Peppermint, mentha piperita, is cultivated for its menthol
content. As a herbal tea, it has been usesd for centuries as a digestive
aid and to help soothe intestinal cramps. The colorless essential oil
is extracted mainly from the leaves before the plant flowers. Traditionally
used for relief from cramping, indigestion, nausea, headaches, or sinus
pain.
Indigestion and intestinal cramps - add 1 drop of peppermint
oil to 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and gently massage the abdomen in
a clockwise direction.
Headache - For sinus headache, inhale the oil directly
from the bottle, or add 1 drop to a tissue and inhale from that. For
a neck-related headache, massage a mixtuer of 1 drop of peppermint
in 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into vertebra at the base of the neck.
1-2 drops of lavender oil could also be included in this blend, if
the headache is stress related.