Peppermint Essential Oil For Beauty
If you want to add a versatile, inexpensive element to your beauty routine, look no further than peppermint essential oil. Peppermint oil comes from Mentha piperita, and the oil is extracted from the plant via stream distillation. It has a cool, menthol smell to it, and it has long been used as a mental stimulant in aromatherapy. Even better, peppermint oil has antifungal and antibacterial properties.
From a beauty standpoint, it has a number of other properties, from making the lips fuller to aiding in a clear complexion. Below are several ways to use peppermint essential oil for a minty, soothing addition to your beauty routine.
Improved Complexion
Peppermint oil is reputed to control the oiliness of the skin. It seems counterintuitive, using an oil to control the skin’s oil, but peppermint oil reduces the oil production of the skin, shrinks pores and reduces breakouts.
The oil needs to be diluted by water or it may sting. A couple drops of peppermint oil added to a small plastic vial of water should do the trick. Feel free to experiment to see how much oil your skin can handle and how much is beneficial for your specific skin type.
You can also use peppermint oil in homemade facial scrubs to increase the cleansing, cooling and drying effects of the scrub. Combine salt and olive oil until it forms a granulated paste. Stir in several drops of peppermint oil and scrub like you normally would with a cleanser.
Healthier Hair
Because peppermint oil is great at controlling oiliness, you can also use it as part of your hair care regimen to control the oiliness of your scalp. It works great as part of an oil treatment for hair. Just combine several drops of peppermint oil with several ounces of a base oil, like olive or almond oil, then apply the mixture to your hair and let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse out so that most of the oil is reduced, but the core moisture is still there. You can also add a drop of peppermint oil to your dollop of shampoo before your rub it into your hair.
Moisturizing Benefits
In addition to controlling oiliness, peppermint oil has also been used through the years as a moisturizer. It cuts back on oil while moisturizing. How great is that? Using the hair oil treatment listed above, you can add moisture back into the scalp and hair. The oil is reported to help with dry scalp and dandruff.
For allover moisture, mix peppermint oil into your lotion. Start with several drops per bottle, and increase from there based on personal preference.
Increased Circulation
This seems decidedly unsexy. After all, what does blood flow have to do with beauty? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Rub some peppermint oil on your lips and watch your lips appear fuller and redder due to increased circulation. Applying the oil to the scalp with carrier oil helps promote hair growth. Peppermint oil has even been shown to increase hair growth in mice with topical application.
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