{"id":33574,"date":"2016-06-23T11:30:17","date_gmt":"2016-06-23T15:30:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hhoupgrade.wpengine.com\/?p=33574"},"modified":"2025-01-29T21:10:42","modified_gmt":"2025-01-30T02:10:42","slug":"what-is-methyl-salicylate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyhempoil.com\/what-is-methyl-salicylate\/","title":{"rendered":"What is Methyl Salicylate?"},"content":{"rendered":"

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So, What is Methyl Salicylate? A Close Relative to Menthol<\/strong><\/h2>\n

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Methyl salicylate is a natural ester that performs very similarly to menthol. It is commonly extracted through steam distillation of wintergreen leaves.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to WebMD, <\/span>methyl salicylate<\/span><\/a> is found in many topical ointments bought over the counter for minor joint aches or muscular pains. It can also be found in intimate products. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

So, what is methyl salicylate and what does it do? Both menthol and methyl salicylate are known as counterirritants, which means they induce cooling and warming sensations on the skin. Counterirritants are primarily responsible for the name, and reaction, known as \u201cicy hot.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

Most of these products should not be used on younger children because of toxicity concerns, which we\u2019ll talk about later in this article. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Wintergreen Oil<\/span><\/h2>\n

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You may still be wondering, what is methyl salicylate? You will often hear about wintergreen oil or \u201coil of wintergreen.\u201d According to an <\/span>overview<\/span><\/a> in the Journal of Alternative Complementary Medicine, methyl salicylate is the predominant ingredient in the oil and is also the purest form in the highest concentration you will find. According to an <\/span>oil wintergreen podcast<\/span><\/a> from the Royal Society of Chemistry, oil of wintergreen contains 96-99% methyl salicylate. From the same source, \u201c…research has shown that methyl salicylate is part of a plant’s arsenal in the battle against pathogens and herbivores.\u201d <\/span>
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\n<\/span>Methyl salicylate smells very strongly of mint. In spite of this, it should also be noted that this compound does not belong in the mint genus of plant species. The burning cold sensation is activated through the TRPA1 channel. Methyl salicylate also activates the heat channel TRPV1, which is the same channel known to be activated by hot peppers like capsaicin. Sometimes, wintergreen oil is used in conjunction with peppermint oil, since the two in tandem are believed to attenuate beneficial effects. Wintergreen oil is obtained by steam distillation of the warmed, water-macerated leaves. It is sometimes used interchangeably with sweet birch oil for flavoring foods and candies. \u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Specific Products that Use Methyl Salicylate <\/span><\/h2>\n

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According to\u00a0<\/span>drugs.com<\/span><\/a> and <\/span>goodguide.com<\/a>, there are numerous products that contain methyl salicylate. Some products include…<\/span><\/p>\n