Peppermint Essential Oil Benefits and Uses

Due to the various peppermint essential oil benefits and uses it makes it one of the most popular essential oils on the market today and has a minty, fresh, and sweet aroma that produces a tingly, cool feeling to the touch. It is used in many products such as toothpaste, mouthwash, gum, candy, soap, and cosmetics. The peppermint plant is a hybrid between spearmint and water mint plants.

Peppermint essential oil should be listed with the botanical name mentha x piperita. The botanical family is lamiaceae (labiatae). Peppermint essential oil has a lower cost compared to other essential oils. Prices range from $10-28 for 15 ml depending on the brand and if it is organic.

Peppermint essential oil has GRAS (Generally Regarded As Safe for food additive or flavoring by the US Food and Drug Administration) status.* The main constituents are Menthol, Menthone, Menthyl acetate, Neomenthol, and 1,8-Cineole. The fragrance note classification is middle to the middle top and the consistency is thin.

For much more on essential oils, be sure to see my Comprehensive Guide to Essential Oils.

Peppermint Essential Oil Benefits and Uses

Peppermint essential oil is one of the best essential oils to own. One of the peppermint essential oil benefits is it can invigorate the mind and spirit as well as provide a sense of peace and help to clear the mind. Here is a list of the many peppermint essential oil benefits and uses.

Use for cleaning
Add to laundry detergent, wool dryer balls or a cloth in the dryer to lightly scent laundry
Create a room spray to freshen a room
Use to prevent ants from entering the home
Use to repel spiders and bugs, such as mosquitos
Add a drop or two to shampoo or conditioner for a tingly, refreshing scalp massage
Use as a natural mouthwash
Bath oil (dilute properly prior to adding to bath)
Provides a cool sensation that soothes sunburn
Use in lotion to address dry, rough heels
Add to lotion or other skincare products
Make an invigorating salt or sugar scrub
Add to Epsom salt to make a foot soak
Use to make shaving cream
Uplifts and refreshes
Helps with digestion
Use on achy muscles
Use in massage
Helps to soothe, awaken and perk up
Relieves headaches and migraines
Diffuse for a cool vapor
Use to help open nasal passages
Sniff from the bottle or diffuse for a queasy stomach
Use in the car to help with motion sickness
Use on the back of the neck to help relieve tension
Create a spray with witch hazel to help with hot flashes during menopause
Use to help with toothache
Use in a carrier oil for a quick after workout massage for achy, tired muscles
Make a refreshing body spray to use on hot days
Use with a sports massage
Use for relief from itchy skin
Use to reduce inflammation and pain
Use when needing to feel calm
Use to promote self-confidence
Helps to lift feelings of heaviness, grief, or worry
Helps to encourage alertness, focus, and memory
Helps to stimulate creativity
Helps improve circulation
Some will use to flavor food and drinks, such as in smoothies or brownies*
Some will ingest to help with digestion*

Plant Therapy Peppermint Essential Oil

Check the price on Amazon

What Essential Oils Can Peppermint Essential Oil Blend With?

Blending peppermint essential oil with other essential oils may seem difficult at first, but is easier than expected. Try with citrus essential oils for a refreshing and invigorating scent. Or a woodsy essential oil for a fresh, earthy scent.

Using essential oils together allows you to experience new scents as well as enhanced therapeutic benefits. Here is a collective list of essential oils that blend well with and add to the peppermint essential oil benefits and uses from many of the top essential oil companies.

Basil Linalool (Ocimum basilicum)
Bergamot (Citrus bergamia)
Black Pepper (Piper nigrum)
Cedarwood (Juniperus virginiana)
Cyprus (Cupresses sempervirens)
Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus radiata)
Geranium (Pelargonium x asperum or Pelargonium graveolens)
Grapefruit (Citrus x paradisi)
Juniper Berry (Juniperus communis)
Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
Lemon (Citrus x limon)
Lime (Citrus x aurantifolia)
Myrrh (Commiphora myrrha)
Marjoram (Origanum majorana)
Orange (Citrus sinensis)
Oregano (Origanum vulgare)
Palmarosa (Cymbopogon martinii var motia)
Pine (Pinus banksiana)
Ravensara (Ravensara aromatica)
Red Pine (Pinus resinosa)
Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
Sage (Salvia officinalis)
Spearmint (Mentha spicata)
Spruce Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)
Vanilla (Vanilla planifolia)
Wintergreen (Gaultheria procumbens)
Ylang Ylang (Cananga odorata)

Many of the essential oil brands sell blends or synergy products. These are essential oil blends that have been formulated by an aromatherapist who understands how the essential oil constituents impact the body and how the essential oils work together to create a specific scent or impact feelings and emotions or therapeutic benefit. This is one way to increase the benefits of peppermint essential oil uses.

While the exact proportions of the essential oils are not listed in the essential oil blend, they might give you ideas of what you can do on your own. Here are a few examples of blends or synergies that have peppermint essential oil from well-known essential oil brands.

