Peppermint Oil 101

Each essential oil has different applications and understanding what works in different situations means you can benefit more from their amazing healing properties. Today we are going to look at the applications of peppermint, as you may be surprised to learn of its uses. 

Winter Creepy Crawlies 

If you dread this time of year because you will have unwanted eight-legged friends in your home, then you could find peppermint oil can help. Being scared of spiders is a very common phobia, but there is nothing funny about it. Any phobia can be crippling, and fear is very genuine so taking steps to help yourself is a great idea. If you pop six drops of peppermint oil into a spray bottle and fill it with water, you can use the mixture to spray around window and door frames, and any obvious gaps in the skirting. You can pop some neat drops in areas that are not accessible to your children and pets but be sure that no one can touch it, and take care not to touch it yourself. Neat oils should never be ingested, and while considered safe when diluted around your pets it would be sensible to make sure they are not going to lick the spray up. 

Struggling to Concentrate?

While problems with concentration are not limited to winter, this is a bad time of year for many people. The cold and damp aggravates conditions like arthritis and depression, and people can feel really out of sorts. This, of course, doesn’t help when you want to get things done if you find concentrating hard. Peppermint could once again be your saviour here, pop a couple of drops onto a tissue or use the oil in your diffuser and you will find that your focus will improve and you will likely feel your mood improve too. This is a very uplifting oil so really helps with happy hormones and also battles the fatigue many people feel when the weather is not as good as we would like. 

Headaches

If you suffer from headaches, you might be able to speed up their departure with peppermint oil. The best way would either to be to apply to the tissue or diffuser again, or mix with a carrier oil and gently massage the mixture into the temple and forehead. It is a cooling oil so will feel nice on the skin as well as working to break a headache for you. Be careful not to get it in your eyes at it can be rather stingy. In this case, flush well with water and do not be tempted to rub your eyes as this can make things worse. If you have any concerns after that check with a doctor. 

Peppermint is a really nice oil that has many great uses so one we recommend that you keep in your home first aid kit. Again please remember you should not ingest any essential oils or use them neat as this can be very dangerous.