Product Review – BENGAY Zero Degrees

Thanks to the lovely people over at BENGAY I got to try their new product, called Zero Degrees.

It’s a menthol based cooling gel, and I was interested to see how it stacked up against the others on the market.

First off, I like the packaging.  It’s packaged much like a stick of gel deodorant, with three holes in the top of the packaging for the gel to come out when you twist the knob at the bottom.  It makes it easy to apply without getting the gel on my fingers and then in my eye or some other… ahem… sensitive area (we call this “Pulling a Steve”).

Another neat thing about the product?  It’s designed so that you can keep it in the freezer, adding to the coolness of the gel.

So when I first got the product, I immediately applied it to my knees.  Good texture, but I’m not feeling much coolness… oh, wait, yes, there it is.  It’s one of those things that isn’t instant but then it’s there, and man, does that cooling effect last.

I popped it in the freezer and after my 11 mile run last Saturday, applied it to my hammies and glutes.  I really liked using it cold. It didn’t really change the consistency, but it added to that initial cooling feeling.  Also, I used the container to sort of massage the gel in, which felt great on my muscles.

Then the cooling effect set in. So I decided to see just how long I would feel the coolness.

10 minutes – Definitely still tingly.

20 minutes – Still tingly.

30 minutes – Yep.  Tingles.

Then I got distracted by lunch.

They say the scent vanishes.  I stopped noticing it after a while, but 1) I like the smell of menthol, and 2) maybe I was just getting used to it.  I tried to get someone to sniff me, but no one would.  Apparently, “Hey, I ran 11 miles this morning, will you tell me if I smell,” doesn’t make me sound appealing.

An hour and a half later, I could still feel the cooling sensation, but it was nowhere near as strong.  Still, 90 minutes is pretty good staying time!

Final decision?  I like this product.  I’m definitely going to keep it in my arsenal of recovery aids.

Disclaimer – While I was provided a container of the product to try for this review, I was not compensated for the review in any other way and the opinions are my own.