Menthol: a refreshing look at this ancient compound

Abstract

Menthol is a naturally occurring cyclic terpene alcohol of plant origin, which has been used since antiquity for medicinal purposes. Its use in dermatology is ubiquitous, where it is frequently part of topical antipruritic, antiseptic, analgesic, and cooling formulations. Despite its widespread use, it was only recently that the mechanism by which menthol elicits the same cool sensation as low temperature was elucidated upon, with the discovery of the TRPM8 receptor. Although almost 5 years have passed since the discovery of this receptor, many dermatologists are still unaware of menthol's underlying target. The purpose of this review is to highlight the recent advances in the mechanism of action of menthol and to provide an overview of its dermatologic applications.