Bengay, spelled Ben-Gay before 1995, is a topical analgesic heat rub for temporary relief from muscle and joint pain associated with arthritis, bruises, simple backaches, overuse, sprains and strains.

[1] Bengay was developed in France by Dr. Jules Bengué (French pronunciation: [ʒyl bɛ̃ɡe]) and brought to North America in 1898.

[3] Bengay and similar products, such as Flexall, Mentholatum, Capzasin and Icy Hot, variously contain menthol, methyl salicylate (oil of wintergreen), and capsaicin as active ingredients and have a potential to cause first-to-third-degree chemical burns.

[4] Methyl salicylate can also be toxic when excessively large doses, many multiples of the recommended amount, are administered;[6][7] however it's an extreme rarity.

[7] In October 2007 in the United States, a teenage athlete overdosed and died from overexposure to methyl salicylate,[6][7] having "more than six times the safe amount of the ingredient in her body.