Oil of the Month Peppermint | The Cooling Oil

I love Peppermint essential oil!

It has so many wonderful effects and been used historically in aromatherapy to address a multitude of health concerns. Peppermint is not only an uplifting and re-energising scent, but it can also give your skin, body and mind a well-needed boost.

The main use of the oil in our household is to stem pain. Peppermint essential oil is really cooling and also instantly ‘numbing’ to pain, so if you jar your elbow, or fall on your knee, this is the perfect oil to help cool and stem the pain instantly.

Peppermint Essential Oil Traditional Uses

Peppermint Oil is not only one of the oldest European herbs used for medicinal purposes, but it has also been well documented in ancient Japanese and Chinese culture to heal many ailments. Peppermint essential oil is mentioned in Greek mythology, when the nymph, Mentha, was transformed into peppermint by Pluto. Having fallen in love, he wanted her to be remembered and appreciated for years to come. Traditionally this oil has been used mainly for digestive problems of all varieties, toothache, headache and cramp.

Beyond the Myth

Beyond the myth, Alexander the Great believed that Peppermint had stimulating properties, forbidding his soldiers to eat the herb Peppermint in case it conjured erotic and distracting feelings. Peppermint essential oil has been documented back to 1000 BC, with remnants of Peppermint found in several Egyptian pyramids.

Peppermint Essential Oil Properties

Latin name: Mentha x piperita

Synonyms: Brandy mint, Balm mint

Plant Family: Lamiaceae

Extraction: Distillation of the fresh flowering herb

Origin:Native to the Mediterranean, the USA now produces 90% of Peppermint oil.

This common garden herb is one of many mint varieties, this one being a hybrid mint, a cross between watermint and spearmint. It grows to around 2 feet high and the essential oil is prolific in the leaf.

Always check the Latin name when buying mint to ensure that the correct oil is purchased. The oil is steam distilled from the leaves and is a pale yellow-green oil with a highly penetrating grassy, minty, fresh aroma.

Therapeutic Uses of Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil has a wide range of therapeutic uses and is extremely versatile in practical use. Some of these properties include being analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-migraine, antispasmodic, antiviral, carminative, digestive, expectorant, mucolytic, neurotonic and utero-tonic.

Peppermint essential oil is used for migraine, neuralgia, bronchitis, sinusitis, colic, herpes, indigestion, nausea, colitis, IBS, irregular periods, apathy and nervous conditions. Research has shown that Peppermint Oil can suppress feelings of nausea. Along with Clove Oil, Peppermint Essential Oil is often used as a digestive thanks to its soothing effects on the stomach. With its carminative, soothing and anti-inflammatory properties, Peppermint Oil works effectively to combat stomach concerns, it expels excess gas and relaxes stomach muscles to relieve discomfort.

On the muscular system, Peppermint essential oil works to naturally remove discomfort from affected areas, reduce inflammation and relax muscles. Used topically, Peppermint essential oil is cell-regenerating and can be used with Lavender to help heal burns, cuts and bruises.

Take a Breath with Peppermint Essential Oil!

This powerful oil acts as an expectorant, aiding in opening airways, clearing mucus and reducing congestion, unclogging sinuses and offering relief from cold and flu symptoms

Phew – take a breath – yes it really does help in all those areas!

What does Peppermint Essential Oil blend well with?

Peppermint essential oil blends well with other members of the Lamiaceae family, Ravansara, Sandalwood, Ho and Sweet Orange essential oils.

Peppermint Essential Oil Safety & Precautions

Unfortunately, undiluted Peppermint essential oil is not suitable for babies and young children as the oil is too powerful and rich in menthol. On adults, peppermintoil can be used undiluted on small areas of the skin after a bump or fall for instant cooling and pain relief, but most often we would use 1% of this oil in a base oil.

