I don’t know about you, but these chilly winds billowing the wind socks of Brisbane all day have me dreaming of curling up with a hot water bottle and an early night.
If winter was an essential oil, for me it would be peppermint with its fresh, cooling and invigorating nature. That describes today pretty perfectly, so let’s continue our explorations of ‘everyday’ essential oils with this ever-so-handy staple for every home.
We’ve already given you the good oil on lavender and lemon, so peppermint is the next must-have essential oil you’ll be glad to get to know.
Peppermint (Mentha piperita) is steam distilled from the leaves and stems of the herb. It typically grows in North America, Great Britain and the Mediterranean. (Put on your binoculars while cruising with like-minded essential oil-loving folk in 2015 and maybe you can play ‘Spot the Mentha piperita’.)
Peppermint’s high menthol content (25-50%) gives its customary cooling sensation. Where would the breath freshening and toothpaste industries be without peppermint’s cool, fresh aroma and taste?
Rumoured to have halitosis that could knock you over at ten paces, if Clark Gable had chewed a peppermint leaf before his scenes in ‘Gone with the Wind’, poor Vivien Leigh would have had a much easier time with filming. (As would anyone on set at the time.)
Peppermint’s legendary soothing effect on digestion has been revered for so long, the Knights of the Round Table might well have used it when stress took a toll on their stomachs. And over in Sherwood Forest, if only Alan Hirsch MD’s studies into peppermint’s ability to directly affect the brain’s satiety centre and trigger the sensation of fullness after meals* had been common knowledge at the time, Friar Tuck might have known when to say, “No, thanks!” to the offer of another extra-large pint of ale.
Among its many properties, peppermint essential oil has been studied for a bunch of ‘anti-‘ properties. Please research these in a reliable reference book for more information. So when looking for natural solutions to particular conditions, bear in mind the qualities of the various essential oils and this will help you to figure out which ones could be especially beneficial.
And if you have final year secondary school students bracing themselves for their last round of exams over the coming month or so, you might want to prick up your ears for this one.
Research has found that peppermint aroma may help attention, focus and performance when inhaled during mental tasks* (Barker, et al., 2003). I’ve found when I diffuse peppermint oil or Young Living Clarity™ while reading, I’m able to recall facts and figures from what I read more easily. Or it certainly feels that way!
This will also connect you up with The Good Oil Team for our personal support and coaching. We'd love to help you on your journey to vibrant well-being the natural way!
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As with all of the oils in Young Living’s Everyday Oils Collection, we’ll be giving some of our favourite ways of using peppermint in an upcoming post. If you haven’t yet subscribed to our emails, why not head to the bottom of this page and arrange it in a few seconds so you can keep in touch with our tips easily.
