Here we have Bengay Ultra Strength Cream up for inspection.
Bengay Ultra Strength Cream is an extremely popular pain relief product from Johnson & Johnson. It claims to help you with pain & inflammation in your joints and muscles.
It contains natural ingredients like Menthol which have a cooling effect when applied topically on your skin, and it comes in different versions – including Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch and Bengay Gel.
The question is, does this pain relief cream really work? Is it safe? How does it compare to other products in terms of joint pain reduction, flexibility, and overall function?
Let’s start with a brief summary to get an idea of what you can expect from the product, before moving on to our full analysis.
The Pros
- Provides decent short-term pain relief
- Relatively inexpensive
The Cons
- Not an effective long-term solution
- Doesn’t address the root cause of pain – tissue damage & inflammation
- Its downsides make Bengay Cream inferior to anti-inflammatory supplements which use proven ingredients like MSM & Boswellia Serrata
Bengay Cream Analysis Summary: Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Cream is a decent product for people who want to experience short-lived but noticeable relief from joint and muscle pain. However, it is not the best long-term solution. Bengay Cream doesn’t have ingredients that address chronic inflammation, cartilage repair, joint flexibility, and long-range function like some of the best natural joint supplements do. In that context, there are far better products available on the market today.
About Bengay Cream
Bengay Pain Relief Cream is a product designed for individuals aged 12 and older to provide minor pain relief. It is designed specifically for people suffering from arthritis, foot pain, neck pain, sore muscles, and carpal tunnel amongst others.
There are also Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch, and Bengay Vanishing Scent Gel. We’ll talk more about these in a minute.
As for Bengay Cream, it comes in a 4 oz tube (11g) and contains ingredients like Menthol and methyl salicylate. These are known as counterirritants, causing your skin to first feel cool, then warm. These sensations temporarily distract you from aches in your muscles, joints, and tendons.
Obviously, Bengay Cream is not intended as a long-term solution to your pain. It is more of a band-aid. It will be most useful for individuals looking for quick relief from inflammation in their joints, tendons, or muscles – for example, after a hard training session.
You could think of Bengay Cream as Aspirin, except that it’s not consumed orally but applied topically, and only serves as an occasional band-aid against aches.
Bengay’s website doesn’t mention other benefits, such as protecting your joint tissues, improving the healing and repair of cartilage, and increasing flexibility. These are all benefits common to the best joint products, such as joint health supplements.
Obviously, Bengay cream is primarily intended for pain relief and not much more!
But how well does it work? Can it really help reduce your pain, or is it just another cream in the sea of ineffective products out there? We cover all of that in detail below, so make sure to read on.
About Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch
Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch is a product similar to Bengay Cream, in the sense that the patch is applied directly onto the affected area.
Unlike Bengay Cream which contains multiple analgesic ingredients, Bengay Ultra Strength only contains one active ingredient: Menthol 5%. This is half the potency of Bengay Cream.
In other words, Bengay Pain Relieving Patch is a somewhat less effective and weaker version of Bengay Cream. If you find Bengay Cream’s effects to be too much, or if you just suffer from slight discomfort in your joints and muscles, then Bengay Pain Relieving Patch might be a better option for you.
About Bengay Vanishing Scent Gel
Bengay Vanishing Scent Gel is similar to Bengay Cream in the sense that it helps reduce pain and discomfort. However, it’s even weaker in effects than Bengay Pain Relieving Patch, which is already less effective than Bengay Cream.
The only active ingredient is Menthol 2.5%, which is a topical analgesic. As we just stated, Bengay Gel contains the least amount of Menthol, compared to Cream and Pain Relieving Patch.
This makes Bengay Vanishing Scent Gel a good option only for those people who can’t tolerate the scent of the cream version.
Who Makes Bengay Cream?
Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Cream is manufactured by none other than Johnson & Johnson, one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies.
Bengay Cream has been on the market for a long time. It was first developed in France by Dr. Jules Bengué in 1989 as Ben-Gay.
How to Use Bengay Cream
The official instructions for using Bengay Cream are as follows: apply a thin layer of cream to the affected area no more than 3-4 times per day. Massage the area gently and thoroughly. Wash your hands after applying Bengay Cream unless you’re using it specifically to treat your hands. If treating hands, don’t wash them for at least 30 minutes after application.
Obviously, Bengay Cream is for topical use only. Don’t apply it near your eyes, nose, mouth, or genitals, and avoid those areas while the cream is on your hands.
How long does Bengay Cream last?
The cooling effects of Bengay Cream should last you 30-60 minutes, depending on a multitude of factors including pain intensity, your skin chemistry, and the amount of cream that was applied.
Generally speaking, Bengay Cream lasts long enough to provide a decent relief from pain. Once the effects wear off, you can re-apply the cream, though no more than 4 times per day.
As we said, Bengay Cream is not an ideal option for people looking for long-term relief from joint pain and inflammation. If you want something to help protect your joints, increase the strength of your connective tissues, and nourish and repair cartilage for improved motility and flexibility, there are better products for that purpose – such as the current best-rated joint health supplements.
