Premium Peppermint Essential Oil 50ml
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Oil Properties
Peppermint oil has a fresh, sharp, menthol smell, is clear to pale yellow in colour and watery in viscosity.
Origin
It is a native of the Mediterranean, but is now also cultivated in Italy, USA, Japan and Great Britain. It is a perennial herb that grows up to 1 meter (3 feet) high and has slightly hairy serrated leaves with pinkish-mauve flowers arranged in a long conical shape. It has underground runners by which it easily propagates. This herb has many species, and peppermint piperita is a hybrid of watermint (M. aquatica) and spearmint (M. spicata). According to Greek mythology the nymph Mentha was hotly pursued by Pluto, whose jealous wife Persephone, trod her ferociously into the ground, whereupon Pluto then turned her into a herb, knowing that people would appreciate her for years to come. It has been cultivated since ancient times in Japan and China. Evidence of use was found in Egypt in a tomb dating back from 1000 BC.
Extraction
Peppermint oil is extracted from the whole plant above ground just before flowering. The oil is extracted by steam distillation from the fresh or partly dried plant and the yield is 0.1 - 1.0 %.
Chemical Composition
The chemical components of peppermint oil are menthol, menthone, 1,8-cineole, methyl acetate, methofuran, isomenthone, limonene, b-pinene, a-pinene, germacrene-d, trans-sabinene hydrate and pulegone.
Precautions
Peppermint oil is non-toxic and non-irritant in low dilutions, but sensitization may be a problem due to the menthol content. It can cause irritation to the skin and mucus membranes and should be kept well away from the eyes. It should be avoided during pregnancy and should not be used on children under seven.