There are many good reasons to make peppermint oil a part of your scalp care ritual beside the fact that it feels and smells so cool.
It’s an extraordinary oil derived from a very common plant, and a hair cleanser that includes it is a great addition to your hair – and especially scalp – care. Check out the benefits of peppermint oil for your hair.
WHAT IS PEPPERMINT?
Peppermint is native to the Middle East and to Europe and is cultivated in many regions of the world; in fact it will grow pretty much anywhere with enough moisture. The peppermint plant has leaves that are fuzzy, dark green with rosy veins; its flowers are lavender to purple and clustered in spikes. Gardeners may call it invasive – as do Australians and residents of the Galápagos Islands, New Zealand, and the Great Lakes region here in America – though you can also spot it in the wild where its parent species spearmint and watermint grow.
WHAT IS IN PEPPERMINT OIL?
Peppermint oil has high concentrations of pulegone, menthol, menthone, menthyl acetate, limonene, beta-pinene, and beta-caryophyllene. Peppermint essential oil also contains menthol which is responsible for the way peppermint tastes, smells, and its unmistakable cooling sensation.
WHAT DOES PEPPERMINT OIL DO?
Using peppermint oil in your hair care routine is a way to show your scalp some love. Peppermint essential oil is an antimicrobial, vasodilating, and anti-inflammatory agent, all reasons that it is reported to boost hair growth and even help to relieve headache pain. While peppermint oil has many healing properties, it’s also important to know what bad ingredients in shampoo are.
Vasodilation, or the expansion of blood vessels, is a significant property of peppermint oil because improving blood flow better delivers essential vitamins that serve as antioxidants and nutrients to the follicles where hair takes root. Restricted flow to the hair follicles can speed hair loss, and increasing circulation may help prevent it. A study conducted in 2014 in mice demonstrated that peppermint oils made hair grow faster and thicker because hair follicles were receiving increased blood flow.
As reported in Toxicological Research, peppermint oil helped with hair growth more effectively than minoxidil does, one of the few hair growth innovations given the green light by the USFDA.
Anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory abilities of peppermint oil make it an ideal choice to prevent and relieve dandruff, dermatitis, and burning or itching. Keratin has many of these properties as well. Learn more about what keratin does for hair.
Tension headaches? Try peppermint oil to relieve them instead of reaching for the painkillers. Place a few drops in any carrier oil (see below), put a few dabs onto your temple area, then massage it through your scalp. Give it 15 minutes and see if you feel better.
HOW DO I USE PEPPERMINT OIL?
1. Look for products that are made with peppermint oil.
Many products include Peppermint oil in formulation, but look carefully at the ingredients because those products that have a minty aroma may only contain menthol, which is only one component of Peppermint, and not the essential oil itself; make sure you see the latin name “Mentha Piperita.”
Hairstory New Wash, a detergent-free shampoo alternative, is formulated with essential oils at its core. Peppermint oil is one of these vital ingredients, alongside Sunflower seed, Evening Primrose, and Jojoba, which is especially good for hair.
2. Add some to the hair products that you already use.
Lend your usual shampoo or conditioner some extra power by adding a several droplets of peppermint oil to a generous dollop, then use it as you normally do.
3. Apply it directly with a good scalp massage.
Measure about a tablespoon of a “carrier,” such as shea, coconut oil, or even jojoba oil and blend peppermint oil into it. A little goes a long way! This is essential because of the fact that undiluted peppermint oil can burn. If you’re curious about what carrier oil to use, learn more about what essential oils are good for hair and scalp. Massage the mixture thoroughly and gently into your scalp, being mindful of your fingernails so you don’t scratch yourself. Leave the mixture on your head for about 15 minutes to do its magic, then wash, rinse, and style as usual.
Hairstory New Wash, a detergent-free shampoo alternative, is formulated with essential oils at its core. If you’ve ever wondered if jojoba oil is good for hair, we can help you figure that out. Peppermint oil is just one of many beneficial oils that help hair, alongside Sunflower seed, Evening Primrose, and Jojoba oil.
BEFORE YOU USE PEPPERMINT OIL
• Again, always use peppermint oil by mixing it with a moisturizing carrier oil before you put it on your body.
• Avoid getting any kind of essential oils in your eyes.
• Make sure to choose an oil that is made to use on your skin, and not one made for diffusers or other method.
Peppermint oil can be a beneficial way to manage scalp issues. We won’t go so far as to call it a cure for hair loss, but there is encouraging evidence that it boosts healthy hair growth. Even if you simply love the smell and the cooling sensation, you’ve got nothing to lose, and a lot to gain.
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Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peppermint
https://www.healthline.com/health/peppermint-oil-for-hair#research
https://www.byrdie.com/peppermint-oil-for-hair
http://koreascience.or.kr/article/JAKO201402755363070.page
