Overview
Some skin-care products for acne contain menthol. It isn't just used to flavor cigarettes, gum and toothpaste. Menthol may give your skin a tingly feeling, but that does not mean it does your zits much good. In fact, menthol can make your acne worse, according to CosmeticsCop.org, a website about skin and skin-care products.
Irritant
Menthol is an alcohol that is either made in the lab or obtained from various mint plants, according to Drugs.com. That cool sensation you get from using menthol happens because it is actually a skin irritant. That means it can cause skin inflammation, which then makes your oil glands more active, causing them to produce even more oil. That's the last thing you need if you already have zits.
Excess Oil
When your skin produces too much oil, your pores become clogged and rupture, allowing bacteria to feed on the oil and multiply. Disgusting, but true. The area gets red and swollen, and voila, you have a zit. When your skin is already irritated like that, you should be using stuff that dries up or absorbs the oil, cleans out your pores, and kills the bacteria -- in other words, you need to soothe your skin and calm it down. Menthol does the opposite.
Gentler Products
No matter your age, you can still have acne, and the less you torture your skin with harsh ingredients like menthol, the better. But many manufacturers still stick it in products for your zits. That's mostly because people think the tingling feeling means the stuff works, according to ConsumerSearch.org., which provides independent reviews about consumer products. You would be better off using proven ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, says Dr. Ellen Marmur of Mount Sinai Medical Center. Both are known to clear up zits.
Additional Info
Do your poor skin a favor and try to steer clear of the more-irritating acne products, or at least look for those that have more-effective ingredients and fewer irritants. Just be patient while you're shopping. If you ask nicely, some places might special order for you. Aside from menthol, irritating ingredients include things like alcohol, camphor, eucalyptus, and other volatile plant extracts. If your acne is really bad, you may have to go to a dermatologist for prescription medication.
