Peppermint Essential Oil

If you are using your essential oils to promote hair growth, we recommend that you use them topically.

Applying essential oils to the skin or scalp:

A popular way to enjoy your essential oils is to simply apply them to your skin or scalp for absorption – though never directly on the skin, but always mixed and diluted with a carrier oil such as sweet almond oil.

If you are using essential oils to help ease nausea we recommend that you inhale them. This is one of the safest and fastest methods of using essential oils because the essential oils go straight to your body’s olfactory system.

Simply inhaling essential oils:

Open the bottle of essential oils, hold it up against your nose or place a few drops on a tissue, breathe in deeply for a few seconds and the nausea will generally subside.

Steam inhalation of essential oils:

Boil 2-3 cups of water, pour it into a bowl and add 2-5 drops of oil to the water. Place your nose about 12” away from the bowl, cover your head and bowl with a towel, and slowly inhale the steam.

Try a diffuser bracelet:

For nausea relief on the go, add a few drops to one of our new nausea relief diffuser bracelets.

Using an essential oil diffuser:

Place a few drops of peppermint essential oil into a diffuser or oil burner. Alternatively you could use a room spray. In addition to relieving nausea, this will spread a pleasant fragrance throughout your home.

For external use only. Peppermint oil is best avoided in facial massage. Do not use undiluted on the skin. Avoid contact with sensitive areas, such as eyes. Keep out of reach of children. Do not use essential oils on children under 5 years old. Consult your healthcare professional before using essential oils during pregnancy. Best kept in a cool dry place.

Mint has been clinically proven to ease cancer related nausea.

Inhalation of peppermint oil has been shown to be useful in controlling nausea and vomiting. One study showed that peppermint aromatherapy was effective at reducing nausea in 57% of cases. A further study, showed that using an inhaler containing peppermint essential oil at the onset of nausea reduced symptoms within two minutes of treatment in 44% of cases.

A team of researchers from Iran tested both spearmint and peppermint essential oils in cancer patients, all of whom were suffering from nausea and vomiting as a result of their chemotherapy. The research team divided the patients into three groups: group one received spearmint essential oil treatment, group two received peppermint essential oil treatment, and group three acted as a control by continuing with their usual treatment for nausea.

The researchers asked everyone to record the number of times they vomited and the severity of their nausea throughout a 20-hour period when they underwent chemo treatments. The patients were also asked to record any negative side effects. The research team discovered that both the spearmint and the peppermint triggered a significant drop in the intensity of the patients’ nausea post-chemo, as well as reduced episodes of vomiting.

Another study reported in the 'Journal of Advanced Nursing' found that peppermint oil relieved postoperative nausea, enabling the administration of more pain relief medication.

Clinical studies have also shown the benefits of applying peppermint oil topically, for alleviating headaches, which can be a frustrating side effect of nausea.

You can find out more about the benefits of mint for nausea relief in our article: Nausea Remedies - Mint and the benefits of aromatherapy for nausea relief in out article: Nausea Remedies - Aromatherapy.

Some people use Peppermint Essential Oil as a remedy for hair loss.

This may be because the menthol in peppermint essential oil is a vasodilator, and vasodilators improve blood flow.

In many instances (such as in female or male pattern baldness), hair loss occurs due to starved blood flow to hair follicles. Increasing circulation with a vasodilator like peppermint could potentially improve hair growth and prevent some hair loss.

Peppermint menthol also imparts a freshened smell and tingly sensation on the skin and scalp.