Peppermint Essential Oil Chemical Constituents

Peppermint essential oil contains menthol (main chemical constituents are 50% menthol and around 40% ketones) for an automatic soothing and cooling sensation, perfect to help rosacea, oily skin, puffiness or irritation. Peppermint also has strong antimicrobial properties that cleanse skin and unclog pores.

Peppermint essential oil is really useful in relieving mental anger, pain and stresses in rollerballs and home-use blends. Penny Price Aromatherapy has several blends including Peppermint essential oil. Three of these products are Nurture Breathing, Nurture Journeys and Inhale Rollerball.

Nurture Breathing

Inhale this cleansing blend of oils or add a few drops to your bath daily to help maintain healthy lungs. This blend can be used for asthma, hay-fever, bronchitis and other conditions that cause breathing difficulties. Blended with Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Lavender and Hyssop essential oils that are mucolytic, decongestant and expectorant to help keep the lungs clear and healthy.

Nurture Journeys

An invigorating, energising blend of uplifting oils designed to alleviate the effects of long and short-haul flights. It is especially effective when inhaled during travel. This blend contains Lemongrass, Mandarin and Peppermint essential oils, helping to maintain a healthy digestive system and a clear head during travel, and to discourage jet-lag.

Inhale Rollerball

Inhale and Roll on Breathing - For when your breathing isn’t clear or deep, due to stress or a common cold, try Inhale, a rollerball blend of pure essential oils with a carrier, to help clear the nose and throat and promote clear and easy breathing. Inhale is a blend of essential oils of Eucalyptus Smithii, Lavender, Hyssop and Peppermint.

Let’s Make Recipes with Peppermint Essential Oil!
You may like to try some of my recipes as below, and if you do, please do give us feedback on how they worked – we love hearing from you!

The Keeping Focus Vaporiser Blend

To stay focussed and in control, use the recipe below. In a 10ml dropper bottle use:

3ml Peppermint essential oil
3ml Palmarosa essential oil
3ml Lavandin Super essential oil
1ml Sweet Orange essential oil

Blend all the oils well in the bottle and push in the dropper cap. Use up to 8 drops at a time in a vaporiser or use on a tissue to carry round with you when needed.

The After Sun Body Lotion

For an effective after sun body lotion, use the recipe below. In a 100ml jar with cap use:

80ml Blending Cream Base
12ml Aloe Vera Gel
1ml Lavandin Super essential oil
1ml Roman Chamomile essential oil
1ml Peppermint essential oil

Put the Blending Cream and Aloe Vera in a small basin and whisk together. Add the essential oils and stir well, then transfer to the jar, clean the edges and put the lid on. Use straight after being in the sun or as a cooling lotion whenever needed.

The Rosacea Face Cream

This recipe will help you to keep your cool and reduce the redness of rosacea, ready to face the day. In a 100ml jar use the following recipe:

90mls Moisture Cream for sensitive skin base
5mls Rosehip oil
4mls Rose hydrolat
8 drops Lavandin Super essential oil
8 drops Peppermint essential oil
4 drops Patchouli essential oil

Put the Moisture Cream Base into the 100ml jar and stir round to soften. Add the rosehip and stir again, then add the hydrolat and mix well. Finally add the essential oils in the order they are written in the recipe and stir well. Clean the edges of the pot and put on the lid. Use every day and before going to bed.

The Cooling Bath Foam

This is a really way to cool and relax after a day in the sun! In a 100ml bottle with pump top blend the following recipe:

99ml Bath Foam Base
15 Lavandin Super essential oil
8 drops Peppermint essential oil
7 drops Chamomile Roman essential oil

Put the bath foam into a small bowl and add the essential oils. Stir really well and then, using a funnel, put the blend into the bottle and apply the lid. This can take some time so be patient! Use in your evening bath to prepare for bed.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog. We love to hear from you so do give us feedback on the blog and the recipes, and how they have worked for you or your clients. All the products mentioned are available from www.penny-price.com or you can phone your order through or get advice on 01455 251020. If you are interested in training with us, please call, or email Lizzie on courses@penny-price.