The name peppermint is derived from the species name piperita, meaning “peppery.” You’ve likely experienced the heat of peppermint yourself when you chewed a stick of gum or ate a candy cane.

In This Healthy Insight:

1. What is peppermint? (Mentha piperita)
2. What are the health benefits of peppermint?
3. What’s in peppermint?
4. What are the benefits of peppermint essential oil?
5. What essential oils blend well with peppermint?
6. Diffuser recipes using peppermint essential oil
7. How do I take peppermint?

What is peppermint? (Mentha piperita)

Peppermint is a cross between watermint (Mentha aquatica) and spearmint (Mentha spicata). Although native to Europe, the plant now grows in many areas around the world. Other names for peppermint include red gum, Eucalyptus amygdalina, eucalyptus, eucalypt, eucalyptus tree.

What are the health benefits of peppermint?

Grandma probably kept hard peppermint candies in her purse to soothe tummies.  Digestion is one of the main reasons people use peppermint, either in a candy or tea. Herbalists also treasure it for chest rubs, skin irritation and concentration, but you’re probably most familiar with it for fresh breath and oral hygiene.

What’s in peppermint?

The active constituents in peppermint oil include menthol, menthone, methyl salicylate, cineol, and other volatile oils.

What are the benefits of peppermint essential oil?

If you’re looking to lift your mood and feel refreshed, peppermint essential oil may just do the trick. It’s one of the top choices for diffusing in the home. Not only does it make your house smell minty fresh, it also invigorates your mind, helps you gain clarity and eases tension. What’s not to like about that?

What essential oils blend well with peppermint?

With its crisp, sweet aroma, peppermint livens up the day. When you want to jazz it up even more, for a change of pace, try mixing it with one of these other essential oils: grapefruit, pine, eucalyptus, rosemary, basil, geranium, lemon, lavender, tea tree, orange, spearmint, frankincense, and vanilla.

The best carrier oil to mix with peppermint oil is almond or jojoba in a 3 percent dilution. For example 20 drops of peppermint oil per 6 teaspoons of carrier oil. Do not put peppermint oil or any other essential oil directly on your skin, and even when combined with a carrier, always do a skin test first.

Diffuser recipes using peppermint essential oil