Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil for Skin

I have very large vegetable gardens and spend a lot of time growing our own food. One plant I'm very careful with is Peppermint - why? Because it grows like a weed! It expands and puts out underground runners and will take over your garden if you're not careful.

But I continue to grow it because we love it so much! We regularly use it in foods or to make our own peppermint tea. But we even just sit outside and eat the leaves as a snack. It's especially good if you have an upset stomach. It's even one of the first foods in the garden that I teach my grandchildren to eat.

And peppermint essential oil is a wonderful addition to many different goat milk products.

"I love the smell of the Lavender Peppermint soap. Goat Milk Stuff soaps smell good from the first use until they’re gone. Thank you for making great products." - Cathy H.

How is Peppermint Essential Oil Created?

Peppermint is a widely known herb with a recognizable scent that puts out a pretty purple flower. It is a cross between watermint and spearmint and is very prolific under the right conditions - which is good because it takes a lot of peppermint to create peppermint essential oil.

The ideal growing conditions for peppermint are warm/hot days followed by cool nights. But we grow it well in Indiana for our personal use even without the cool nights.

We use peppermint essential oil from plants that are grown in the USA. The farmers aim for 10% of the peppermint crop to be in the flowering stage. This should produce not only the optimum essential oil yield, but also the highest quality.

Peppermint is harvested much like hay. On a dry sunny day, the plants are mown down and left to wilt and dry in the sun for a bit. They can not be left too long because they can't dry out completely or start to ferment.

The peppermint is then sliced and transported to a distillation vats. The leaves and flowering stems are put through a steam distillation process to extract the essential oil from the plant.

Steam distillation combines gentle pressure and steam to the plant parts which causes the volatile peppermint oils to be released from the plant.

What are the Benefits of Peppermint Essential Oil?

Peppermint essential oil provides many benefits such as...

Benefit #1. Peppermint essential oil can help relieve stress.

While peppermint is an uplifting scent, it can also relax you and help you fight anxiety. And because it stimulates, it can help you clear your mind and focus better, which always relieves stress.

"I love the Peppermint Luffa soap. It is the perfect soap for keeping my feet in great condition." - Dorothy P.

Benefit #2. Peppermint essential oil can help relieve headaches.

There is now scientific evidence that peppermint essential oil applied topically can help reduce headaches. According to PubMed:

Tension-type headache is the most frequent form of headache. The local topical treatment with peppermint oil (oleum menthae piperitae) has proven to be significantly more effective than placebo in controlled studies. Peppermint oil targets headache pathophysiology in multiple ways. The efficacy is comparable to that of acetylsalicylic acid [aspirin] or paracetamol [acetaminophen].

Benefit #3. Peppermint essential oil can improve circulation and reduce inflammation.

Peppermint oil has been shown to help increase blood circulation. Apparently, when your nose smells the peppermint, it can increase your pulse rate which aids in blood circulation. This makes it a good choice for people with diabetes where circulation can be a problem. It may also be one more tool to help with arthritis.

Benefit #4. Peppermint essential oil has antiseptic properties and can help fight bacteria.

We live in a world where more and more bacteria are becoming antibiotic resistant. Finding natural ingredients that can help fight bacteria is essential. A published study added peppermint essential oil to wound dressings and found that dressings with peppermint essential oil added "exhibited inhibition against Staphylococcus aureus (gram-positive) and Escherichia coli (gram-negative) bacteria." This is phenomenal proof of what natural healers have believed for centuries.

This is one of the main reasons we added peppermint essential oil to our natural tooth powder. In fact, the conclusion of a separate published study is: "Peppermint, tea tree and thyme oil can act as an effective intracanal antiseptic solution against oral pathogens." 

Benefit #5. Peppermint essential oil can help promote hair growth.

According to another published study, showed that peppermint essential oil was more effective than minoxidil (Rogaine) at improving hair growth. The title of the study - "Peppermint Oil Promotes Hair Growth without Toxic Signs" says it all!

Benefit #5. Peppermint essential oil simply smells good.

Who doesn't love the smell of peppermint? It can help wake you up in the morning and help clear out your sinuses. But the bottom line is that peppermint essential oil gives us all these amazing benefits in a scent that we can enjoy.

What Goat Milk Products Contain Peppermint Essential Oil?

Because of the many benefits of peppermint essential oils, it is added to a number of our products.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Peppermint Goat Milk Soap. We always recommend our Peppermint Goat Milk Soap to our diabetic customers. Poor circulation can be a big danger for those who struggle with diabetes. Peppermint goat milk soap is just one more tool in the diabetic's tool belt to help promote good circulation.

"I found the Peppermint to be both moisturizing and refreshing! Definitely one of my favorites." - Sharon P.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Lavender Peppermint Goat Milk Soap. Combining lavender and peppermint essential oils make the Lavender Peppermint Goat Milk Soap an incredible option if you're struggling with stress. The aromatherapy benefits to this soap are numerous.

