Peppermint Essential Oil

Latin (Botanical) Name:  Mentha piperita

Plant Family:   Lamiaceae

Common Extraction Method:  Steam distillation

Typically Used Plant Part:   Flower / Leaf

Color:  Clear close to yellow

Aromatic Characteristic:  Intense mint flavor

 

Mentha piperita (Peppermint), or mint, as it is commonly known, is a perennial herb native to the Mediterranean, but has also been grown in the USA, Italy, England, and Japan. It is known for its serrated leaves and cone-shaped flowers that range in color from light pink to mauve. Peppermint is one of hundreds of species belonging to the mint plant family.

Historical sources prove that peppermint has been used in culinary and herbal medicine since 1500 BC. Dried peppermint leaves have been found inside pyramids in ancient Egypt. Peppermint has been used in Chinese and Japanese folk medicine practices. In Greek mythology, peppermint is also mentioned in the story of the nymph "Mentha", which is transformed into a plant that emits a strong, lasting aroma every time it is touched.

Peppermint was first cultivated for medicinal use in 18th century England. The famous English biologist John Ray stumbled upon a sweet but pungent plant, peppermint, in his garden by chance. Afterwards, today's peppermint began to be grown by trial and error production.

Peppermint essential oil has been named one of the world's most versatile oils, sharing the same title with lavender. It is used dermally as well as for its anti-microbial properties. There are numerous health problems for which it is beneficial; that support the body, mind and general health.

It offers many benefits thanks to the active ingredients it contains.

      KEY COMPONENTS / ACTIVE INGREDIENTS

• Menthol
• Menthone
• Iso menthone
• Pulegone + Iso menthol
• Piperitone
• beta-Caryophyllene
• alpha-Terpineol

 

      BENEFITS

• Pain relief:

 

• It shows antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal characteristics [7] [8] [9]:

In recent years, multidrug resistance has developed due to the indiscriminate use of available antimicrobial drugs in the treatment of infectious diseases. In addition, antibiotics are sometimes associated with side effects. Therefore, there is a need to utilize other sources such as plants for the treatment of infectious diseases. It has been observed that peppermint oil has antimicrobial, antibacterial and antifungal characteristics in studies.

 

• It helps attention:

Studies in humans show that inhaling peppermint oil aroma helps improve attention [10] [11].

 

• It helps eliminate bad breath and freshen the breath:

Medicinal peppermint oil has a cooling effect thanks to the menthol it contains. With this effect and its antimicrobial characteristic, it helps to eliminate bad breath and freshen the breath [12] [13].

      WARNINGS

• IT IS AN ESSENTIAL OIL, DIRECT APPLICATION MAY CAUSE SKIN IRRITATION. Always dilute essential oils in a carrier oil before applying topically. You can do a patch test before using the oil if you want to make sure it doesn't irritate your skin.
• FOR EXTERNAL USE, NON-DRINKABLE.
• Avoid contact with eyes, in case of contact rinse with plenty of water.
• Do not use the product if you have a known allergy to any of its ingredients.
• It is recommended that children, pregnant or breastfeeding women, people using medication should consult their doctor before using peppermint oil.

      ACADEMIC STUDIES

[1] Zaia MG, Cagnazzo T, Feitosa KA, et al. Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Menthol and Menthone in Schistosoma mansoni Infection. Frontiers in pharmacology. 2016;7:170.

[2] Juergens UR, Stober M, Vetter H. The anti-inflammatory activity of L-menthol compared to mint oil in human monocytes in vitro: a novel perspective for its therapeutic use in inflammatory diseases.  European journal of medical research. 1998 ;3 (12):539–45.

[3] N. Alammar, L. Wang, B. Saberi, J. Nanavati, G. Holtmann, R. T. Shinohara, G. E. Mullin (2019). The impact of peppermint oil on the irritable bowel syndrome: a meta-analysis of the pooled clinical data. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2019; 19: 21.

[4] B. P. Chumpitazi, G. Kearns, R. J. Shulman (2018). Review article: The physiologic effects and safety of Peppermint Oil and its efficacy in irritable bowel syndrome and other functional disorders. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2018 Mar; 47(6): 738–752.

[5] A. B. Haghighi, S. Motazedian, R. Rezaii, F. Mohammadi, L. Salarian, M. Pourmokhtari, S. Khodaei, M. Vossoughi, R. Miri (2010). Cutaneous application of menthol 10% solution as an abortive treatment of migraine without aura: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossed-over study. Int J Clin Pract. 2010 Mar;64(4):451-6.

[6] A. St. Cyr, A. Chen, K. C. Bradley, H. Yuan, S. D. Silberstein, W. B. Young (2015). Efficacy and Tolerability of STOPAIN for a Migraine Attack. Front Neurol. 2015; 6: 11.

[7] Husain FM, Ahmad I, Khan MS, et al. Sub-MICs of Mentha piperita essential oil and menthol inhibits AHL mediated quorum sensing and biofilm of Gram-negative bacteria. Front Microbiol. 2015;6:420.

[8] Hossain F, Follett P, Dang Vu K, et al. Evidence for synergistic activity of plant-derived essential oils against fungal pathogens of food. Food Microbiol. 2016;53(Pt B):24–30. 

[9] S. Saeed, A. Naim, P. Tariq (2006). In Vitro Antibacterial Activity of Peppermint. Pak. J. Bot., 38(3): 869-872, 2006.

[10] Moss M, Hewitt S, Moss L, et al. Modulation of cognitive performance and mood by aromas of peppermint and ylang-ylang. Int J Neurosci. 2008;118(1):59–77.

[11] Ilmberger J, Heuberger E, Mahrhofer C, et al. The influence of essential oils on human attention. I: alertness. Chem Senses. 2001;26(3):239–45.

[12] R. Haghgoo, F. Abbasi (2018). Evaluation of the use of a peppermint mouth rinse for halitosis by girls studying in Tehran high schools. Journal of International Society of Preventive and Community Dentistry January-June 2013, Vol. 3, No. 1.

[13] D. Dobler, F. Runkel, T. Schmidts (2020).  Effect of essential oils on oral halitosis treatment: a review. Oral Sciences, Volume128, Issue6, December 2020, Pages 476-486