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Tiger Balm Red – patient leaflet, side effects, dosage

Last updated: · Text from the MHRA, as of · About this document

Contains active substances:

Patient leaflet - Tiger Balm Red

1. WHAT TIGER BALM IS AND WHAT IT IS USED FOR

Tiger Balm can be used by adults and children over 2 years of age to give temporary relief from minor muscular aches and pains.

2. WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE YOU USE TIGER BALM

Do not use Tiger Balm

  • If you are allergic (hypersensitive) to camphor, menthol, clove oil or cajuput oil or any of the other ingredients of Tiger Balm (listed in Section 6).
  • If you have any sort of skin disease.
  • In children less than two years of age.
  • On open wounds or on inflamed or irritated skin.

You must contact a doctor if your muscular aches and pains worsen or do not improve after 2 weeks.

Warnings and precautions

  • Keep Tiger Balm away from the delicate and moist linings in or around the eyes, mouth, nose, vagina (the birth canal) and the urethra (the tube that carries urine from the bladder).
  • Do not bandage areas where you have applied Tiger Balm.
  • Do not smoke or go near naked flames - risk of severe burns. Fabric (clothing, bedding, dressings etc) that has been in contact with this product burns more easily and is a serious fire hazard. Washing clothing and bedding may reduce product build-up but not totally remove it.

Other medicines and Tiger Balm

Tell your doctor or pharmacist if you are using, have recently used or might use any other medicines.

Pregnancy and breast-feeding

If you are pregnant or breast-feeding, think you may be pregnant or are planning to have a baby, ask your doctor or pharmacist for advice before using this medicine.

  • Avoid excessive use if you are pregnant or breast-feeding.

3. HOW TO USE TIGER BALM

Always use this medicine exactly as described in this leaflet or as your doctor or pharmacist have told you. Check with your doctor or pharmacist or nurse if you are not sure. Tiger Balm Red is for external use only.

Follow the recommended instructions below and wash hands after use:

  • For muscular aches and pains (Adults and children aged 2 years and older):

    Rub gently on the affected parts of the skin as necessary, usually 2 or 3 times a day.

    • If your condition does not improve after two weeks or gets worse, seek medical advice.

Use in children

  • Do not use on children under two years of age.
  • In the case of accidental swallowing of Tiger Balm by a child, it is important to consult a physician without delay who can provide any necessary treatment. Do not try to induce vomiting. If you forget to use Tiger Balm

Do not apply a double quantity to make up for a forgotten application. If you have any further questions on the use of this medicine, ask your doctor or pharmacist.

4. POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS

Like all medicines, Tiger Balm can cause side effects, although not everybody gets them. Frequency not known (cannot be estimated from the available data).

  • Tiger Balm may occasionally cause irritation to the skin, such as rashes or contact dermatitis. If this occurs, discontinue use and seek medical advice immediately.
  • Burning sensation at application site.

Reporting of side effects

If you get any side effects, talk to your doctor, pharmacist or nurse. This includes any possible side effects not listed in this leaflet. You can also report side effects directly (see details below). United Kingdom: Yellow Card Scheme at:

Website: www.mhra.gov.uk/yellowcard or search for MHRA Yellow Card in the Google Play or Apple App Store

By reporting side effects you can help provide more information on the safety of this medicine.

5. HOW TO STORE TIGER BALM

  • Keep this medicine out of the sight and reach of children.
  • Do not store above 25°C.
  • Do not use Tiger Balm after the Expiry date which is stated on the base of the jar and the carton after EXP. The expiry date refers to the last day of that month.
  • Do not throw away any medicines via wastewater or household waste. Ask your pharmacist how to throw away medicines you no longer use. These measures will help to protect the environment.

6. CONTENTS OF THE PACK AND OTHER INFORMATION

What Tiger Balm contains

  • The active substances are camphor 11.0%w/w, levomenthol 10.0%w/w, cajuput oil 7.0%w/w and clove oil 5.0%w/w.
  • The other ingredients are cinnamon oil, dementholised mint oil, yellow soft paraffin and hard paraffin.

What Tiger Balm looks like and contents of the pack

Tiger Balm Red is a reddish-brown, oily ointment. The ointment is supplied in tins containing 4g or 8g or, in screw top jars containing 19g or 30g. Not all pack sizes may be marketed.

Marketing Authorisation Holder:

Omega Pharma Limited, Wrafton, Braunton, Devon, EX33 2DL, UK

Manufacturer (site of batch release in the EEA): Perrigo Supply Chain International DAC, The Sharp Building, 10-12 Hogan Place, Dublin 2, Ireland.

This leaflet was last revised in April 2024.

PL 02855/0234

P1U0105 15 LF08488D Camphor, Levomenthol, Cajuput Oil, Clove Oil

RED OINTMENT

About this document

Source: MHRA - Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (products.mhra.gov.uk) · Marketing authorisation: PL 02855/0234

Last revision stated in the text: April 2024 · MHRA data as of 13 October 2026

Found a mistake? Tell us on the contact page.

The information on this site does not replace the advice of a doctor or pharmacist.

Facts about Tiger Balm Red

Active substances D-camphor, Cajuput oil, Clove oil, Menthol
Excipients Dementholised Mint Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Yellow Soft Paraffin, Hard Paraffin
Shelf life Tiger Balm has a shelf life of four years.
Storage Do not store above 25°C.
Marketing authorisation PL 02855/0234 (first authorised 20 August 1996)
Marketing authorisation holder Omega Pharma Ltd.

Sources: the MHRA product information (products.mhra.gov.uk) and the NHS Dictionary of Medicines and Devices (dm+d), release 10.1.0 of 12 October 2026, NHS Business Services Authority. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.