Plant With Purpose: Peppermint (Mentha x piperita) 薄荷 (Bòhé)
- Jun 13, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Jul 31
When the day leaves us feeling tired, scattered, or heavy, sometimes we simply need something that feels fresh and invigorating. For many centuries, peppermint (Mentha x piperita) is appreciated for its fresh fragrance and taste. It is commonly grown as a culinary herb, and its leaves may be used in desserts, as a garnish, or in herbal infusions.
Common Name: Peppermint
Scientific Name: Mentha x piperita
Botanical Family: Lamiaceae (Labiatae)
Parts Used: Leaves
Uses:
Indigestion
Tension headache
Relaxes colon
Reduces stomach pain, bloating, gas, and bowel movements in people with IBS
Peppermint essential oil can help improve circulation to the areas of application. It produces a cooling, numbing sensation on the skin at low concentrations. Peppermint is useful for local application for pain relief.
Chemical Families: Monoterpenes, Monoterpenols, Ketones, Esters, Oxides
Extraction Method: Steam Distilled
Note: Middle-Top
Peppermint Essential Oil Highlights
Peppermint essential oil has a very strong, fresh menthol aroma.
The cooling effect of Peppermint helps contract and tighten the tissues. It is also known for its ability to increase circulation to the areas of application to ease pain.
Peppermint essential oil is a good digestive. It is commonly used for counteracting nausea.
Clears the mind and breath
Safety: May cause skin or mucous membrane irritation. Do not apply near the face of infants or children. Avoid using peppermint essential oil in cases of cardiac fibrillation.
Peppermint essential oil blends well with herbal oils, especially Thyme, Lavender, Rosemary, and Geranium, as well as citrus oils such as Lemon.
Here are just some of the many ways you can use your Peppermint essential oil:
Relief congestion - Boil a bowl of water. Add peppermint oil to the hot water and breathe in the steam. You can also put a few drops of peppermint oil in an inhaler to help with respiratory congestion.
Use for digestive support - Make a cool compress for upset stomach, gas, bloat, colic, trapped gas, nausea, and vomiting.
Headaches, pain relief - blend peppermint oil with a carrier oil and apply topically.
Put a few drops in your home diffuser, car diffuser, essential oil necklace, or bracelet: peppermint oil is energizing and stimulating.
Peppermint essential oil is an active ingredient in these azendea products:
Recharge Roller 
Tension Relief Roller 
Tired Feet Foot Soak Recipe
Traditional Chinese Medicine Profile
Meridians: Large Intestine, Liver, Stomach
Channels: Lung, Liver
Properties: Spicy, Cooling
Functions:
Dispel Wind-Heat
Clearing of the Head and Eyes
Dispersing Stagnation of the Liver and Relieving Depression
Benefits/Uses (in combination with other herbs):
Cooling for internal heat in the upper body and fever relief (combined with
Headache Relief and Sore
Relieves skin itch
Menstruation blood stagnation
Depression Relief
Often blends with: 銀花 (Yin Hua Lonicera japonica Thunb)、連翹 (Lian Qiao Forsythia suspensa), 麥冬 (Mai Dong Ophiopogon japonicus)
Caution:
Not suitable for a yang-deficient body type who already sweats a lot and is weaker in qi
If you are on Low blood pressure medication, use with caution as peppermint has the effect of lowering blood pressure as well
Some medications are changed and broken down by the liver. Peppermint oil and leaf might decrease how quickly the liver breaks down some medications
If you are on antacids, some peppermint oil products are covered with a special coating. Antacids are used to decrease stomach acid. Low stomach acid can cause the coating of these peppermint oil products to dissolve too quickly. When peppermint oil products dissolve too quickly, they can sometimes cause heartburn and nausea.
-------------------------------------
References:
Worwood, V. (1991) The Complete Book of Essential Oils & Aromatherapy
Black and Butje, Aromahead Institute (2015) Essential Oil Data Sheet
Tisserand, R. and Young, R. (2014) Essential Oil Safety 2nd Edition. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Johnson, R., Foster, S., Low Dog, T. M.D., Kiefer, D., M.D. (2010) Guide to Medicinal Herbs
Comments