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Peppermint Essential Oil

The aroma of Peppermint Essential Oil is familiar and pleasant to most. Peppermint Oil is very intense and is far more concentrated than most other steam distilled essential oils. At low dilutions, it is fresh, minty and quite uplifting. Its a favorite around Christmas and the holidays, but is also popular year round.

Peppermint Essential Oil contains menthol. Menthol induces a cooling sensation, and use of Peppermint Oil (at low dilution) in a body mist or even in the diffuser can help to cool you down.

Menthol is also known to help ease tension headaches and muscular aches and pains.

If you find Peppermint Oil to be a bit too intense, you may enjoy working with Spearmint Oil. Often, I substitute Spearmint Essential Oil for some of the Peppermint Essential Oil in a blend.

Emotionally, Peppermint Oil is stimulating and is a good choice for inclusion in blends intended to help enhance alertness and stamina. It is considered an aphrodisiac. Peppermint should be avoided before bedtime.

Peppermint Oil

Botanical Name: Mentha piperita Common Method of Extraction: Steam Distilled Color: Clear with a Yellow Tinge Consistency: Thin Perfumery Note: Top Strength of Initial Aroma: Strong

Aromatic Description: Minty, reminiscent of peppermint candies, but more concentrated. More fragrant than spearmint.

	Peppermint

Peppermint Oil Uses: Asthma, colic, exhaustion, fever, flatulence, headache, nausea, scabies, sinusitis, vertigo. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 59-67.]

Constituents: Menthyl Acetate, Menthone, Cineole, Limonene, Phellandrene, Pinene, Beta-Caryophyllene [Shirley Price, The Aromatherapy Workbook (Hammersmith, London: Thorsons, 1993), 54-5.]

Safety Information: Avoid Peppermint Oil in cardiac fibrillation, epilepsy, fever. Peppermint Oil is a mucous membrane irritant and neurotoxic (toxic to the nerves). Some of this information applies to oral use, but is provided for informational purposes (no essential oil should be taken internally without the guidance of a qualified aromatherapy practitioner). [Robert Tisserand, Essential Oil Safety (United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone, 1995), 160.]

May cause sensitization. [Julia Lawless, The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils (Rockport, MA: Element Books, 1995), 175.]

Important Note: The essential oil information provided within the Essential Oil Properties & Profiles area is intended for educational purposes only. This data is not considered complete and is not guaranteed to be accurate.

General Safety Information: Do not take any essential 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 essential 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 essential oils with children. A skin patch test should be conducted prior to using an essential oil that you've never used before. Instructions on conducting a skin patch test and more safety information can be found by visiting the Essential Oil Safety Information page. For very in-depth information on essential oil safety issues, read Essential Oil Safety by Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs. 

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	Own Detailed Profiles on 160 Essential Oils The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Essential Oils by Julia Lawless contains 160 detailed essential oil profiles complete with beautiful color photos.  Read a review of this book or purchase this book through Amazon.com. Also consider... Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals In addition to the eight main chapters contained within the book, Aromatherapy Science: A Guide for Healthcare Professionals also includes over 65 detailed oil monographs (profiles) and over 30 appendices.  Read a review of this book or purchase this book through Amazon.com.