Peppermint Essential Oil for Immunity….and 7 Other Uses

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I bet you didn’t know peppermint could be used like that!!!

Peppermint is one of my absolute favorite oils. It is one of the most well-known essential oils and is so versatile. I have a bottle in every room, in my car, in my purse and at work. If you are new to essential oils, peppermint is definitely a good one to start with.

***Words of Caution***

Anytime essential oils are used on children, dilute the number of drops by ½.
Do NOT use any essential oils directly on open skin or wounds.
Do NOT place essential oils in ears, eyes or any other sensitive personal areas.
When using essential oils for the first time, it is wise to dilute them with a carrier oil (Here’s one of my favorite carrier oil).
Citrus oils such as lemon, lime, orange and bergamot are photosensitive and make your skin sensitive to the sun and can burn easily. If you use citrus oils on your skin, stay out of the sun for at least 24 hours.
The oils that I reference are Young Living brand. They are 100% pure and 100% free of pesticides and chemicals. Young Living has a specific Vitality line of oils that can be ingested. I do NOT recommend taking any other brand of essential oils internally.
Never mix essential oils in plastic or Styrofoam. Always use glass or ceramic.

Stuffy Nose or Sinus Headache

If I ever wake up with a stuffy nose or sinus headache, I place 2-3 drops in the palm of my hand and mix the oil clockwise between my palms. First, I massage the peppermint into my chest and neck area. Second, I carefully massage the temples of my head using extreme care not to touch or get too close to my eyes. Next, I move to my scalp and massage any remaining oil into my hair and scalp. I will usually lie down for 5 mins and take deep inhales to breath in the peppermint methylation. This was one of the oils that made my husband a believer. He woke up one morning and had a throbbing headache. I performed the above protocol on him and within 10 mins, he felt like heading to work.

Fresh Laundry

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I forget my laundry in the dryer for a few days. Opps!! If this ever happens, I place 8-10 drops on a dryer ball, pop it in with the laundry and run the dryer for 10 mins. The laundry smells so fresh!

Keep Spiders and Other Bugs Away

Peppermint is a natural insecticide that kills and repels mosquitos, roaches and spiders. I use two methods for this. First, I place 2-3 drops on a cotton ball and place them strategically throughout the house. I place them in the windows, in my cabinets, under the beds and night stands, and anywhere you may find a bug. Second, I create a cleaning solution made of ½ water and ½ vinegar and approximately 10-15 drops of peppermint. I use this solution to clean surfaces around my house. Pro Tip: Add 5-8 drops of lemon essential oil for furniture polish. Everything smells fresh and clean and the bugs stay away!! Naturally!! No chemicals or poisons.

Quick Pick Me Up

Have you ever hit that 3pm slump in your day? When you feel like you hit a brick wall and need a nap before life can go on? This is the reason I keep peppermint oil at work. Just place one drop in the palm of your hand and rub together. Cup your hands over your nose and mouth and breath in. You will feel instantly more awake. This technique is also great on those long drives when you need to wake up quickly…without the caffeine spike. I will stress it again here….take cation to keep the peppermint oil away from your eyes! If you have a diffuser you can also place 2-3 drops of peppermint oil into the diffuser to create an uplifting ambiance in any room or office. Here is one of my favorite diffusersever! I add peppermint to my diffuser when I need my mind to be focused and energized.

Soothe Away Achy Muscles

After a long day of sitting at a computer, my neck muscles will be tired. I place 2 drops of peppermint in the palm of your hand, then add 10-15 drops of any carrier oil. Rub together, then gently massage the back of your neck and shoulders best you can. The peppermint oil will help those tight muscles to relax. This works even better if you sit comfortably in a chair and have your partner massage the back and neck areas for you.

Internal Uses

****Words of Caution****

I mentioned this earlier but it is extremely important and worth mentioning again here.

The oils that I speak about here are Young Living brand. They are 100% pure and 100% free of pesticides and chemicals. Young Living has a specific Vitality Line of oils that can be ingested. I do NOT recommend taking any other brand of essential oils internally.

Ease an Upset Stomach

To ease an upset stomach, massage 2-3 drops over your belly. Massage in a clockwise direction for gas, bloat or constipation. Massage in a counter clockwise direction for diarrhea. The esophagus area can also be included. Massage 1-2 drops in a downward motion over the area of the throat, esophagus and chest. An even more powerful combination to settle those stomach acids is to place 3 drops of Peppermint Vitality essential oil and 4 drops of Digize in a gelatin capsule and ingest each morning. Digize is a Young Living specific blend of several oils including Tarragon, Ginger, Peppermint, Juniper, Lemongrass, Anise, Fennel and Patchouli essential oils and is amazing for helping to resolve any digestive type issues you may be dealing with. My husband has been able to discontinue the use of those chalky tablets and the purple pill using this blend. He takes it first thing in the mornings, every other day, but that’s just what works for him. All of our bodies are different.

Peppermint Brownies!!!!

Yall…this is one of my favorite recipes to make if I have friends or family coming over. They make the house smell amazing and they are always a hit with my guests. Essential oils are VERY concentrated. When cooking with essential oils, I recommend always starting with just one drop. Do a taste test and add accordingly. You can always add more, but you can’t take away. Check out one of my favorite recipes here.

Freshen Breath

For a quick on the go breath freshener, place a drop of peppermint vitality directly under your tongue or place one drop in your water. Make sure your container is glass or ceramic.

Bonus Application: In addition to the uses listed above, peppermint can be placed on the Reflexology points of the feet. Reflexology is based on a theory certain points on the feet and hands are connected to certain organs and body systems.

For example, for sinus issues, massage 1-2 drops of peppermint in the dark pink areas of the toes labeled “sinuses”. To soothe stomach issues, massage 1-2 drops of peppermint into the lime green areas of each foot labeled “stomach”. You could also include the esophagus, descending and ascending colon areas and small intestines depending on the specific issues you are dealing with.