What is it?
An ester made from menthol, the cooling compound in mint, and lactic acid. The EU ingredient database lists it as a fragrance and refreshing ingredient, and its flavor profile is described as mint and cool. It is used in personal care products and as a food flavoring, and the body breaks it down into menthol and lactic acid.
Key information
- The FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives (JECFA) concluded that menthyl lactate poses no safety concern at current levels of intake as a flavoring agent.
- A 2025 laboratory study confirmed that human skin, liver and blood plasma preparations break menthyl lactate down into menthol and lactic acid.
- Menthyl lactate is not on the EU list of fragrance allergens that must be named on labels, and the EU sets no restrictions on its use in cosmetics.
More information
Menthyl lactate is the lactic acid ester of menthol. The EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) lists its functions as fragrance and refreshing, and PubChem records its flavor profile as mint and cool. It is also used as a flavoring in foods.
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) evaluated menthyl lactate in a 1999 review of menthol and 13 related flavorings. It expected menthyl esters to be readily broken down into menthol and their acids, which are normally present in the body, estimated intake from flavor use to be well below its threshold of concern, and concluded there was no safety concern at current intake. In rats, the oral dose that killed half the animals was about 7,257 mg per kilogram of body weight, which indicates low acute toxicity. A 2025 study used human skin, liver and plasma preparations to confirm that menthyl lactate is broken down into menthol and lactic acid, and modeling predicted that almost all internal exposure in rats would be to those breakdown products.
Menthyl lactate is not on the EU list of fragrance allergens that must be named on labels, and we found no published reports of skin allergy to it. Industry notifications summarized by PubChem classify it as harmful to aquatic life with long-lasting effects, with no human health hazard classes. If mint-cooling products bother your skin or mouth, check labels for menthyl lactate as well as menthol. See also our Peppermint Oil profile.
Sources: European Commission CosIng: Menthyl Lactate; WHO/JECFA (INCHEM): Substances structurally related to menthol (WHO Food Additives Series 42); PubChem: l-Menthyl l-lactate; Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology (2025): A case study on L-menthyl D-lactate