Method for causing a physiological cooling effect to the skin or mucosa involving the application of carbonic acid esters

A method for causing a physiological cooling effect to the skin or mucosa, which comprises applying to the skin or mucosa at least one compound of the formula ##STR19## wherein R.sup.1 denotes C.sub.4 -C.sub.20 -alkyl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.20 -cycloalkyl or -heterocycloalkyl or C.sub.5 -C.sub.20 -alkoxy, C.sub.6 -C.sub.12 -aryl, C.sub.5 -C.sub.10 -heteroaryl or C.sub.7 -C.sub.11 -aralkyl,

• R.sup.2 denotes an m+w.multidot.n-valent aliphatic C.sub.1 -C.sub.8 radical, a cycloaliphatic or heterocycloaliphatic C.sub.3 -C.sub.15 radical or an araliphatic C.sub.7 -C.sub.20 radical or an alkoxy- or acyloxy-containing aliphatic C.sub.3 -C.sub.15 radical,
• Z and X each denote --O--,
• Y denotes hydroxyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.10 -alkoxy, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 -acyloxy, amino, mercapto or --O--R.sup.3 --O--,
• R.sup.3 denotes C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 -alkylene,
• w denotes The valency of the radical Y and
• m and n independently of one another denote integers from 1 to 8, with the proviso that the sum of m+n is not more than 12.