Peppermint Essential Oil

Uses and information or Peppermint Essential Oil with Recipes, Tinctures, Uses

This is one of my favorite essential oils. One that I just can't do without and use every day! Peppermint Essential Oil is a cooling and refreshing essential oil and one used in aromatherapy to help stimulate and increase mental capacity, help one focus as well as helps cool the skin, reduce and calm skin irritations. And if that weren't enough, peppermint oil also helps to ease tummy upset, may also help with migraines and headaches and is a wonderful asset to help the digestive system do what it does best!

Peppermint Oil and its Properties

One whiff of Peppermint oil will have you smiling and almost gasping with its fresh, crisp menthol aroma. It will wake you up and clear your sinuses all at the same time!

Peppermint Oil hails originally from its native country of the Mediterranean, however, this wonderful sprawling herb is also now found profusely in Italy, USA, Japan and Great Britain as well as many other countries.  It has an ancient history as shown from the records of Japan, China and even in Egypt which has a tomb dating back from 1000 BC that shows hieroglyphs and pictures of using this herb.

Peppermint is a perennial herb and can grow up (and sometimes over) three feet high and is known to grow in many different conditions. I have it growing in good soil, poor soil and in a rock water garden! It takes a beating and comes up kicking - that's for sure!

Peppermint propagates by sending out underground runners and even if you just yank it up - you can't kill it! Some might even call it a weed, however it is definitely a wonderful herb that has many various species.  It's official name is Peppermint Piperita and is a hybrid of watermint (M. aquatica) and spearmint (M. spicata).

It also has an ancient past and in Greek mythology the nymph Mentha was hotly pursued by Pluto, whose jealous wife Persephone, trod her ferociously into the ground. The legend goes on and says that Pluto turned Mentha into a flowering, sprawling herb. While this is just an ancient hand me down story, Pluto knew that the generations to come would welcome this prolific herb for years to come, and so it has been accomplished.

How is Peppermint Extracted from the Herb? 

As with many other herbs, the plant is picked right before flowering and the Peppermint oil is extracted by steam distillation from the fresh or partly dried plant. It takes a lot of peppermint plant to yield the oil - that's for sure!

If you're interested in the chemical composition, then the legalize is this: mentol, menthone, 1,8-cineole, methyl acetate, methofuran, isomenthone, limonene, b-pinene, a-pinene, germacrene-d, trans-sabinene hydrate and pulegone - ok...got that? LOL

For safety's sake ... 

While Peppermint oil is non-toxic and non-irritant in low dilutions, it definitely can be a sensitizer due to the menthol content and cause skin irritations if used indiscriminately.  Always avoid getting this oil - as well as all other essential oils - well away from your eyes. Other cautions would be to avoid (as with most other eo's) during pregnancy and extreme care taken with young children. I don't use essential oils neat on ANY child under 7 and certainly none under 2! I always caution others to dilute all essential oils and to make sure they are not sensitive to a particular oil.

How to use Peppermint Oil

Peppermint Oil has a variety of uses and as many ways to use it as there are people that claim its validity in the aromatherapy field.

As I said before, I love putting a drop or two in my water glass, not only does it taste good, but it helps soothe my tummy after meals, keeps me from eating too much and freshens my breath! What more could one ask of a breath mint - so now you know why they use peppermints at the restaurant! 

Another great idea is to put a few drops in your infuser or vaporizer and allow the aroma to drift through the room - it will help ease congestion, allow you to breathe easier and freshen the room with a wonderful minty aroma. 

If you have muscle cramps, back pain, muscular pains or any other type of muscle related pains, diluting peppermint oil in a simple base of olive oil (to help it disperse more easily) in your bathwater is an excellent way to ease these pains. Not only that, it will soothe your spirits and allow you to relax more easily as well - which in turn helps the body to heal itself.

Would you like to help ease sunburn pain or reduce redness and cool the skin when it's itchy or inflamed? Well peppermint in your favorite cream or lotion will take care of that in no time! Just add a few drops to your liking to a handful of cream and lather on to the affected area. The immediate cooling sensation will bring you a feeling of almost instant relief!

And one more tip - if you like to blend essential oils, like I do, and use your creative side, then try blending Peppermint Oil with Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon or Rosemary. If you're like me, you'll enjoy discovering the wonderful aroma as well as the added benefits of those particular oils in your aromatherapy arsenal.

Order your Peppermint Essential Oil now! 
$16.50 per 15ml bottle

 

Peppermint Essential Oil 

Important Note: The information provided on this page is for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information: Do not take any oils internally without consultation from a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Do not apply undiluted essential oils, absolutes, CO2s or other concentrated essences onto the skin. If you are pregnant, epileptic, have liver damage, have cancer, or have any other medical problem, use oils only under the proper guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. Use extreme caution when using oils with children and give children only the gentlest oils at extremely low doses. It is safest to consult a qualified aromatherapy practitioner before using oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an oil that you've never used before.