feel

Cool + warm

Smell

Wintergreen and menthol with a floral note

For

An external analgesic; follow the carton directions.

Evidence

Limited

The catch. 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.

Potent and portable. Treat the bottle like medicine, not perfume.

See it at Weee! →

No commission · * Weee! (online Asian grocer), September 29, 2026. Not sold at Target. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

12 / A different class · The one with the strongest evidence

Voltaren Arthritis Pain Gel

• Diclofenac sodium 1%

Diclofenac sodium 1% (equivalent to 0.93% diclofenac), an NSAID.

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.

Size

1.7 oz tube

Form

Gel, with a dosing card

Feel

Neither

Smell

Not a counterirritant: no cooling or warming is intended

For

Arthritis pain only, and only in the hand, wrist, elbow, foot, ankle or knee (label).

Evidence

Best supported

The catch. 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.

If your ache is arthritis in a hand or knee, start here, and use the dosing card.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026, for the 1.7 oz tube. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

13 / A different class · Numbs instead of tingles

Aspercreme with 4% Lidocaine Cream

• Lidocaine HCl 4%

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.

Size

2.7 oz (76.5 g) tube

Form

Cream

Feel

Neither

Smell

Fragrance-free, per the box

For

Temporary relief of minor pain (label).

Evidence

Very low

The catch. 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.

Pleasant, odorless, and more hopeful than proven for muscle aches.

See it at Target →

No commission · * Target.com, ZIP 90245, September 29, 2026. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

14 / A different class · The chili pepper

Capzasin HP Arthritis Pain Relief Cream

• Capsaicin 0.1%

Capsaicin is potent at tiny amounts; 0.1% is a lot by drugstore standards.

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.

Size

1.5 oz tube

Form

Cream

Feel

Warming

Smell

Little; the heat is the point

For

Minor pain of muscles and joints with arthritis, simple backache, strains, sprains, bruises. Adults 18 and over (label).

Evidence

Very low

The catch. 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.

Only if you’ll stick with it for days and can tolerate the burn.

Read the label →

No commission · No price: we couldn’t load a US retail price we could verify on September 29. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

15 / Trend shelf · The homeopathic one

Arnicare Bruise Gel

• Arnica montana 1X HPUS 7%

“1X HPUS” means a homeopathic dilution listed in the Homeopathic Pharmacopoeia of the United States.

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.

Size

1.5 oz (45 g) tube

Form

Gel

Feel

Neither

Smell

Fragrance-free, per the label

For

Minor pain, swelling and discoloration from bruises (label).

Evidence

Weak

The catch. 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.

Harmless-looking, loosely proven. Don’t count on it.

Read the label →

No commission · No price: we couldn’t load a price we could verify on September 29. · Drug Facts on DailyMed ↗

16 / Trend shelf · Not a pick, a warning label

CBD balms (the category)

• Cannabidiol (CBD)

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.

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.

Size

Varies

Form

Balms, sticks, creams

Feel

Neither

Smell

Varies by brand

For

No FDA-approved use as a topical pain reliever.

Evidence

Not established

The catch. 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.

Neutral: unproven, not approved, sometimes pleasant. Your money, your call.

Read the FDA’s CBD page →

No commission · No price: we didn’t pick a brand. Doses, purity and labeling vary widely. · FDA ↗