Peppermint

Uses

§  Cosmetic: Use in herbal bath blends. May also be infused in oil or tinctured for use in making soaps, shampoos and other cosmetic products.

§  Culinary: Use alone or in combination with other herbs in tea blends. May also be used in baked goods and in seasoning blends for roasted meats and vegetables.

§  Industrial: Peppermint is widely used in the food, fragrance and pharmaceutical industries.

§  Medicinal:

-        Essential oils in the peppermint act on cold-sensitive receptors in the skin, mouth, and throat; the property that is responsible for the cooling perception it elicits when inhaled, eaten, or applied to the skin. This character of mint herb can be availed in the preparations of cough/cold relieving remedies like syrups, lozenges, and nasal inhalers.

-        Peppermint oil has analgesic, local anesthetic, and counter-irritant properties. It has been used in the preparation of topical muscle relaxants, and analgesics.

-        It is also being used in oral hygiene products and bad breath remedies like mouthwash, toothpaste, mouth, and tongue-spray, and more generally as a food flavoring agent; for instance, in chewing gums, candy, etc.