"Such a wonderful combination! The cooling hint of mint with the soothing scent of lavender is a pleasant way to start the day!" - Adele W.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Rosemary Mint Goat Milk Soap, Deodorant, Milk Bath, and Liquid Soap. Our rosemary mint scent is a powerful blend of rosemary, peppermint, and spearmint essential oils. Many people find the spearmint scent to be what they mostly smell, but all of the benefits of peppermint essential oil are found in the Rosemary Mint Goat Milk Soap, Rosemary Mint Milk Bath, Rosemary Mint Liquid Soap, and Rosemary Mint Deodorant. The antiseptic properties of peppermint can really help fight body odor when used in the deodorant.

"I absolutely love this deodorant! I’m very particular about using products that are non toxic and safe for my body, so I have tried several safer deodorants and all have stopped working at some point or I needed reapplication. This has worked tremendously well so far and I’ve not once needed to reapply during the day! I love it!" - Mandy R.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar. Peppermint essential oil is a key ingredient in our Rosemary Mint Shampoo Bar. As we mentioned earlier, peppermint essential oil can help promote hair growth. Plus, the antiseptic properties of the peppermint oil may help with dandruff or psoriasis, and the increased circulation may further support healthy hair.

"I have dry skin which has caused my scalp and fine hair to react to the chemicals in shampoos. Your Rosemary Mint bar shampoo is gentle yet leaves my hair pleasantly clean and soft. I do not need a conditioner…the bar shampoo is nurturing enough on its own. I wish I would have tried it years ago!" - Deborah K.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Peppermint Luffa. We also make an energizing Peppermint Luffa. It is wonderful for tired or achy feet. I personally use it on my face to aid in the removal of dead skin cells and to help improve the circulation in my facial skin. The luffa is also great to use on any skin that needs extra exfoliating.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Peppermint Lip Balm. Your lips are exposed to lots of irritants like sun, wind, and hot/cold foods. Keeping them hydrated and healthy is important. The Peppermint Lip Balm can help improve the circulation in your lips and aid in the prevention of chapped lips. And because your lips are so close to your nose, inhaling the peppermint smell can help lift your mood.

"The peppermint lip balm is absolutely wonderful! The texture is smooth and very easy to apply, it glides on my lips easily. The peppermint scent is lively and refreshing. I will definitely buy the peppermint lip balm again! A must staple to have winter or summer." - Karen S.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Tooth Powder. We include peppermint essential oil as an important ingredient in our Natural Tooth Powder. The antiseptic properties can fight bacteria in your mouth. This can help relieve bad breath and improve gum health.

"I really like the tooth powder. It definitely has everything I want in a tooth cleaner. The mint taste it leaves is pure and just right without leaving my mouth burning like most commercial toothpastes do and I love knowing I'm getting no chemicals absorbed into my body!" - Julie D.

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Arnica Salve. The Arnica Salve uses the power of arnica flowers plus a powerful blend of essential oils to help relieve muscle aches. As a farm family, we work hard and play hard and this often results in sore muscles. The arnica salve is our go-to relieve for muscle aches and pains. 

Peppermint essential oil is added to the Peppermint Lotion. The Peppermint Goat Milk Lotion is wonderful for a variety of reason. We especially recommend it for using on your feet - particularly if you are diabetic. But applying it to your temples can also help to fight tension headaches.

Is Peppermint Essential Oil Safe to Ingest?

We don't recommend ingesting peppermint essential oil directly without diluting it, but we eat peppermint leaves out of our garden regularly. They are easily digestible and good for nausea and upset tummies.

Taking some with you on car trips can provide those with motion sickness something to chew on. Peppermint has been shown to be a good source of potassium, calcium, iron, manganese and magnesium, so you're getting a good dose of healthy nutrition from it as well.

Is Peppermint Essential Oil Safe to Use on Your Skin?

Essential oils are very strong and should never be ingested or used undiluted on your skin. We are very careful with your goat milk soap to use an amount that is beneficial, but safe for your skin.

Allergic reactions to peppermint essential oil are rare but can occur, as can heartburn (if ingesting) and headaches. If you are concerned, check with your doctor and test on a small patch of skin first before using.

"Refreshing Rosemary Mint! This goat milk bar generates great lather and has a refreshing scent! Invigorating!" - R. S.

At Goat Milk Stuff, our purpose is to bring you joy through the goodness of goat milk. We know that healthy skin is happy skin and we want to enable you to find the joy that healthy skin can bring. Goat milk soap is great for keeping your skin healthy and happy and peppermint essential oil adds to those wonderful qualities. 

We hope the benefits of peppermint essential oil make a huge difference for your skin!

PJ & Crew