Bengay

Bengay was developed in the Third French Republic by Dr. Jules Bengué (French pronunciation: ​[ʒyl bɛ̃ɡe]), and brought to America in 1898. The name Bengué was Anglicized and commercialized to Ben-Gay (later Bengay). It was originally produced by Pfizer Consumer Healthcare, which was acquired by Johnson & Johnson. The product is advised to be used topically for adults and children 12 years of age and older, and no more than 3 to 4 times daily.[2] The manufacturer recommends storing the product between 20⁰ and 25⁰C (68⁰ and 77⁰F).[2]

Methyl salicylate is an active ingredient in classic Bengay and most of its variants, which can be toxic when large doses are administered.[3][4] In October 2007 in the United States, a teenage athlete overdosed and died from overexposure to methyl salicylate.[3][4] This was a rare occurrence,[4] in which the person had "more than six times the safe amount of the ingredient in her body."[3]

Bengay and similar products such as Flexall, Mentholatum, Capzasin and Icy Hot have a potential to cause first-to-third-degree chemical burns.[5][6] Some people have been hospitalized after receiving such burns.[5] Products containing menthol, methyl salicylate and capsaicin as active ingredients have the potential to cause such burns.[6]

The active ingredients vary by the version of the product, including:

• Bengay: Original contains 18.3% methyl salicylate and 16% menthol.[7]
• Bengay: Muscle Pain/Ultra Strength contains 30% methyl salicylate, 10% menthol, and 4% camphor.[7]
• Bengay: Ice Extra Strength contains 10% menthol.
• Bengay: Muscle Pain/No Odor contains 15% triethanolamine salicylate.
• Bengay: Arthritis Extra Strength contains 30% methyl salicylate and 8% menthol.[7]

As a folk remedy, Bengay can be used to remove chewing gum from clothing, as the methyl salicylate serves to loosen and diffuse the gum base.[8][9]

• Haig, M. (2005). Brand Failures: The Truth about the 100 Biggest Branding Mistakes of All Time. Kogan Page Series. Kogan Page. p. 95. ISBN 978-0-7494-4433-4.
• Claims, United States. Court of; Appeals, District of Columbia. Court of (1985). The Federal Reporter. West Publishing Company. pp. 209–211.
• Justo, Patrick Di (October 20, 2008). "What's Inside Ultra-Strength Bengay?". Wired. Retrieved June 29, 2016.
• "Food, Drug, Cosmetic Law Reporter". Commerce Clearing House. 1960. pp. 8431, 8495–8496.
• PDR, Thomson; Physicians (2004). PDR for Nonprescription Drugs and Dietary Supplements. Thomson Pdr. p. 643. ISBN 978-1-56363-478-9. (subscription required)
• Shetty, D. (2015). Product Design For Engineers. Cengage Learning. pp. 28–29. ISBN 978-1-305-53719-4.
• Johnsen, Michael (July 26, 2011). "Dara Torres to serve as brand ambassador to Bengay". Drug Store News. Retrieved June 29, 2016.

• Official website
• Product information. DailyMed. United States National Library of Medicine.
• BenGay Topical. WebMD.