Lately my sinuses have been making me completely miserable! I had taken everything I had in my medicine cabinet to try to get rid of the pain and pressure in my face, with no luck. So I decided to give a aromatherapy a shot...well... because nothing else was working and I was desperate.
After doing some brief research I found that peppermint oil might help me to get rid of the sinus headache that I had for two days. I jumped in a hot shower and added a few drops of Piping Rock peppermint oil to the back of the shower. I kid you not, when I was done with my shower the headache and the pressure were gone. Oh sweet relief!! It was temporary and lasted for about four hours. All I had to do to get relief again was inhale steam infused with peppermint oil. So I boiled a pot of water on the stove, added a few drops of the oil, and hung my head over it to inhale the steam. Then I added a towel as a "tent" to keep the steam in, once again it worked.
Fascinated with the relief I received from peppermint oil, I did and little research and experimenting to find other uses for this essential oil.
- If you are fatigued and not thinking clearly peppermint oil can help you to focus. Just put a few drops on a tissue and breathe in.
- Inhaling the aroma of peppermint oil can also help for motion sickness and nausea.
- To get rid of a headache mix a few drops of peppermint oil with a carrier oil (olive, jojoba, coconut, etc..) and rub a bit on your forehead and the nape of your neck for rapid relief. This really worked on a migraine I was having.
- If you are suffering from sinus pain or a cold try using it in a compress. Mix a few drops(3-5) in a couple of cups hot water, and soak a washcloth with the solution. Wring out and lay across your forehead, cheeks and nose. Breathe through your nose as deeply as you can to unclog your nose holes!
- To help relieve a fever do the same as above only using cool water.
- Peppermint is a natural bug repellent. Mix a few drops with a carrier oil and apply to areas prone to bug bites. Dot on neck, wrists, and ankles to keep away creepy crawlies...
- Mix 1 cup of vinegar, 20 drops of peppermint oil and 1 cup of water in a spray bottle to kill and repel ants.
- Cool down over heated, over worked muscles by using a few drops in a carrier oil and massaging the affected area.
Peppermint has a ton of uses! This is a must have for your essential oil first aid kit. I got mine from pipingrock.com!
I received products for free from pipingrock.com to try in the hopes that I would like them enough to write about them on my blog. I was not paid to write this post, I do not make any heath claims about the products and I am just sharing my personal experience with these products.