The reason that menthol creates a cool sensation is that it reacts with thermoreceptors in the skin. It has been estimated that humans have several times more thermoreceptors that are attuned to feel cold than they do those that are sensitised to detect warm. Menthol contains chemicals that trigger the nerve cells in the area to sense cold, even though they do not actually change the temperature. This is why you experience a cool sensation when menthol is rubbed onto the surface of the skin. It is the same process by which peppers and capsaicin produce a hot sensation in the mouth.
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