Essential Oils in Sports Rubs and Muscle Products
What sources say about essential oils in sports rubs and muscle products, including menthol and wintergreen, skin burns with heat, medicine interactions and what trials of salicylate rubs found.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
Safety first. Natural products can cause side effects and interact with medicines. Read essential oil safety before you use anything on this page.
Safety first. Some muscle products contain wintergreen oil (methyl salicylate), menthol or camphor. Swallowing wintergreen oil is roughly the equivalent of swallowing a large number of adult aspirin tablets. [1] Camphor poisoning has occurred when skin preparations containing camphor were applied to children more frequently than the label recommended. [1] For any swallowing, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 (US); call 911 for collapse, a seizure or trouble breathing.
The question
Athletes and active people often see "sports rubs" and "muscle oils" marketed with essential oils. This page explains what sources say about them. It does not recommend any product, amount or routine.What is in many sports rubs
Wintergreen is used in some over-the-counter skin products to relieve pain. [1] Much of the research below concerns salicylate rubs, which a Cochrane review describes as products that cause skin irritation and are believed to relieve musculoskeletal pain. [2] Whether a rub made with natural wintergreen oil behaves the same is not described in the sources we read. See wintergreen oil, camphor oil dangers and peppermint oil, menthol and children.What research shows
| Question | What the source found | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Do topical salicylate rubs relieve acute or chronic muscle and joint pain? | A 2014 Cochrane review found any evidence of efficacy came from older, smaller studies, while larger, more recent studies showed no effect. [2] | Mixed, very low quality |
| Side effects of those rubs | Adverse events were more common with salicylate than with placebo. [2] | Documented |
| Rubs with other ingredients (such as menthol) | The earlier 2009 Cochrane review said there is no evidence at all for topical rubefacients with other components. [3] | Proper evidence not found in that review |
| Essential oil rubs in athletes | Proper evidence not found in the sources we read. We checked NCCIH's aromatherapy page, the National Cancer Institute aromatherapy summaries and PubMed searches on topical rubs and burns. | Insufficient evidence |
The FDA notes that claims such as easing pain or relaxing muscles are drug claims, so such products may be regulated as drugs even when they contain plant oils. [4] For wider pain research see essential oils for pain and muscle aches.
Burns, heat and damaged skin
- Poison Control says essential oils should not be used on damaged skin. [1]
- A published case report described a chemical burn triggered by a typical over-the-counter analgesic containing menthol and methyl salicylate, complicated by necrotizing infection treated by below the knee amputation. [5] It is a single, rare case, but it shows burns can be serious.
- A dermatology journal article is titled as describing muscle pain relievers "used with a heat source: a dangerous combination." [6] We read only its title and citation record, not the full text, so we do not describe its findings. Heat used alongside massage is discussed in heat, ice and compression with massage.
- Stop using a product immediately if a rash or other skin reaction occurs, and gently wash it off. [1] A burn needs a clinician.
Medicines: blood thinners
A case report described an INR of 12.2 (a blood-clotting measure) in a person on warfarin who used a topical methyl salicylate gel daily for eight days. [7] The authors noted that methyl salicylate is absorbed through the skin in measurable amounts and may increase warfarin action. [7] Anyone on a blood thinner should ask a pharmacist before using such a product. Poison Control also says essential oils may interact with medications. [1] See medicines and essential oils.Children and teen athletes
Children have thin skin and immature livers, which might make them more susceptible to toxic effects. [1] See essential oils around babies and children.Massage and other options
Many athletes use massage rather than rubs; see massage for athletes and sports massage.Frequently asked questions
Do sports rubs with essential oils work?
Proper evidence not found for essential oil rubs in athletes in the sources we read. For salicylate rubs, a Cochrane review found efficacy only in older, smaller studies. [2]
Can a muscle rub cause a burn?
Yes, a case report describes a serious chemical burn from an over-the-counter product containing menthol and methyl salicylate. [5] How common such burns are is not described in the sources we read.
Is it safe to use a rub with a heat pack?
A journal article title calls the combination dangerous. [6] We did not read its full text; ask a pharmacist.
Can wintergreen rubs affect blood thinners?
A case report links topical methyl salicylate to a raised INR in a person taking warfarin. [7] Ask a pharmacist.
Is swallowing wintergreen oil dangerous?
Yes, it is very dangerous in more than a tiny amount. [1] Call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222.
References
- Poison Control (National Capital Poison Center). Essential oils: Poisonous when misused. Read 2026-10-23.
- Derry S, Matthews PR, Wiffen PJ, Moore RA. Salicylate-containing rubefacients for acute and chronic musculoskeletal pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2014. Abstract read. Read 2026-10-23.
- Matthews P, Derry S, Moore RA, McQuay HJ. Topical rubefacients for acute and chronic pain in adults. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2009 (superseded by the 2014 update). Abstract read. Read 2026-10-23.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Aromatherapy. Content current as of 09/08/2023. Read 2026-10-23.
- Desai R, Gutierrez J, Cherukuri SV, Guzman J, Deoker A. From Chemical Burn to Below Knee Amputation: Amputation Secondary to Application of Over-the-Counter Topical Analgesic With Menthol and Methyl Salicylate. Cureus. 2021. Case report, abstract read. Read 2026-10-23.
- Rivard SC, Brelsford MA, Gibbs NF. Over-the-counter topical musculoskeletal pain relievers used with a heat source: a dangerous combination. Cutis. 2017. Only the title and citation record (no abstract) were read. Read 2026-10-23.
- Joss JD, LeBlond RF. Potentiation of warfarin anticoagulation associated with topical methyl salicylate. Ann Pharmacother. 2000. Case report, abstract read. Read 2026-10-23.