Peppermint oil is very well known for its wonderfully refreshing flavor that you will find in a variety of candies, gums, toothpastes and extracts for cooking and baking. However, peppermint oil also has a wealth of healing properties, including a soothing and calming effect on the body, often uses for treating depression, anxiety, stress and nervous conditions. Today, there are a lot of people that are learning how they can use peppermint oil for headaches and helping to soothe migraines.
These are a few of the different ways that you can battle headaches by incorporating peppermint oil:
Peppermint Tea
Even though the healing impact of tea will usually be best for treating internal conditions. You can breathe in the lovely healing aroma of peppermint in a hot cup of tea to help relieve your headache. Simply steep your tea bag in a cup of boiling water for about 10 minutes while keeping the mug covered. Sweeten, if desired, then you can sit back and enjoy. Just be sure to slowly take in the peppermint infused steam to help your headache melt away.
Peppermint Massage Oil
This is something that you can use to apply topically for relieving your headache. Simply mix together equal parts cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil and peppermint oil, then massage onto your temples, the back of your neck and jaw in a gentle, circular motion. Instead of wiping the oil off when you are done, you can allow it to sit so that it can fully absorb into your skin.
Peppermint Steam
The steam can be wonderful, especially if you have a headache that seems to be caused by intense sinus pressure. Just boil a small pot or kettle of water and then remove from the heat, adding in about ten drops of your favorite peppermint essential oil. The, lean over the steaming peppermint water while draping your head with a towel, inhaling the vapors for about ten minutes.
Peppermint Bath
Not only is getting into a peppermint bath going to be soothing for your headache, but it will also help to cut back on any muscle tension that you have. Run a bath and then just add in 12 to 15 drops of your peppermint essential oil before getting in to soak for a while.
When you are looking for the right peppermint oil for headaches, you need to remember that the peppermint oil that is used for cooking and the peppermint essential oils are two extremely different products. While you are looking for a good peppermint essential oil to use for health and wellness purposes, you need to shop through a vendor that deals with authentic essential oils. You can generally find such oil products in our local health store, herbalist shop or through a reputable vendor online. Once you have the best oils, be sure to store them in a place that is cool and dark to harness all of the healing properties and to keep the potency of the peppermint oils intact before using.