Beauty Reporter.(skin care)

Flavor of the Month

Menthol

Anyone who has slathered on foot cream in the past decade already knows that mint is a ubiquitous ingredient. Now cosmetics companies are upping the olfactory ante with products featuring menthol, a concentrated mint extract derived from the plant's leaves and prized for its cool, tingling sensation. Both Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser and Molton Brown Cool Mentha Hair and Body Sportsplash rinse away bacteria and soothe itchy skin. Kenzo Ki Chilly Joy Stick for Sensitive Spots, a ginger-scented gel stick that looks like lip balm, feels chilly when skimmed over sticky summer wrists or temples. Doctors say that there's good reason to add menthol -- beyond evoking childhood memories of Vicks VapoRub. "By evaporating quickly from the skin's surface, menthol cools hot, irritated areas without removing the lipids that provide moisture," says Mary P. Lupo, a New Orleans dermatologist. This may be mint's most important contribution to summer since the julep. Bottom Line: The newest menthol-infused products cool and soothe irritable skin quickly from head to (no surprise here) toe.

CATHERINE PIERCY

Free Stuff

Soy Wonder

Soy Wonder Lattes aren't the only thing getting an infusion of soy these days. Aveeno's new Positively Radiant Lip Enhancer contains soy -- long known for its smoothing benefits and more recently lauded as an antioxidant -- and peptides, which together firm and soothe lips. The clear, fragrance-free balm isn't available until September, ...