Peppermint

• Psychological: awakening and enlivening; combats depression; improves concentration, focus and mental acuity; strengthening, soothing and stimulating.
• Digestive system: stimulates the liver and gall bladder; inhibits muscle spasms in the intestines; encourages smooth muscle peristalsis and may be beneficial for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS); relieves dyspepsia, nausea, stomach pains, and diarrhea; quells effects of food poisoning.
• Circulatory system: improves blood flow.
• Muscles & joints: eases arthritic pain; soothes muscle tightness and stiffness.
• Respiratory system: opens and clears congested airways; combats asthmatic symptoms.
• The main constituent of peppermint is menthol, which causes a quick physical response when inhaled or applied to the skin. It feels cool, which the body counteracts by increasing blood flow to the area, producing a warming effect. Menthol is often found in chest rubs, sports creams, and cough drops.
• Traditional uses: classically peppermint oil was used solely as a digestive aid, anti-nausea, and to counteract halitosis (bad breath) until the 16th century, when physicians began to experiment with it more broadly.
• Therapeutic properties described in the aromatherapy literature: analgesic, anesthetic, antibacterial, antiseptic, antispasmodic, astringent, carminative, cephalic, decongestant, expectorant, febrifuge, hepatic, nervine, stimulant (digestive), stomachic, sudorific, vasoconstrictor.

Ingestion: an excellent aid for motion sickness — consuming one drop can end queasiness, and a drop can be placed on a sugar cube for children. Research suggests it supports irritable bowel syndrome (IBS): place 1 to 3 drops in a warm cup of water, or dilute in carrier oil and massage into the abdomen. Topical: may help relieve congestion and headaches (including migraines) by placing a drop on each temple; a 10% dilution is an effective balance. Aromatherapy: very useful — put 5 to 6 drops in a diffuser in water. Safety: considered non-toxic, it is a mild irritant (high menthol content). Dilute in a carrier oil such as almond or coconut before applying to skin, and avoid getting the oil in the eyes. Peppermint oil should not be used with children under two years of age; we suggest using Spearmint.