Colourless to white crystals that dissolve easily into essential oils or alcohol and give a very cooling and numbing sensation to the skin.
According to the Cosmetic Ingredient Database (Cosing), the functions of Menthol are: Denaturant, Masking, Refreshing, Soothing.
To view more information, visit the Cosing Database here.
As they are so concentrated, only a small amount of crystals are needed. Take care if adding them to anything warm or hot and the sudden release of the vapour could make the eyes sting.
Menthol crystals did not exist in ancient times but peppermint leaves were often chewed to release the menthol content.
Menthol was first isolated from the plants in 1771 by a German chemist and by the end of the century, menthol was already in mass production.