Ingredients in Bengay Cream
Here is the ingredient label of Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Cream:
Here’s a list of the ingredients in Bengay Cream in case that image didn’t properly load for you:
- Camphor 4% – Topical analgesic
- Menthol 10% – Topical analgesic
- Methyl salicylate 30% – Topical analgesic
That’s it. There are only 3 active ingredients in the cream, all of which are topical analgesics.
The ingredient profile of Bengay Cream looks decent, but it’s far from the best. Compared to the market-leading joint supplements, it leaves a lot to be desired.
Menthol and methyl salicylate work as counterirritants – making your skin feel cool initially but then it becomes a warm sensation. As we said, these compounds don’t directly treat the cause of the pain; rather, distract you from feeling the pains/aches in your joints, tendons, and muscles. [1, 2]
As for camphor, it is an ingredient extracted from the leaves of the camphor laurel plant. There’s not too much to say about this ingredient due to a lack of robust human evidence. Some research suggests camphor can reduce pain and aches while boosting circulation in your skin by interacting with your sensory receptors. [3]
On the whole then, Bengay Pain Relief Cream looks like a decent short-term solution, but it’s also far from the best pain-relieving, anti-inflammatory product. If you want to specifically address the root cause of your pain while enhancing joint flexibility and long-range function, then you’ll want to look into more comprehensive, physio-approved joint stacks that contain proven ingredients in clinical dosages for maximum, long-term effectiveness.
As we mentioned, there is also the Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch version available. Neither one looks like a good option for treating joint or muscle aches – they both only contain one active ingredient, and at a lower dose than in Bengay Cream. Although the pain-relieving patch might be more convenient for some people, we still don’t recommend it over the cream. Bengay Patch and Gel are even weaker than Cream when it comes to pain reduction.
Side Effects – Is Bengay Cream Safe?
Bengay Cream looks like a safe product to us. It contains ingredients that we commonly used in pain-relieving medications and are known to be safe for most people. Side effects from Bengay Cream are rare. If they do occur, they tend to be mild and transient. For example, mild irritation may occur at the site of application.
Some people wonder if Bengay Cream is effective for treating ganglion cyst. The answer is that Bengay Cream should not be used for treating pain associated with ganglion cyst, unless recommended by your doctor.
Another common question we get regarding Bengay Cream is if it is safe to use during pregnancy. The answer is that Bengay Cream should be avoided during pregnancy because of the active ingredient – methyl salicylate – which is a NSAID.
*Important Note: Remember that we are not doctors. Our posts are not medical advice. We only provide educational and informational content. Please contact your physician before using any product you see on this website, especially if you have a condition.
User Reviews
In terms of Bengay Cream reviews from other customers, the product enjoys mostly positive ratings online. It’s been on the market for a long time now, so obviously, the manufacturers have been doing something right.
You’ll find plenty of reviews of this product on Amazon, Walmart, and other big retailers. Just note that it’s worth taking some of those with a grain of salt as it’s hard to filter out the fake, paid ads from real testimonials.
Pricing & Value?
The price of Bengay Ultra Strength Cream depends on where you purchase it from.
Bengay Cream is available to buy on Amazon, where the price is Walmart, Walgreens, Costco, and eBay. It is not available at CVS at the moment of writing. Walmart also has Bengay Ultra Strength Twin Pack available, in case you’re looking to buy the product in bulk.
Bengay Cream Pricing by Countries
As stated, Bengay Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Cream pricing differs depending on where you buy it from. Here’s how much it costs in the following countries.
- USA – $6.78-$11.99 (4oz tub)
- Canada – 24.99 CAD (8oz tub)
- UK – £19.99 (113g/4oz tub)
- India -INR 1002.00 (113g/4oz tub)
- Pakistan – 3569.00 PKR (113g/4oz tub)
- Egypt – EGP 233.00 (113g/4oz tub)
- UAE – AED 49.00 (113g/4oz tub)
- South Africa – R606.00 (113g/4oz tub)
Final Thoughts on Bengay Cream
Is Bengay Cream a good pain-relieving product?
The answer is that Bengay Cream is decent, but only as short-term pain. If you don’t suffer from chronic joint or muscle aches, then this cream can be a good option when you need that occasional relief.
However, while Cream can be used up to 3-4 times per day, it’s not the best solution for chronic joint inflammation & a reduction in joint function. You should keep in mind that this cream doesn’t protect your joints from wear and tear of aging, nor does it help strengthen your cartilage and connective tissues. What we typically find is that the pain and inflammation get worse over time as the cartilage continues to break down as you age.
If you’re experiencing chronic pain in your feet, ankles, shoulders, hips, knees, and joints, and muscles in general, then you will want to target the root cause of the issue, inflammation before it does too much damage.
Luckily, there are a lot of good options on the market nowadays in the form of natural joint supplements, which contain proven ingredients that work to not only reduce your pain and discomfort but also improve your range of motion and protect from the degeneration of your connective tissues – ultimately, promoting long-term joint health.
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References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4178917/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7326193/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33316364/
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