35 Amazing Uses of Peppermint Oil

What would you do if you had an affordable substance that you could use for cleaning, getting rid of headaches, freshening up your house, aid in digestive health and much more? I’m pleased to tell you that this product exists, and it is peppermint oil. This essential oil is derived from the leaves and stems of peppermint plants, peppermint oil has a multitude of exciting uses, and you won’t regret keeping a bottle of the oil on hand once you read these 35 amazing uses for peppermint oil.

Health Uses

1. Headaches

Rub a drop or two on your temples, sinus area, forehead, and back of your neck to relieve headache. You can dilute the oil with a carrier like almond oil or olive oil if it is too strong for you in its pure form. (Source)

2. Aleviate Congestion and Allergies

Are you feeling stuffed up from a cold or sinus infection? Put a drop of peppermint oil directly beneath your nose, on your tongue, or diffuse in a room. Deeply inhale into your nose and sinuses to relieve congestion. (Source)

3. Increase Alertness

Diffuse peppermint oil in the room so the air fills up with the scent, or apply a drop under your nose or across your shoulders and the back of your neck. For a quick lift, take a sniff directly from the bottle to improve stamina, alertness, and concentration. (Source)

4. Treat Digestive Issues

Peppermint oil is extremely useful in getting rid of nausea and improving constipation, indigestion, and diarrhea. To treat nausea, inhale the oil and put a couple of drops on your wrist. For other digestive issues, rub two to three drops directly on your abdomen and around your navel. (Source)

5. Ease Heartburn

Drink a herbal tea with a drop of peppermint to ease heartburn and feel better quickly. Use honey or agave to mix the oil and tea together. (Source)

6. Soothe Menstrual Cramps

Rub a couple of drops of oil on the sore areas of your stomach. The oil has anti-inflammatory properties, which will help soothe your pain. This also works for muscle cramps from your workouts. (Source)

7. Itching Skin

Apply peppermint oil directly on unbroken skin to alleviate itching. You can also use it to relieve the itching caused from poison ivy or poison oak. It’s a good idea to dilute the oil with a vegetable oil for this purpose. (Source)

8. Reduce Food Cravings

A couple of drops of peppermint oil in a glass of water will help you feel fuller and reduce your appetite. Additionally, adding peppermint oil to tea can help with your sugar cravings. (Source)

9. Aid Your Mental Health

The aroma of peppermint has relaxing qualities that can help calm an anxious mind. Drink a peppermint tea, or carry a water bottle infused with mint, or diffuse the oil in a room to take advantage of the relaxing effects of peppermint oil. (Source)

10. Cure Hiccups

If you’ve tried everything from holding your breath to drinking a glass of water upside down, and the pesky hiccups still won’t go away, turn to peppermint oil. Put a drop on each side of your neck three notches up from the large vertebrate at your neck’s base. (Source)

11. Ease Tooth Pain

Can’t make it in to the dentist right away? Use a cotton swab to apply peppermint oil directly to the source of your tooth pain to ease some of your discomfort. You can also use diluted peppermint oil to ease your teething baby’s pain. (Source)

12. Soothe a Sore Throat

The menthol in peppermint oil is effective at cooling and calming pain caused by a sore throat as well as thinning mucus. We’ve mentioned the anti-inflammatory properties, which are great for providing further relief. (Source)

13. Fever Reducer

Rub two to three drops of peppermint oil in the areas where it is absorbed quickly like your forehead, temples, bottoms of feet, or back of the neck to bring down a fever naturally. (Source)

14. Ease Body Aches

Enjoy a full-body soak to ease aches and pains. Mix 16 ounces of Epsom salt and 15 drops of peppermint oil with warm bath water for a wholly soothing and relaxing experience. (Source)

15. Relieve Joint Pain

Mix peppermint oil and a vegetable oil carrier and massage it into sore joints to ease the pain. You can even use it for pain caused by rheumatoid arthritis. (Source)

16. Treat a UTI

Likely due to its antibacterial properties, peppermint oil is effective in treating and preventing urinary tract infections. (Source)

17. Improve Circulation

The stimulating qualities of peppermint oil makes it great for increasing circulation. This is great for oxygenating organs and increasing your metabolism. (Source)

Beauty Uses

18. Improve Your Complexion

Peppermint oil has astringent, antimicrobial, and anti-inflammatory properties that make it excellent for treating acne. Use a cotton ball and dab it onto your acne a few times a day to kill the bacteria and reduce redness. Double check the label for any additives like perfumes, which can aggravate your acne. For this purpose, the higher the quality of peppermint oil the better. (Source)

