Tiger Balm
Suffering from aching muscles? Tiger balm may help.
I’ve been traveling extensively this month—both on the road and in the air—and the long days spent sitting in uncomfortable seats have wreaked havoc on my back muscles. Deep tissue massage always helps alleviate the pain. During a recent appointment, my masseuse asked if I’d like to use Tiger Balm as part of the treatment, and I eagerly agreed.
From the moment the liniment touched my muscles, I felt a warm, tingling sensation—not at all unpleasant. Because it’s formulated with rubefacient ingredients, the balm also caused slight redness on the treated area by dilating local blood vessels and boosting blood flow.
What is Tiger Balm?
This is a somewhat difficult question to answer, because depending on the manufacturer, the formulation can differ greatly. For example, in this over the counter (OTC) drug label filing from Haw Par Healthcare Ltd., they list the active ingredients of their product for the analgesic effect (pain relief activity) as Methyl Salicylate 15%, Menthol 5%, and Camphor 3%. The OTC label by Prince of Peace Enterprises, Inc. Tiger Balm, on the other hand, includes Camphor 11% and Menthol 11%, but no Methyl Salicylate. Under the “inactive” ingredients of many Tiger Balm labels, there are a number of interesting bioactive botanical essential oils, such as cinnamon oil, mint oil, and clove oil which likely also contribute to the overall effect of the liniment.
Beyond the rub-on liniment, Tiger Balm patches are also available. Here is an example which contains Capsicum (hot chili pepper) extract rich in capsaicin. Capsaicin is the molecule that makes chilis so spicy to our tongues when included in spicy dishes, but it can also overload your sensory cells in the skin to dull pain. In fact, capsaicin patches alone (without the camphor and menthol) are also available OTC to manage the pain from shingles.
You may be wondering, how does Tiger Balm (in its various formulations) differ from popular OTC products like Icy Hot or BENGAY? Icy Hot is made with Menthol 7.6% and Methyl Salicylate 29%, whereas BENGAY contains Camphor 4%, Menthol 10%, and Methyl Salicylate 30%. Neither include the additional botanical essential oils or capsicum extracts.
What plants are these ingredients found in?
Today, many of the individual chemical ingredients are made synthetically for commercial scale production purposes, but they originate in plants. For example, we find menthol in peppermint (Mentha x piperita), methyl salicylate in wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens) and sweet birch (Betula lenta), camphor from the camphor tree (Cinnamomum camphora—a relative of the cinnamon we consume as a spice), and capsaicin from chili peppers (Capsicum annuum).
How do these ingredients work together?
The wonderful thing about this blend of ingredients is that together, they can target multiple processes to yield an overall beneficial and synergistic effect.
Counterirritants (like menthol, camphor, and methyl salicylate) are typically both rubefacient and analgesic. They increase blood flow (rubefacient) and create tingling/cooling/warming sensations that reduce pain perception (analgesic).
Capsaicin is notable because it strongly heats and reddens the skin (rubefacient) while also dulling deeper pain signals (analgesic).
Botanical Essential Oils (cinnamon, clove, mint) can have mixed mechanisms: cinnamon oil tends more toward rubefacient effects, while clove (eugenol) is well-known for analgesia, and mint oils containing menthol can do both.
Are there concerns about regular use?
As with all things in medicine, the dose makes the poison—and “natural” doesn’t necessarily mean “safe.” Always follow the label instructions for how much ointment to apply and how often to use it. Capsaicin, for example, can cause a strong burning sensation that may be too painful for some folks to use, and none of these products should be ingested or applied to damaged skin or open wounds. Also avoid contact with the eyes. The two main ingredients responsible for toxicity when Tiger Balm or similar topical products are overused or accidentally ingested are methyl salicylate and camphor.
Camphor
Camphor is an active ingredient in products like Tiger Balm, BENGAY, and Vick’s VapoRub. While it’s most dangerous if swallowed, applying camphor to broken skin can also increase absorption and lead to toxicity. Be sure to store these products securely, out of reach of pets and young children who might accidentally ingest them. If consumed, camphor can cause nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, dizziness, seizures, and even death at high doses.
Methyl Salicylate
Methyl salicylate is found in many formulations of Tiger Balm as well as Icy Hot and BENGAY. When used correctly on unbroken skin and applied sparingly, it is generally safe. However, overuse or application to broken skin can significantly increase absorption, potentially leading to salicylate toxicity—commonly signaled by ringing in the ears (tinnitus) and symptoms similar to an aspirin overdose. If you are also taking oral salicylates (such as aspirin or willow bark tea), be sure to consult your doctor about the risks. In addition, always keep products containing methyl salicylate securely stored, out of reach of children and pets, to prevent accidental ingestion.
The Takeaway
When used correctly, botanical products rich in rubefacient and analgesic ingredients can offer relief from sore and aching muscles! I personally find it most useful when also combined with massage of the affected site.
Which ingredients or products have you found most helpful in managing sore muscle pains? Please comment below! I’d love to hear from you.
Yours in health, Dr. Quave
Cassandra L. Quave, Ph.D. is a Guggenheim Fellow, CNN Champion for Change, Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, recipient of The National Academies Award for Excellence in Science Communication, and award-winning author of The Plant Hunter. Her day job is as professor and herbarium director at Emory University School of Medicine, where she leads a group of research scientists studying medicinal plants to find new life-saving drugs from nature. She hosts the Foodie Pharmacology podcast and writes the Nature’s Pharmacy newsletter to share the science behind natural medicines. To support her effort, consider a paid or founding subscription to Nature’s Pharmacy or donation to her lab research.
The Plant Hunter is available in hardcover, paperback, audio, and e-book formats!
Magsoothium, frankincense oil
Arnica-based products, Voltaren, Solanpas, Willow Balm, and finally a product I made myself using Soloman’s Seal as a base.