Ingredient guide · M

Menthol

Menthol is a cooling ingredient commonly found in lip balms, cleansers and hair products. It gives a refreshing, tingly sensation on the skin or scalp and is popular in UK beauty formulas for its invigorating feel.

Menthol — Menthol is a naturally occurring compound found in peppermint oil, which is extracted f… | UK Lips ingredient guide

How it works in skincare

In cosmetics and skincare, menthol works as a sensory agent that activates cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, creating a pleasant cooling and refreshing effect without actually lowering the temperature. It is frequently added to lip products, scalp treatments and shower gels to enhance the user experience and provide a clean, minty aroma while also functioning as a mild fragrance and soothing additive.

Key benefits

  • Delivers a refreshing cooling sensation
  • Enhances the sensory feel of lip balms and cleansers
  • Provides a minty, clean fragrance
  • Helps invigorate the scalp in hair products
  • Can create a tingling effect that feels energising
  • Adds a soothing sensory experience in rinse-off formulas

Best for

normal skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive scalp

Where it comes from

Menthol is a naturally occurring compound found in peppermint oil, which is extracted from the leaves of the peppermint plant (Mentha piperita).

Products with Menthol

Not every product on UK Lips lists a full ingredient breakdown — so there may be many more formulas that contain Menthol than we can show here. These are the comparisons where we’ve confirmed it in the listed ingredients.

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