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Peppermint Oil: An Introduction
Peppermint is one of the most popular scents and flavors in the western world. Why is that, exactly? Because of the candy cane. In 1670, the choirmaster of the cathedral in the German city of Cologne discovered that using peppermint oil as a flavoring agent in sugary snacks was very tasty, and he would give the confections to his young singers to keep them quiet during the Live Nativity. To honor the season and the celebration of the nativity, the choirmaster had the peppermint oil infused candies bent into shepherds' crooks. That is how candy canes and peppermint became associated with the Christmas season.1
Beyond the holidays, peppermint is a fragrance found in soaps, cosmetics, and lip balms. It’s in candy, gum, and tea. But where does peppermint oil come from and what are the effects of peppermint oil?
The peppermint plant is an aromatic herb and a hybrid mint, a cross between water mint and spearmint. Like most hybrids, the peppermint plant is sterile. It reproduces with its ivy-like runners. If you’ve ever grown a runner-spread mint, you know they are voracious reproducers and quick growers that can swiftly overtake a garden. In many areas, wild peppermint is considered an invasive species because of this rapid and unchecked growth.
On the other hand, the speedy growth of this natural resource makes peppermint oil a highly sustainable ingredient. Peppermint occurs naturally in moist areas where its parent species are found, including places like stream sides or drainage ditches, throughout Europe and North America.
The main chemical components of peppermint oil from the leaves of the peppermint plant are menthol and menthone, both of which create a cooling effect when ingested in peppermint oil capsules, inhaled as peppermint oil vapor, or applied topically to the skin in a base like lotion or cream.2
There’s been little research on the use of peppermint oil in folk remedies and alternative medicine, but peppermint essential oil has been used for centuries for a long list of reasons. Let’s take a look at just some of the many peppermint oil uses.
PEPPERMINT TEA
When I had a stomach aches as a child, my Portuguese grandmother would go out to her garden and return with fistfuls of peppermint leaves which she would steep in hot water to create an ersatz tea. It worked for me back then, in my anecdotal experience.
Just as making peppermint tea from peppermint leaves may help provide comfort, people use peppermint oil in various ways for digestive health and wellness.3,4 Peppermint oil capsules are popular for those looking to take advantage of the benefits of peppermint oil.
TOPICAL PEPPERMINT
There has been considerable scientific study of peppermint oil applied to the skin, hair, and scalp, including a 2012 study examined the effect of applying peppermint oil on the skin.5,6,7 Some practitioners of essential oil healing claim that using peppermint essential oil in a scalp massage may help address specific scalp problems.
But that’s not why Cornbread Hemp chose to use peppermint oil to our USDA organic CBD Balm. We added this popular essential oil to our formula to take advantage of some of the other effects of peppermint oil. And to be clear, we only use peppermint oil in our topical CBD cream, not our CBD + THC gummies or our full spectrum CBD pills.
COOLING DOWN WITH PEPPERMINT OIL
Peppermint oil is considered a “hot” essential oil. This means it produces a hot sensation on the skin when it is applied in its undiluted form. But you know from eating a peppermint candy or even sipping a peppermint mocha from a coffee shop that the sensation you experience is actually a "cooling" one. This is because the peppermint extract is diluted in both of those cases. In order to achieve that cooling feeling instead of a hot one, it’s important to mix peppermint oil with a carrier oil in a 1:4 ratio.9
As a homemade wellness remedy, simply add a couple drops of peppermint essential oil into aloe lotion to give that cooling sensation to the skin. Peppermint oil also makes a great addition to massage oils. Or, you can add peppermint essential oil to your shower or bath.
In the hot, muggy days of summer, nothing feels better than a damp, cold washcloth sprinkled with peppermint oil on the back of your neck to feel fresh and cool.
PEPPERMINT COMFORT
Remember that peppermint oil is a “hot” oil and can produce discomfort if applied directly to skin in its undiluted form. But diffused in a carrier oil, like MCT coconut oil, peppermint essential oils may help provide relief from discomfort when applied topically.
Tired feet? Whether you’ve spent all day on your feet at work or just come back from a long run around the neighborhood, give your feet a good long soak in a basin of cool water and add a couple drops of peppermint oil to provide some comfort to your barking dogs.
Sore after a workout? Add two drops of peppermint oil to a teaspoon of your favorite base oil and use it as a massage oil, using peppermint oil may help soothe muscle tension.7 Even just the smell of peppermint can be comforting. Peppermint oil aromatherapy utilizes a peppermint oil mixture of calming essential oils in a diffuser blend to help people relax. Peppermint oil may also be placed on a cotton ball and hidden in a corner somewhere for a little vibrant aromatherapy boost in your home.
CORNBREAD HEMP'S CBD BALM
Peppermint oil is wildly popular as a flavoring and as a scent, and there are a number of uses of peppermint oil for providing comfort. That’s why the folks at Cornbread Hemp put this popular essential oil in their organic CBD Balm! Along with organic Whole Flower hemp extract, jojoba oil, organic arnica oil, and other essential oils, the Cornbread Hemp CBD balm provides comfort to joints and muscles.
Cornbread Hemp’s USDA organic 500mg CBD Balm comes in an easy-to-apply, mess-free stick and provides a cooling feel to the areas of the skin where it’s applied. Not many people have negative side effects from peppermint menthol, but if you frequently experience skin sensitivity, it's always better to spot test it!
WHY CHOOSE CORNBREAD HEMP
Cornbread Hemp strives to produce the best in high quality products made from organic hemp flowers. We do this by choosing the best option in every step of the CBD oil making process, from seed to shelf. That also includes choosing the best organic essential oils for our CBD balm!
Due to the lack of FDA regulation, there are no requirements for CBD manufacturers to adhere to any standard during the process. The only certification a CBD oil with THC may acquire from the federal government to prove that every step of the manufacturing process is clean and safe for human consumption, is the USDA organic seal. Organic products are grown with non GMO seeds and cultivated with organic practices without the use of chemical pesticides and fertilizers. We partner with organic Kentucky farms to ensure the safest material for our CBD products.
We work with our farmers to cultivate the best strains of organically grown hemp. Only the flowers from the hemp plant are used for our organic sugarcane ethanol extraction. Stems and leaves don't have much CBD content, so we leave them out to get the highest potency possible.
Our CBD Balm is made with the first-pass extract from our flagship organic hemp flower extract in an organic shea butter base with organic peppermint oil, organic arnica oil, and other essential oils. We make our products in small batches for optimum quality control.
Authenticity and safety is important when it comes to CBD! Every Cornbread Hemp product has a CannVerify hologram to prove it isn't counterfeit. And a QR code on each product's packaging allows easy access to third-party lab results for safety and potency. We only use high quality full spectrum hemp extract for our CBD products to provide the maximum potential through the entourage effect.
The CBD oil industry is vast and untamed, and it can be difficult to choose a safe and reliable CBD oil product. When choosing the best quality organic CBD balm with organic peppermint oil and arnica from a company that you can trust, choose Cornbread Hemp.
