Menthol ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily a sensorial cooling agent and fragrance component. It is also used in oral care and scalp or body products for a fresh feel and flavor impact.
What does Menthol do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily a sensorial cooling agent and fragrance component. It is also used in oral care and scalp or body products for a fresh feel and flavor impact.
Is Menthol clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it is familiar but not entirely neutral because it can sting or irritate sensitive skin, especially around the eyes, lips, or compromised barrier areas. It may be accepted in many clean frameworks, with practical limits driven by sensitization potential and product category.
Is Menthol sustainable?
This material can be sourced from aromatic crops or made synthetically, so its footprint depends on origin and processing route. It is readily biodegradable and does not raise major persistence concerns, though crop-based supply can involve land, water, and seasonal yield variability.
Is Menthol COSMOS-approved?
It can align with COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic when produced from permitted natural sources and processed according to the standard. From a Green Chemistry view, the best fit is renewable sourcing, efficient distillation or isolation, and good biodegradability, while synthetic versions may have weaker alignment.
How does Menthol work chemically?
The molecule is a cyclic monoterpene alcohol with multiple stereocenters, and its cooling effect comes from activation of cold-sensing TRPM8 receptors. It is oil- and alcohol-soluble, poorly water-soluble, fairly volatile, and commonly used around 0.05 to 1% in leave-on products depending on the desired sensory intensity.
Last updated 2026-05-13