I bought Ultra Strength Bengay to relieve some on and off pain in my knee and shoulder while I work out and afterwards. I was somewhat apprehensive because if I can’t feel the pain, I was afraid I would injure myself more. I have been careful in the gym, though, but be aware of this.

About this product and its claims:

First, there are many types of Bengay. There is a specific reason I chose Ultra Strength and it came right down to the ingredients. I was tempted by Bengay’s unscented formula but it only has 2.5% menthol in it. That is one of the active ingredients. Menthol provides soothing, cooling relief to aching joints and muscles. I have used generic analgesic rubs with menthol in them as the active ingredient but I wanted more than just a cooling effect, although for very minor aches, that cooling sensation does feel nice. Ultra Bengay is certainly Ultra although it is not unscented. At the same time that I bought this I bought Icy Hot, which I haven't used yet. It has 2 of the 3 ingredients. What is doesn't have is Camphor. (See below for information of Camphor.)

I used Bengay years ago and remember it in a metal tube with a metal cap. It has come a long way. It is now in a plastic tube with a popular flip top cap. This flip top cap seals tightly but is easy to open. In fact, it has received a Commendation from The Arthritis Association for its easy-to-open flip-top cap. Bengay is a product of Pfizer Consumer. The Arthritis Foundation advises you to seek medical advice to obtain an accurate diagnosis and then a comprehensive management plan. http://www.arthritis.org/resources/easy_to_use_products.asp

We are told that it is for the temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints associated with simple backache, strains, arthritis, and muscle and joint pain.

Ultra Strength comes in 3 sizes – 2 ounce, 4 ounce and 6 ounce. I only saw the 2-ounce in the supermarket where I bought it and paid a premium at $5.99. I could have bought the 4-ounce tube for $6.99 according to drugstore.com and since I am using quite a bit of it, this size will not last long.

We are told that it is not greasy. The tube itself calls it “nongreasy pain relieving cream.”

We are told that Ultra is Bengay’s strongest medicine because it has three pain relieving ingredients. We are told that it acts fast, that is lasts long and that it has warming powers that penetrates deep down.

There is a difficult to read expiration date on the side of the package.

Warnings:

This is for external use only. Don’t use it with a heating pad or bandage the area you have applied it tightly. Don’t swallow it and of course keep it away from children. If swallowed, induce vomiting and call a physician. Keep away from eyes, mucous membranes, broken or irritated skin. If skin redness or irritation develops, or if your pain lasts for more than 10 days call your doctor. Don’t use this for children under the age of 12.

Ingredients:

These are what distinguish Ultra Strength from other types of Bengay and other types of pain relieving cream. I told you what Menthol does. You can read below about Camphor but what about Methyl Salicylate, an apparently important ingredient and almost 1/3 of the active ingredients in this cream. Methyl salicylate
also known as Oil of Wintergreen is a local anesthetic agent and disinfectant commonly used in toothpaste, mouthwashes, and perfumes. It can cause poisoning when used in too great doses.
http://www.totalskincare.com/library/totalskincare_m_methyl-salicylate.html In fact I did quite a bit of reading online about this ingredient. It can cause allergic reaction in some people and if you have any questions, you probably should ask your doctor about using methyl salcylate. One interesting article is listed below.

Active Ingredients: Methyl Salicylate (30%), Menthol (10%), Camphor (4%)

Inactive Ingredients: Edetate Disodium, Glyceryl Stearate SE, Lanolin, Polysorbate 80, Potassium Carbomer, Potassium Stearate, Stearic Acid, Triethanolamine Carbomer, Triethanolamine Stearate, Purified Water

Directions:

This should be applied generously and gently massaged into the area until Ultra Strength Bengay disappears. You can repeat this 3 to 4 times daily which is how I have been using it. My knee and shoulder are large areas so my small tube will only last a couple of weeks. I don't expect to use it daily and certainly not 3-4 times every day. My pain comes and goes.

They suggest that for best results, squeeze tube from bottom and flatten as you use product like you might do for a toothpaste.

What I think of Ultra Strength Bengay:

Let’s start with the claims that it gives hours of relief. It does give hours of relief. How many hours is the key. I guess about 3 hours depending on what I am doing. When I put it on my knee or shoulder and go to the gym, I am fine for the couple of hours I am there. There are other times that if my knee is sorer that usual, the benefits don’t last as long. My husband has also been using it for arthritis in his toe and says it has helped relieve the pain for him.

Ultra Strength Bengay does contain these three pain-relieving ingredients and from what I have read they do in fact act as a pain reliever for minor arthritis pain, sore, aching or strained muscles, joints and backaches. Ultra Strength I have found it to act fast. As soon as I rub it in it does go to work. So all the claims are accurate.

We are told that it is non-greasy and that is also true. This is a white cream and just by looking at it you might think it is a moisturizer. In fact, other than the smell it rubs in like a moisturizer and feels very nice going on. It disappears immediately. I find myself rubbing it into my hands if any is left over and it leaves no greasy feeling on my hands.

We do have to talk about the smell. I like the smell. If you like menthol (Vicks Vapo Rub, mentholated cough drops) you have an idea of what this smells like. It isn’t unpleasant but it is strong. You would not want to put this on and go on a first date. I think I can be smelled in the gym, but that smell is better than sweat, I suppose. When I teach, though, I am aware of the menthol smell and use a little less of it. This is a double-edged sword. These products do contain menthol. Even the unscented does but only 2.5% rather than 10%, which is a huge difference.

You may want to buy the Ultra Strength for the times you are home and not in the public! This is a temporary solution to pain. It will not cure your pain and it isn’t going to make my knee or shoulder better. As a short-term solution, though it works.

My final thoughts:

I was talking with my Yoga instructor who highly recommends anything with the ingredient capsaicin. She swears by this ingredient. Capsaicin is a type of chili pepper and there is evidence that it interferes with the neurotransmitter that sends the message to your brain that there is pain. That is according to my Yoga instructor who highly recommends this ingredient. I will look for it next time, perhaps.

That isn’t to say that Ultra Strength Bengay doesn’t work. It does and I am recommending it. I would like to find the same product with a milder smell. I don’t know if it exists but I will keep looking.

If you have any questions, please leave a comment.



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Camphor has a strong, penetrating, fragrant odor, a bitter, pungent taste, and is slightly cold to the touch like menthol leaves; locally it is an irritant, numbs the peripheral sensory nerves, and is slightly antiseptic; it is not readily absorbed by the mucous membrane, but is easily absorbed by the subcutaneous tissue- it combines in the body with glucuronic acid, and in this condition is voided by the urine. Experiments on frogs show a depressant action to the spinal column, no motor disturbance, but a slow increasing paralysis; in mankind it causes convulsions, from the effect it has on the motor tract of the brain; it stimulates the intellectual centers and prevents narcotic drugs taking effect, but in cases of nervous excitement it has a soothing and quieting result.. http://www.botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/c/campho13.html#des

Salicylates are commonly found in many OTC medications, prescription medications, and Chinese medicated oils. Although widely used, topical salicylates rarely produce systemic toxicity; however, this case presents that potential. Because methyl salicylate or oil of wintergreen is in liquid form and has high lipid solubility, it has the potential to produce acute, severe systemic salicylate toxicity.
http://www.nmafaculty.org/news/acute_methyl.htm


Recommended: Yes