Methyl Salicylate

Methyl Salicylate Description

Methyl salicylate is also known as wintergreen oil. From a scientific standpoint, it is a benzoate ester that is the methyl ester of salicylic acid. Though it is related to salicylic acid, it is not the same – it can be converted into salicylic acid by the body, but only when taken orally. It is often sourced from wintergreen plants.

Methyl salicylate is often used in topical analgesics for its cooling or numbing effects. Unfortunately, this is not a sign that it is “working”; rather it’s an indication that it is causing skin irritation. Studies have shown that methyl salicylate is a skin sensitizer, capable of burning skin when it is overused.

While methyl salicylate has been ruled non-toxic in several studies, its potential to harm skin makes it an ingredient to avoid. In its raw form, it is a yellowish or reddish liquid with an odor of wintergreen.