About Biofreeze
Biofreeze was invented in 1991 and has spent over three decades as a topical pain relief brand built around a single active ingredient, menthol, rather than an NSAID. The line was launched by Performance Health and acquired by Reckitt in 2021, and today it ships in gel, spray, roll-on, cream, and patch formats, including a Professional line formulated at 5% menthol for clinical use and an UltraFlex lidocaine patch line for active and rehab patients. The brand markets itself as the #1 clinician-recommended menthol topical pain relief brand, a ranking drawn from an Ipsos survey of chiropractors, physical therapists, podiatrists, massage therapists, retail pharmacists, and athletic trainers.
That clinical footprint shows up directly in our own testing. Biofreeze products earned top pick recognition across our muscle rub, lidocaine patch, and pain relief cream reviews, with its flagship cream carrying over 15,000 customer ratings at a 4.6-star average. The formula's cooling mechanism is menthol-only with no warming counterpart, which reviewers who prefer camphor-based warmth should weigh, but for straightforward post-exercise soreness and everyday muscle aches it is one of the most widely used and reviewed topical analgesics we evaluate.
Brand website: biofreeze.com
What Biofreeze makes
Biofreeze's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Pain Relief Gel
the original green gel plus colorless and overnight lavender-infused versions, non-greasy and fast-absorbing
Pain Relief Cream
massage-style non-greasy cream for everyday muscle and joint soreness — featured on BestRatedDocs
UltraFlex Lidocaine Patches
4-way stretch patches combining 4% lidocaine with clinical-grade adhesion for active and rehab use — featured on BestRatedDocs
Pain Relief Spray
360-degree aerosol spray for hard-to-reach areas like the mid-back and lower legs without bending
Roll-On & Foam
mess-free roll-on and foam application formats
Biofreeze Professional
5% menthol formula made for use by healthcare professionals in clinical settings
Why we recognized Biofreeze
The BestRatedDocs Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our category reviews. Biofreeze earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: assessed against clinical criteria, verified specifications, and real-world user outcomes, and judged on merit.
Biofreeze products we rated highly
Biofreeze Pain Relief Cream
Clinician-recommended by physical therapists, chiropractors, and podiatrists, and one of the most widely endorsed topical analgesics we found in outpatient rehabilitation settings. A 2017 peer-reviewed study on menthol-based TRPM8 receptor activation found the cooling perception it produces outperforms ice application for acute pain modulation, and its non-greasy formula absorbs quickly without leaving residue on clothing or furniture.
Read the 7 Best Muscle Rubs of 2026 guide →
Biofreeze Ultraflex Lidocaine Patches
A patented 4-way stretch fabric from a clinician-recommended brand, designed for active patients and used in physical therapy and chiropractic settings nationally. In our testing its adhesion held up better during activity than standard flat patches, and its large 5.5-by-3.9-inch coverage area bridges the gap between rigid large patches and flexible small ones.
Read the 7 Best Lidocaine Patches of 2026 guide → Biofreeze Pain Relief Cream 3 oz
Formulated with menthol in a proprietary Ilex base, the most clinically validated cooling counterirritant formulation we evaluated and the topical analgesic most frequently used in physical therapy and chiropractic clinics. Peer-reviewed evidence supports menthol-induced TRPM8 activation for acute musculoskeletal pain and post-exercise soreness, and its moderate scent dissipates within five to ten minutes, more workplace-friendly than the persistent wintergreen of some competitors.
Read the 7 Best Pain Relief Creams of 2026 guide →What earned Biofreeze the recognition
- Top pick recognition across three of our reviews spanning muscle rubs, lidocaine patches, and pain relief creams, showing consistency across formats rather than a single standout product.
- Marketed by the brand as the #1 clinician-recommended menthol topical pain relief brand, based on an Ipsos survey of chiropractors, physical therapists, podiatrists, massage therapists, pharmacists, and athletic trainers.
- Deep real-world validation: its flagship pain relief cream carries more than 15,000 customer ratings at a 4.6-star average.
- A menthol-only, NSAID-free formulation across the line, with a Professional 5% menthol variant made specifically for clinical use and an UltraFlex lidocaine patch line built for active and rehab patients.
- Over three decades in market since its 1991 invention, with a product lineup that now spans gel, spray, roll-on, cream, and patch formats.