What Bengay does

BENGAY is a heritage American over-the-counter (OTC) topical analgesic brand founded in 1898 and now owned by Kenvue Brands LLC, a subsidiary of Kenvue Inc. (NYSE: KNVU, formerly Johnson & Johnson Consumer Health). The brand markets four core SKU formats—Ultra Strength Non-Greasy Cream (4% camphor, 10% menthol, 30% methyl salicylate), Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch (5% menthol), 4% Lidocaine Tropical Jasmine Cream, and Vanishing Scent Gel (2.5% menthol)—all of which deliver temporary, localized relief for minor muscle aches, joint pain, backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, and sprains by desensitizing nerves or blocking pain perception at the site of application rather than through systemic absorption. The technology is fundamentally pharmaceutical/formulation-based rather than digital, with each format using FDA-monographed OTC active ingredients and proprietary combinations differentiated by strength, scent, and non-greasy delivery.

The business operates as a consumer packaged goods (CPG) brand rather than a standalone company. Revenue is generated through one-time retail purchases of OTC products at pharmacies, drug stores, mass retail chains, and grocery stores across the United States, distributed via Kenvue's established consumer health wholesale network. Pricing is set at retail and is not publicly disclosed on the BENGAY website. The go-to-market motion is direct-to-consumer in spirit but executed at point-of-sale through mass retail, supported by content marketing (bengay.com's Understanding Pain and Sore Spotter tools), SEO, organic social, couponing, and physician-recommendation positioning that leverages the brand's 125+ year heritage and its claim as the #1 doctor-recommended topical pain relief brand. Primary customer segments are athletes and fitness enthusiasts experiencing post-exercise soreness, arthritis sufferers (often 54+ years), and general consumers with everyday minor aches and pains, with the brand pursuing a horizontal segmentation approach across these use cases.

Name

Bengay

Legal name

Kenvue Brands LLC

Website

https://bengay.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1898

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BENGAY is a 125+ year-old American OTC topical analgesic brand owned by Kenvue Brands LLC, selling menthol-, camphor-, and lidocaine-based creams, gels, and patches for temporary muscle and joint pain relief through U.S. mass retail, targeting athletes, arthritis sufferers, and general consumers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Topical Analgesics / OTC Pain Relief

NAICS

Pharmacies and Drug Retailers (456110), Health and Personal Care Retailers (456), Drugs and Druggists' Sundries Merchant Wholesalers (42421)

SIC

Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Retail-Drug Stores And Proprietary Stores (5912), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

OTC Pain Relief & Fever (Analgesics, Anti-inflammatory, Topical Pain Relief) (CRADAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Pain Relief & Anti-Inflammatory (Analgesics) (HLAIADAA)

Keywords

• Topical pain relief
• Muscle and joint analgesics
• Over-the-counter pain cream
• OTC menthol patches
• Arthritis pain relief

Headquarters

HQ city

Lakewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel

Revenue model

1. OTC Topical Analgesic Products: BENGAY generates revenue through the sale of topical pain relief products (creams, gels, patches) at retail pharmacies and stores. Products are sold as one-time purchases at varying price points depending on product type and size. The brand operates as a consumer packaged goods (CPG) business with distribution through mass retail, drug stores, and potentially e-commerce channels.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bengay sells over-the-counter topical analgesic products (creams, gels, and patches) formulated with menthol, camphor, methyl salicylate, and lidocaine to provide temporary relief of minor muscle and joint pain, simple backache, arthritis pain, strains, bruises, and sprains. Products are sold as one-time purchases through mass retail, drug stores, and pharmacies in the United States.

Product overview

BENGAY® is a Physician-recommended OTC (over-the-counter) topical analgesic brand offering four distinct pain relief products: Ultra Strength Non-Greasy Cream (with 4% camphor, 10% menthol, 30% methyl salicylate), Ultra Strength Pain Relieving Patch (5% menthol), 4% Lidocaine Tropical Jasmine Cream (numbing formula), and Vanishing Scent Gel (2.5% menthol). The product portfolio uses three delivery formats—creams, patches, and gels—to provide localized, temporary relief of minor aches and pains associated with simple backache, arthritis, strains, bruises, sprains, and muscle pain. Products work by temporarily blocking the perception of pain at the site of application and are absorbed directly into the affected area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ultra Strength BENGAY® Non-Greasy Topical Pain Relief Cream

Quantifiable outcome

• Temporary relief of minor aches and pains of muscles and joints

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Kenvue Brands LLCcoreOthersKenvue Brands LLC is the parent company and site owner of BENGAY. The website is published by Kenvue Brands LLC, which is solely responsible for its contents. BENGAY operates as part of Kenvue's consumer health brands portfolio.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Biofreeze: Performance Health's menthol-based topical analgesic brand sold in sprays, roll-ons, creams, and patches through the same pharmacy and mass retail channels, directly competing for the same athlete and arthritis use cases.
• Aspercreme: Chattem/Sanofi's lidocaine-based topical analgesic line, directly comparable to Bengay's 4% Lidocaine Tropical Jasmine Cream, targeting arthritis and joint pain consumers in the same retail channels.
• Tiger Balm: Haw Par Corporation's heritage topical analgesic brand with camphor and menthol formulations, competing in the same OTC pain relief category across drug stores and mass retail.
• Icy Hot: Chattem/Sanofi's flagship topical analgesic brand and Bengay's closest direct competitor, offering similar menthol-based creams, patches, and sprays for muscle and joint pain across the same OTC retail channels.
• Salonpas: Hisamitsu's OTC topical pain relief brand, a patch-format leader, competing with Bengay in patches and OTC topical analgesics across US drug and mass retail.
• Blue-Emu: McPharma's topical analgesic brand featuring emu oil and trolamine salicylate, sold through the same mass and drug retail channels targeting muscle and joint pain.
• Voltaren (topical): GSK/Haleon's topical NSAID (diclofenac) brand for arthritis pain, offering a differentiated mechanism (anti-inflammatory) versus Bengay's counterirritant approach in the same consumer use cases.

Broad incumbents

• Haleon (consumer health): Post-GSK consumer health spinoff owning Voltaren, Advil, and other OTC pain brands, providing a broad incumbent portfolio with overlapping topical analgesic offerings and global distribution versus Bengay's US-only footprint.

Emerging players

• Penetrex: Direct-to-consumer topical analgesic cream focused on joint and inflammation relief, comparable to Bengay in active ingredient profile (arnica, methylsulfonylmethane) and target use cases but with a digital-first GTM.
• Theraworx Relief: AVM Health's specialized topical spray for muscle cramps and spasms, competing in adjacent use cases (athletic recovery, nighttime leg cramps) within the same OTC analgesic category.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bengay