Tension Relief from Plant Therapy
PanAway from Young Living
Clear the Air from NOW
Motivate from doTERRA
Mental Focus or Energize from Aromatics
Good Morning from Eden’s Garden
Migraine Support from Rocky Mountain Oils

Edens Garden Peppermint Essential Oil

Check the price on Amazon

How is Peppermint Essential Oil Made?

To obtain peppermint essential oil, most brands will use steam distillation with the leaves and some will use the whole plant. Most essential oil brands source their peppermint raw material from India, Italy, and the USA.

Since the peppermint plant is easy to grow, harvest, and distill it helps the overall price for this essential oil to stay on the lower side of the price range, this adds to the many peppermint essential oil benefits!

It is possible that an essential oil brand can sell different types of peppermint (mentha x piperita) essential oil, which is usually listed by the country of origin as this causes a slight variation in the chemical constituents and scent.

What is the Shelf Life of Peppermint Essential Oil?

Approximately 3-5 years with proper storage in cool, dark spaces. Older oils can potentially cause sensitization or skin irritation due to oxidation.

Aura Cacia 100% Pure Peppermint Essential Oil

Check the price on Amazon

Can You Use Peppermint Essential Oil on or Around Children?

Within the aromatherapy community, you will see various professional opinions on the use of peppermint essential oil on and around children due to some of the potent constituents, specifically the menthol content. Menthol, the primary constituent, can cause respiratory distress for some children or be neurotoxic when used in high doses, which can happen unintentionally when applied on or near the faces of infants or children.

For this reason, it is generally recommended not to consider peppermint essential oil uses for children, especially young children.

If you are interested in using peppermint essential oil topically on young children, consider using a Peppermint hydrosol. When the peppermint leaves or plant material has been distilled to separate out the essential oil, what is left is aromatic waters known as a hydrosol or hydrolate. These aromatic waters are not as strong as their essential oil counterpart and are gentle on the skin. Often, these hydrosols can be used without dilution and on children and pets.

Some essential oil brands have a list of essential oils that are considered safe for children aged 2-10 years old, peppermint essential oil is not one of them. These companies do not use peppermint essential oil in any of their kid line essential oil blends or synergies. Other brands have information listed for peppermint essential oil such as “Not intended for use on infants.”

Always refer to the specific instructions listed for the essential oil by the brand you are purchasing from. Here is some more information within the industry to help you decide if and when you feel comfortable using peppermint essential oil with your child.

From the Age of Client Section on the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapists:

Infants, toddlers, and young children are more sensitive to the potency of essential oils and safe dilutions generally range from 0.5 – 2.5% depending on the condition. Certain essential oils should either be avoided, used in highly diluted form under the guidance of a knowledgeable professional, or included as a minor percentage in a professionally-formulated essential oil blend. For example, special caution should be exercised with potentially toxic essential oils such as Birch and Wintergreen which are both high in methyl salicylate, Eucalyptus which is high in 1,8 cineole and Peppermint which is high in menthol. Elderly clients may have more skin sensitivities so a reduced concentration/dilution may be indicated.

From Tisserand Institute March 8, 2017

What is the Peppermint Essential Oil Dilution Rate for Topical Application?

Adult: maximum 5-5.4% dilution
3-6 years of age: up to 0.5% dilution
6-15 years of age: general dilution rates recommended at 1.5-3%, especially for children on the younger side of the age range start with the lower dilution rate

What Do I Need to Consider When Using Peppermint Essential Oil?

Some companies produce Peppermint hydrosols, which are great for children, pets, and adults. This product can be used as a refreshing body spray on hot days or during hormonal fluctuations. Or use it as a foot spray to refresh and soothe after a long day. It is also soothing to skin that has been overexposed to the sun. Also, using this instead of distilled water in a DIY recipe is a great way to use the benefits of a peppermint hydrosol.

Avoid peppermint essential oil if you have cardiac fibrillation or G6PD deficiency. Use caution if you use it internally, especially if you have gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) or cholestasis. Some essential oil brands say to avoid it if you have epilepsy or are taking homeopathic remedies.

Do not apply peppermint essential oil on or near the face of an infant or child. Some brands list that peppermint essential oil is not intended for use on infants or children.

Peppermint essential oil can cause possible skin sensitivity. Keep out of reach of children. Do not apply near eyes or on or around mucous membranes.

Now Foods, Essential Oil Peppermint

Check the price on Amazon

Final Thoughts on Peppermint Essential Oil Benefits and Uses

There are so many peppermint essential oil benefits and uses! By exploring a number of them in this article you should be able to start exploring the peppermint essential oil uses in different ways in your daily life.

*Please note, that not all essential oils should be ingested and the specific essential oil brand labels and directions should be followed. Also, there is debate within the industry regarding the ingestion of essential oils without following guidance from a physician or certified aromatherapist.