19. Freshen Your Breath

Make some room in your medicine cabinet by getting rid of the big bottles of mouthwash and replacing them with a bottle of peppermint oil. Place a drop in your mouth, or mix a drop with some water and swish around for instantly fresh breath. (Source)

20. Treat Dry Scalp

Quit spending money on expensive shampoos and scalp treatments and pull out the peppermint oil. All you have to do is add about five drops to your favorite shampoo and shake it up to create an effective dry scalp treatment. (Source)

21. Motivate Your Fitness

Fight off the urge to skip your workout by inhaling some peppermint oil right before you exercise. It’ll stimulate your senses and awaken your mind so you will be ready and energized to exercise. (Source)

22. Combat Cavities

Peppermint oil is more effective than mouthwash at preventing the development of the biofilm that causes cavities. Just add a couple of drops to your toothpaste to aid in your dental health. (Source)

Remediation of Parasites and Bugs

23. Repel Ticks and Fleas

Create a tick and flea spray that you can use directly on people, pets, and carpets. Avoid spraying it on cats, though, because they are sensitive to oils. Just mix six drops each of peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, tea tree, and citronella oils with filtered water and spray away. (Source)

24. Eliminate Head Lice

Mix peppermint oil with olive oil and dab it on the infected scalp with a cotton ball. Leave it on overnight, and you’ll be able to comb the dead lice out in the morning. (Source)

25. Keep the Pests Away

Many types of pests, including ants, spiders, and even mice, don’t like peppermint. Wipe your baseboards, wall cracks, doorways, and floors with the oil to deter bugs from entering. Also, you can put cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil in strategic locations to deter bugs. (Source)

26. Treat Bug Bites

Mix a couple of drops each of peppermint and lavender oil and dab it onto but bites to relieve the itch, and get rid of the chemical-heavy bug sprays in your house. (Source)

Around the House

27. Create a Natural Cleaner

Thanks to the antifungal and antimicrobial properties, peppermint oil makes an excellent all-natural cleaner. Mix it in a spray bottle with water and white vinegar, and safely clean everything in your house from kitchen counters to kids’ rooms. (Source)

28. Fight the Stink

Do you take out your garbage regularly, but your garbage can always has a mystery odor, even with a fresh bag? Put a couple of drops of peppermint oil in the bottom of your garbage can to get rid of the stink for good. (Source)

29. Whole-House Air Freshener

You can diffuse peppermint oil to add a fresh scent to your home. Additionally, you can make an air freshener spray by mixing peppermint oil, vanilla, and orange oil with water in a spray bottle. (Source)

30. Carpet Freshener

If you’ve got musty carpets, whether it be from age, kids, or pets, you can easily freshen them up with a simple mixture. Combine 15 drops each of peppermint and tea tree oil with baking soda and mix well. Sprinkle the mixture on your carpets and let sit for at least 15 minutes before vacuuming up. (Source)

31. Polish Your Wood

Easily lift up dust and dirt while giving your wood furniture an incredible shine by mixing ten drops of peppermint oil with six ounces of olive oil and two ounces of white vinegar. (Source)

32. Keep Mold and Mildew at Bay

As a natural antifungal, peppermint oil is a great way to keep mold and mildew out of your house and away from your plants. A natural fungicide is a much better option compared to using harsh chemicals, too. (Source)

Use it in Food

33. Enhance Your Chocolate

Anything chocolate gets an added delicious boost from peppermint. Make a minty cake frosting, homemade peppermint patties, white chocolate peppermint cream cheese, and more. Peppermint will make your desserts that much better.

34. Create Confections

In addition to chocolate, peppermint oil can be used in many confections like candy canes, butter mints, peppermint glaze, and peppermint ice cream

35. Boost Your Beverages

Pretty much any hot drink will benefit from a drop or two of peppermint oil. Think hot chocolate, tea, coffee, mochas, and more. (Source)

Before you use peppermint oil on your skin, you should test it out on a small area of the inside of your arm to make sure you don’t have a reaction to it. Also, avoid contact with your eyes. Peppermint oil is a stimulant, so avoid using it before bed. You should also make sure that you buy from a trusted brand to ensure quality.

Did you enjoy the list of 35 amazing uses of peppermint oil? We hope you learned a few new things by reading it. I’m always amazed at all of the ways I can use a small bottle of peppermint oil for my health and my home, and I always carry it with me. Tell us what you think in the comments below, and be sure to share the article if you liked it.