Aromatherapy
Appetite: Aromas and the Table
How scent shapes the pleasure of eating, and a few oils traditionally tied to a settled, comfortable table.
Aromatherapy · Hair Wellness
Peppermint Oil
Mentha x piperita
A bright, cooling essential oil steam-distilled from peppermint leaves, used in aromatherapy and, well diluted, in hair and body care.
Texture: thin, watery essential oil (always diluted before skin use)Scent: sharp, cooling, intensely minty
Origin
Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is a hybrid of watermint and spearmint, cultivated widely; the United States (Pacific Northwest and Midwest) and parts of Europe and India are major producers.
Peppermint essential oil is steam-distilled from the leaves of the peppermint plant and is high in menthol, which gives it its cooling, bright character. A little is very potent.
It is a concentrated essential oil, not a carrier oil, so it must always be diluted in a carrier (such as coconut or jojoba) before touching skin, and it is never taken internally without professional guidance. Its intensity is exactly why dilution and patch testing matter.
In aromatherapy it is valued for a fresh, energizing scent. Diluted, it appears in scalp blends and cooling muscle rubs. It should be kept well away from the face and chest of babies and young children, since menthol can affect their breathing.
When buying, look for the botanical name (Mentha x piperita), a single-ingredient oil with no added fragrance or carrier, batch GC/MS test reports, and dark glass packaging.
Traditional Uses
Mint has a long history across many cultures as a refreshing, settling herb, used in teas, balms, and inhalations.
Modern Uses
Peppermint essential oil is used in aromatherapy for a sense of alertness and clear breathing, and, heavily diluted, in scalp and hair blends and cooling body rubs.
Our Approved Peppermint Oil
Plant Therapy
Most versatile
Plant Therapy is a non-MLM brand that GC/MS tests every batch (often several times) and publishes the reports, with affordable single-ingredient oils and a USDA Organic option.…
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Take a Moment with Peppermint Oil
A Moment
A Midday Breath Moment
When the afternoon starts to blur, give yourself the smallest of resets. Put a single drop of peppermint or sweet orange on a tissue or your palm, hold it a little away from your face, and take three slow breaths: cool and clarifying, or bright and lifting. Roll your shoulders back. Let your eyes rest from the screen for a moment. Then return to the day a little clearer. It takes less than a minute, and asks nothing of you but to pause.