Peppermint Essential Oil: How to make it and how to use it

The guide for peppermint oil you were waiting for.

The scent of peppermint has multiple benefits for our health and wellbeing. Image Courtesy of Bonnie Kittle.

Essential oils have been used as early as 4500 BC by the Ancient Egyptians, who created mixtures of different herbs for medical and aesthetic purposes.

Today, essential oils are used in many countries across the world in many different ways because we are never done discovering all the magical remedies that nature has for us.

This article will focus on the magical remedy of peppermint essential oils, how you can make your own, and all the different ways in which you can use them.

Easy and affordable to make your own

First of all, the materials that you need are a cheesecloth, a carrier or base oil, a mallet, a jar with a tight-fitting lid, and peppermint, of course. When you are buying your base oil, make sure to pick a light scented one; the purpose of this oil is to absorb the essence of the peppermint, so it should not influence its scent. Some of the best options are almond oil, grape seed oil, or wheat germ oil.

If you are growing your own peppermint, the best time to gather it is before it starts flowering. The leaves and stems can be used to make the oil. Ideally, you should only use the leaves so that your plants won’t die. Take a look at the leaves and look for any imperfections. Are there any dark spots or bruises? Set those aside and don’t use them for the essential oil preparation. It is important to use only the best of the best from the plant to make sure the essential oil will be highly effective. If you end up with only a few leaves, or if you don’t have your own peppermint plants, that’s fine too. You can get some fresh peppermint in the closest farmers market. Just make sure to pick the plants with the fewest imperfections. 

Once you have your herbs, wash them with cool water. It is crucial to get rid of the dirt, soil, bug excrement, or anything else that these plants might have. When you are done washing them, leave them drying on a flat surface until they are completely dry. 

After the herbs are dry, put them in a small bowl and tap them gently with a mallet to release the oil of the plant. Don’t tap too hard because you will break the leaves, and then you’ll have to remove them from the oil. 

The next step is to put the leaves in a jar and add the carrier or base oil that you purchased. Add as much oil as you need to cover the leaves entirely and shake the jar to incorporate the two ingredients smoothly. Leave the jar for about 25 hours apart from the sunlight. After that time is up, remove the leaves and repeat the process at least two more times. Essential oils must be very concentrated to be effective. If you don’t add many leaves, you might have to repeat the process a few more times, but it also depends on the peppermint you get and the scent of your carrier. So every time you repeat the process, smell the oil, and evaluate how strong and concentrated it is. Ideally, you should repeat the process from 3 to 4 times to guarantee a concentrated essential oil.

Check out this article by hairguard if you want to learn even more about peppermint oil and hair.

The carrier oil you choose to pair up with your essential oil should have a very light scent so that it doesn’t affect the essence of peppermint. Image Courtesy of Pixabay.

The process to make peppermint essential oil is very straight-forward, but if you don’t feel comfortable making your own, or if you don’t have access to the plants, or if you simply don’t want to do it, you can always buy an essential oil at the store that is ready to go. Depending on the brand, some of them will have chemicals, but overall they are really highly concentrated preparations that are very effective.

Some essential oils work really well with others for a specific task. Peppermint oil is no exception. There are multiple oils that you can pair your peppermint oil with to complement it. So think about what you want to achieve with this peppermint essential oil and see what other scents can supplement it. This will give you a better idea of all the existing remedies with essential oils.  

Uses and Benefits

The peppermint essential oil can be used for many different purposes! Some of them were discovered thousands of years ago, and some others were recently discovered. We never finish finding out entirely what nature has for us, but these are some of the benefits of this wonderful oil.

Peppermint essential oil diluted with carrier oil is a great alternative for massages. It will freshen your skin and help you with joint soreness. Image Courtesy of Andrea Piacquadio.

Massage

Peppermint is a common remedy for muscles and joint soreness. The refreshing essence of the peppermint will make you feel rejuvenated! Rub it on the temples, forehead, and back of the neck. It is very important that you remember how concentrated these oils are. It is highly recommended that you use a carrier oil to dilute the peppermint essential oil instead of putting the peppermint directly into your skin. Just put a few drops of peppermint in a carrier oil bottle to get started. Although most of the essential oils you find in stores are mostly natural, the concentrated essence might hurt you or damage your skin.

Carpet Freshener

Peppermint is known for killing some germs, so you can use it for cleaning purposes around the house. If you haven’t cleaned your carpet in a while or if you think that it seems dirty even after you finished cleaning it, use peppermint essential oil. First, spread some baking soda on the carpet. Then, sprinkle a diluted solution of the peppermint essential oil with water. Leave the ingredients in the carpet for a few minutes, and then you can use the vacuum. You will love how clean it ends up looking!

Reduce Symptoms for IBS

Recent studies have found that peppermint oil can reduce abdominal pain and other irritable bowel syndrome symptoms. The scent of peppermint acts as an anti-inflammatory relaxes the muscles, and may decrease the pain. It’s very important to acknowledge that the peppermint essential oil will only help as a complementary remedy for IBS, and it should not substitute the medications a patient might be taking. This is merely a natural remedy to reduce the symptoms, but it is not a cure for IBS.

Some diffusers have settings and timers to schedule your aromatherapy sessions. Image Courtesy of Chris F.

Aromatherapy

The scent of peppermint boosts energy. It is ideal for students, teachers, people who work long shifts in one specific office or place, and need a little bit of motivation to keep going with the day. Put peppermint oil in a diffuser to receive this boost of energy and clear your respiratory tract. This will help to release some stress and tension you may have, which in the end gives you that motivation to keep working hard! You might need from 2 drops to 7 drops each time you use it, depending on how big the room is where you want to place the diffuser. 

For the bath

Do you have mental fatigue? Are your feet tired because you are standing up all day or from sitting down all week? You need to boost circulation and get rid of this unnecessary pain. You can mix Epsom salt with peppermint essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, and a carrier oil to prepare bath salts for your skin. You only need five drops of each essential oil. This will relax and freshen your body, and your feet will highly appreciate it!

For the hair

If the benefits of peppermint essential oils weren’t enough, it could also help your hair grow faster. When putting any essential oil on your skin, you have to dilute it with a carrier oil; this applies to your mane as well. Add a few drops of peppermint to a bottle with the carrier oil. You can use this mixture as a treatment after you use shampoo. Do it only a few days a week since menthol is a refreshing but very concentrated scent. You will start seeing the results really soon!

So now you know it! There are many different ways in which you can take advantage of this marvelous gift from nature. Despite you making it at home or purchasing it at your favorite store, the peppermint essential oil is here to help you. 

Javier Luna

Javier seeks to have a positive impact on people's lives through design. He is very passionate about sustainability, fashion and, politics. He is a writer, an award winner public speaker, a storyteller, and a person who looks for total equity. 
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