If applying Gold Bond to your skin led to a burning sensation, this most likely happened because you made the mistake of using the Medicated Extra Strength Body Powder (in the green bottle).
Or worse, you might have even used the Gold Bond Medicated Maximum Strength Foot Powder (in the blue bottle).
As you might have guessed by their names alone, these are much stronger variations of the Original Gold Bond Body Powder in the yellow bottle.
In particular, they have a higher concentration of Menthol compared to the original version of the Gold Bond powder, which can be too much for the skin to handle.
The cooling sensation you normally get from Menthol can easily turn into an excruciating burning sensation given the higher concentration in these two, coupled with using it on those areas of the skin that are more sensitive than the rest of your body.
If you want to use Gold Bond on your skin safely, make sure to buy the Original Strength version, which is the one in the yellow bottle.
This is perfect to keep you stay cool, dry, and comfortable down there, especially if you do a lot of manual labor or standing under the sun.
Is Gold Bond Powder Supposed to Burn?
If you used the Original Strength Gold Bond Body Powder, then you should generally not feel a burning sensation on your skin after application.
However, as I’ve said above, if you used the one in the green bottle (Gold Bond Extra Strength Body Powder) or the blue bottle (Gold Bond Maximum Strength Foot Powder), be prepared for pain.
The burning sensation you get is primarily due to their main active ingredient, which is Menthol.
As you will see in the table below, the original Gold Bond Body Powder has a lower concentration of Menthol compared to the other two:
| Product Name | Menthol Concentration |
| Gold Bond Original Strength Body Powder | 0.15% |
| Gold Bond Extra Strength Body Powder | 0.80% |
| Gold Bond Maximum Strength Foot Powder | 1.00% |
Having a higher menthol concentration isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
It’s just that some areas of the skin are thicker than others, say, our feet compared to other body parts.
On the other hand, this level of menthol concentration might be just right for your feet.
If this happened to you, then it’s no problem.
The pain will eventually subside and you’ll be back on your feet in no time.
I assure you, this has happened to a lot of people (including me). But hopefully, you’ve learned your lesson.
I know I have. Make sure to buy the right kind of Gold Bond according to your use case.
If you’re going to apply it to your sensitive areas, get the Original Strength Body Powder version.
This will be very effective at keeping them dry and fresh all day.
In addition, it just has enough menthol content to provide that cool and tingling sensation, without giving you that burning sensation.
Alternatives to Gold Bond Body Powder
Since we’re on the topic already, I also just want to let you know that there are other body powder options out there, that might even be better than Gold Bond.
Plus, some are also specifically designed to be applied to the two berries below the belt, so you’ll be sure that they won’t give you that burning sensation all over again.
My own personal recommendation is the Chassis Premium Body Powder. It is talc-free.
Instead, it uses baking soda, pumpkin seed, hops extract, oatmeal, and other natural ingredients.
One of the cool things about this product is that the aloe and other plant extracts give a soothing feeling after applying the powder.
Feels cool and refreshing to the touch. It also has a pretty useful applicator nozzle, which makes it easy and simple to use.
This is definitely worth a try the next time you buy body powder.
I have a complete guide on the best men’s body powders available on the market right now. If you’re interested in learning more, click here.
Summary
Going back to the original question: Why does gold bond burn?
The most likely reason for this is that you used the stronger variations of Gold Bond, namely the Extra Strength Body Powder (green bottle) and or the Maximum Strength Foot Powder (blue bottle), which have a menthol concentration of 0.80% and 1.0%, respectively.
On the other hand, the Original Strength Body Powder (yellow bottle) only has a menthol concentration of 0.15%, which is just the right amount that can be handled by some sensitive skin areas.
And that is much more sensitive than the rest of your body parts, such as your feet.
Just remember: It is NOT RECOMMENDED to apply Gold Bond Extra Strength Body Powder or the Gold Bond Maximum Strength Foot Powder on sensitive skin parts.
The higher menthol concentration they contain, versus the original one, may lead to a chemical burn.