Common Uses of Peppermint Oil

Peppermint oil can be used for a wide variety of ailments. This aromatic herb most commonly used to create candy is also an essential oil located near the top of the alternative medicine list in terms of use. Peppermint oil is routinely used to treat everything from headaches to skin conditions.

Headaches

• Peppermint oil is used as a treatment for tension headaches more than for migraine headaches. To use peppermint oil to treat headaches, mix 1 drop peppermint oil into 9 drops of a massage oil. Dip your fingers into the mixture and lightly massage your temples, across the hairline, and at the back of the skull. It is important to wash your hands after use, because accidentally touching your eye can result in a painful experience.

Insect Bites

• Make a soothing gel to apply to insect bites by adding 20 drops of peppermint oil gel into an anti-inflammatory cream made of calendula, chamomile or plaintain cream. The addition of peppermint gel has the effect of making the gel stronger than the cream alone. Apply it directly onto the area affected by the insect bite.

Menopausal Hot Flashes

• Peppermint oil has long been used to treat hot flashes associated with menopause. The best way to use peppermint oil for this purpose is to mix in a spritzer bottle 1 oz. of water, 1/4 oz. of an odorless alcohol like vodka, and 10 to 15 drops of peppermint oil, and shake the contents. Whenever a hot flash comes on, spritz the mixture over your body. This will almost immediately begin to cool you down.

Shingles

• Provided your case of the shingles does not involve open sores, peppermint oil can be used to relieve pain. The menthol in the peppermint oil actually has the ability to obstruct the pain signals sent from the nerves to the brain. Mix 10 drops of peppermint oil into 30 drops of massage oil and rub the mixture into your skin where the shingles are creating the most pain. Remember not to apply this to an open sore, as it will create more pain rather than relieve it.