Consumer Critique: Salonpas

Disclosure: I received complimentary products to facilitate this post. All opinions are my own.

The American Academy of Pain Medicine reports that “pain affects more Americans than diabetes, heart disease and cancer combined” which is costing the nation at least $558 billion a year in medical bills, sick days and lost productivity. Topical analgesic pain relief – as found in patches, creams, gels and sprays – is gaining greater market recognition. 

“Unfortunately, when people self-medicate with over-the-counter oral pain pills, they can ingest inappropriate doses and run the risk of potential drug interactions, which can lead to unintended or unsuspected dangerous side effects, some of which can be as serious as liver failure or heart damage,” says Dr. Sylvia Hesse, a New York based orthopedic medicine specialist.  “By relying on topical analgesic gels, sprays and patches for pain relief - without the use of pills - you can be assured of making a safer choice.”

All Salonpas products, except Salonpas Pain Relief Patch and Arthritis Patch, can be used for children 12 years old and over. This summer, Salonpas introduces their new DEEP Relieving Gel which contains three active ingredients: camphor (3.1%), menthol (10%), and methyl salicylate (15%), that penetrate deep, providing effective relief for up to 8 hours. 

I had a chance to try out Salonpas. My husband loved it. He tends to get muscle aches when he tries to do too much in a day, and it really helped ease the aches in a way that OTC pain relievers don't. Plus, it acted a lot more quickly for him that popping a pill. And it absorbed quickly without a real annoying smell, so that was a plus too.