Latin Name: Mentha x piperita
Aroma: strong, fresh, minty green
Physical Appearance: Clear to yellowish green
Overall Summary: Peppermint Essential Oil is obtained from Mentha x piperita. The plant is productive and easy to cultivate, making peppermint oil one the most affordable as well as resourceful essential oil in the market. The plant is native to the United States, Hungary and Egypt. This natural oil is obtained from the leaves of the main plant through steam distillation, which makes the oil low-cost. It is a yellowish green or clear, mobile liquid, with a strong, fresh, minty green aroma. The oil is widely used in the fragrance and flavor industry. It has menthol in its composition. Menthol normally produces a cooling feeling when applied to the skin. Peppermint oil is good for the respiratory system, particularly asthma and bronchitis, since it is antispasmodic, mucolytic and expectorant.
Primary Benefits
The following are the most recognized properties as well as Peppermint Essential Oil benefits:
- Highly beneficial as antispasmodic, expectorant, analgesic and anti-inflammatory.
- It alleviates indigestion.
Emotional Benefits
- Promotes mental focus
- Calming the mind and easing fear
- Increasing intuitive awareness
Complimentary Oils
Well-known complimentary oils are: eucalyptus; geranium; basil; rosemary; lavender; lemon; grapefruit; and marjoram essential oil. Other complimentary oils include: Ravensara; spearmint; wintergreen; and tea tree essential oil.
How to Use This Essential Oil
Precautions
Peppermint should not be used with infants due to its high concentrations, regardless of whether or not it is heavily diluted. The oil must be diluted before application and one drop of the oil should be blended with one drop of carrier oil. In the event that peppermint gets into your eyes, you will a severe stinging feeling. Make sure that you do not flush the eyes with water – instead use carrier oil for better relief of the stinging sensation.
Use in Adults
Peppermint essential oil is resourceful for alleviating a great number of ailments when ingested. It is also useful for respiratory conditions when used along with other volatiles. The oil’s usefulness in adults has to be judged against its possible sensitization when topically applied on the skin. There is a possibility of asthmatic symptoms when applied as a volatile. Anyone with high blood pressure should avoid ingestion or contact with this natural oil.
Use in children/Babies
It is advisable not to topically apply this oil on the skin of children and babies, due to the immaturity as well as delicate nature of their skins. This oil should only be used under heavy dilution. This precaution is important because of the possibilities of sensitization of the children’s or babies’ skin or adverse aromatic effects. Aromatic application of peppermint oil for children/ babies is highly not recommended and inadvisable because of the severe toxicity. Research suggests that there have been cases of death reported when the oil was applied aromatically. Children who are younger than six years old cannot tolerate the effects of this oil when not properly diluted.
Use in Pregnancy
According to research, there have been spontaneous contractions in the uterus when peppermint oil was applied in vitro. However, there is no concrete information to suggest that the oil is an abortive. The oil should only be topically applied with caution and in small quantities on the skin, since it can be a sensitizer and irritant. If used it should be diluted to 1% and one should not use more than 3 drops in a bath.
Peppermint Oil Uses
- Alleviates aches, pains and itchy skin
- Eases tension and headaches
- Soothes respiratory infections
- Relieves digestive problems; and fights viral and fungal infections.
- It is useful in the formation of nontoxic household products.
- Used in meditation to help breakdown resistance associated with new situations and helps to increase intuitive awareness.
Peppermint Bath Recipe
You need the following ingredients for this recipe:
- Four drops of peppermint aromatic oil
- Four drops of red food coloring
- Eight-ounce jar
- One tablespoon of baking soda
- One cup of Epsom salt
Preparation: In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients and stir well to obtain a colored peppermint bath mixture.
Peppermint Oil for Headaches Recipe
You will need the following ingredients for this recipe:
- Three drops of peppermint oil
- Cotton ball for applying the oil
- One tablespoon of coconut oil
Preparation: Add desired amounts/ drops of peppermint and coconut oil in a container and mix well. Soak the cotton ball in the mixture and use it to rub the forehead. This peppermint essential oil recipe should alleviate headaches within half hour time.
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This post first appeared on Aroma Utopia | The Best Essential Oils And Diffusers Guide, please read the originial post: here
