CROWN Plus Maximum Cooling Roll-On

CROWN Plus is the maximum-cooling roll-on from Cerebral Torque, an evidence-based migraine education platform. It layers four coolants (menthol, menthyl lactate and two odorless carboxamide coolants) over three ingredients from classical Chinese head formulas: Bing Pian (borneol), Chuan Xiong and Bai Zhi. Roman chamomile, bisabolol, spearmint and vitamin E round out the blend. It is lavender-free, water-free and paraben-free, in a light MCT oil base.

They are two different rollers for different days. CROWN is the everyday roller, and it isn't just about the cold: menthol and camphor bring the cooling, and magnesium, Bing Pian, Chuan Xiong and German chamomile round it out, in a hydroethanolic base. CROWN Plus is the hard-days roller: menthol, menthyl lactate, WS-3 and WS-23 with Bing Pian, Chuan Xiong and Bai Zhi, plus bisabolol and Roman chamomile, in a water-free MCT oil. Both are lavender-free and paraben-free, and both print every ingredient on the box. Pick the one whose cold suits the day, or keep one of each.

It is our name for the way the coolants in CROWN Plus are layered. Menthol gives the first bright hit within seconds. Menthyl lactate is a gentler coolant that builds more slowly and lingers. WS-3 and WS-23 are odorless carboxamide coolants that add depth without adding scent. Each acts on the same cold-sensing receptor in skin (TRPM8), but they differ in how fast they come on and how long they hang around, which is the point. The layering idea comes from formulation science and our own testing rather than from a clinical trial, and we say so plainly.

Every ingredient is listed on the box in descending order. Here is the full lineup:

• Caprylic/capric triglyceride (MCT oil): the light, water-free carrier.
• Menthol: the classic fast coolant.
• Borneol (Bing Pian): an icy compound used in Chinese head formulas for centuries.
• Peppermint oil, eucalyptus oil, spearmint oil: the aromatic cooling cast.
• Menthyl lactate: the slow, long coolant.
• Chuan Xiong root oil: the most-used herb in traditional Chinese headache formulas.
• Ethyl menthane carboxamide (WS-3) and methyl diisopropyl propionamide (WS-23): odorless coolants.
• Bisabolol: the calming component of chamomile.
• Tocopherol (vitamin E): antioxidant that keeps the oils fresh.
• Bai Zhi root oil: Chuan Xiong's traditional partner.
• Roman chamomile flower oil: a soft, apple-like calming note.

No lavender. No water. No parabens. No synthetic fragrance. No filler.

Because they are the honest way to get more cold with less smell. Menthol is the only natural coolant that works fast, and past a point more menthol means more sting and more scent, not more cooling. Menthyl lactate, WS-3 and WS-23 are lab-made molecules built on the menthol template. They act on the same cold receptor, two of them have no odor at all, and they are widely used in cooling skincare and oral care. We chose to use them and tell you exactly which ones, rather than call the product all-natural and hide the strength behind a peppermint label.

CROWN Plus is a water-free oil, and magnesium chloride needs water to dissolve, so it doesn’t fit this formula. The original CROWN has magnesium in its formula.

Honest version: menthol and peppermint oil are the only ingredients here with human topical headache trials, and those trials were small. Everything else is mechanistic, preclinical or traditional-use evidence. The studies looked at individual ingredients, not at CROWN Plus itself.

• Menthol: a randomized crossover trial of 10% topical menthol in people with migraine: Borhani Haghighi 2010; an open-label pilot of 6% menthol gel: St Cyr 2015.
• Peppermint oil: randomized, placebo-controlled crossover in tension-type headache: Göbel 1996.
• Bing Pian (borneol): a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of topical borneol for postoperative pain, plus TRPM8 mechanism work: Wang 2017, EMBO Mol Med.
• Menthyl lactate, WS-3, WS-23: receptor-level potency at TRPM8: Behrendt 2004; sensory comparison of coolants: Johnson 2017.
• Chuan Xiong: meta-analysis of oral Chuanxiong formulas in migraine: Shan 2018; ligustilide and TRPA1: Zhong 2011.
• Bai Zhi: imperatorin as a TRPV1 modulator: Chen 2014, J Biol Chem.
• Bisabolol: orofacial and trigeminal models in rodents: Melo 2017.

Want the full picture with the limitations spelled out? Read the science behind CROWN Plus.

People who already reach for a cooling roller and want more: a faster onset, a colder peak and a cool that stays. It is also for people who are sensitive to scent and want strength without perfume, since two of the four coolants are odorless and there is no lavender or synthetic fragrance. If you are new to cooling rollers, try a small spot first.

Cold, fast, and then colder. Menthol lands within seconds. Over the next minute the cool deepens and spreads rather than fading, and it lingers noticeably longer than a peppermint-only roller. It is strong by design, so start with a thin pass. The oil base means it stays on the skin instead of evaporating like an alcohol spray.

Many people with migraine say strong smells bother them, and studies on osmophobia (odor sensitivity in migraine) often list floral and perfume scents among the smells people avoid. So lavender stays out, along with synthetic fragrance. CROWN Plus smells like mint and herbs, not perfume, and two of its coolants add no scent at all.

CROWN Plus is a topical product that you roll onto your skin. It isn't a medicine and doesn't replace anything your clinician has prescribed. If you take any medication, ask your clinician or pharmacist before adding CROWN Plus to your routine, and bring the ingredient list with you.

Please talk to your clinician first. Several ingredients in CROWN Plus, including menthol, eucalyptus, borneol, Chuan Xiong and Bai Zhi, are often flagged for caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding because the safety data is limited. CROWN Plus is not for use on children under 2, and we would keep it away from young children's faces in general.

Roll a thin pass onto the temples, behind the ears, the back of the neck, or the shoulders whenever you want that cooling feeling, and reapply as needed. Avoid your eyes, mucous membranes, and broken skin. If your skin gets irritated, stop using it.

A 10 mL bottle holds roughly 60 to 80 applications, depending on how generously you use it. CROWN Plus is concentrated, so one thin pass is usually enough. Used a few times a week, one bottle typically lasts 1 to 2 months.

Yes. The 10 mL size is well under the 100 mL carry-on liquid limit and fits in a standard quart bag. The oil base does not leak the way a thin alcohol formula can.

No. CROWN Plus contains no cannabinoids.

CROWN Plus is made for Cerebral Torque, which is based in the USA, at an ISO 9001, GMPC and Halal certified facility in China. Independent testing of the full product line for heavy metals, microbial contamination, pesticides and other contaminants is under way, and the results will be published here when they are in.