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Dear Martha, I felt I needed to clarify some of what you have written. Most essential oils of Wintergreen may be synthetic methyl salicylate, or may be distilled from sweet birch; rarely will you find true wintergreen essential oil. Price may be a practical guideline - if the oil is inexpensive relative to other common oils of the same brand, chances are the oil is synthetic. If the price seems wild and extravagant, the oil might be distilled from wintergreen. If price is somewhere in between, you may be looking at sweet birch oil. But, as you say, whether synthetic or natural, this oil is toxic in relatively low doses. Externally, even small amounts of the undiluted oil will quickly irritate the skin. (The extra strength formula of BenGay contains only 16% methyl salicylate.) There are other ways of using the oil without placing it directly on the skin, if a person is concerned. Place a drop on a cotton ball, in an aromatherapy diffuser which disperses the oil into the air, and the aroma will be beneficial this way. Sorry, if this sounds like I am correcting you - I am not intending that. I merely wanted to clarify a few other points. As I have a background as a nurse, and am now a practicing herbalist, I felt the need to clarify your points further. Hope this all helps anyone who is struggling to understand the use of this oil. If you have any other questions please contact me at: Kathy [log in to unmask] Friend of John (72/2) Vallejo, CA