Composition
100% essential oil of Mentha arvensis. Origin: China.
The plant and the oil
Mentha arvensis, cornmint, is a mint species of its own. True peppermint oil comes from peppermint, Mentha × piperita. Cornmint oil contains so much menthol that it solidifies at room temperature; much of the menthol is frozen out of it, and even the remaining "dementholised" oil still contains about 55% menthol.[1]
Scent
What it smells like. Mint oil from cornmint, as traded, smells strong, fresh and somewhat bitter-sweet, rather like peppermint oil, with a slightly harsh-woody undertone and a bitter-herbaceous dry-out. It gives a cool feeling in the nose and mouth and on the skin.[1]
Where it is used. Cornmint oil flavours sweets such as chewing gum and hard candy, and is used in all kinds of toothpastes, mouthwashes and gargles; it is also the main starting material for natural menthol.[1]
How to use
Scent a room. The scent is intended to invigorate body and mind and to aid concentration.[2]
Make a massage oil. Mix the oil into a carrier oil such as jojoba oil. 1% means 1 ml of peppermint oil in 100 ml of blend.
For people aged 15 and over, the recommended share of essential oil in a blend is up to 2% for general wellbeing, but not every day. During an illness, at most 5% is acceptable, and only for a short time.[3]
| Share of peppermint oil | Peppermint oil in 10 ml of blend | Carrier oil in 10 ml of blend |
|---|---|---|
| 0.5% | 0.05 ml | 9.95 ml |
| 1% | 0.1 ml | 9.9 ml |
| 2% | 0.2 ml | 9.8 ml |
Before the first use, try a little of the blend on a small patch of undamaged skin. If the skin reacts, stop and apply a little vegetable oil or cream.[4]
Add it to a bath. Stir it into a little vegetable oil or a bath gel base first, so that it does not float on the water as undiluted drops.[4][5]
Precautions
- do not swallow it or put it on the skin undiluted;[6]
- keep it away from the eyes;[4]
- keep the bottle out of the reach of children.[4]
- Menthol should not be inhaled by an infant or small child or put on their face, because it may affect their breathing.[7]
- Premature babies get no essential oils on the skin, and babies up to 3 months old get at most 0.1%.[3]
- Older children, too, need much weaker blends than adults.[3]
- People with asthma should try the scent carefully at first: fragrances, natural ones included, can make the condition worse.[8]
- In pregnancy, use it on the skin only well diluted, at 1 to 2%.[9]
- The oil burns easily: keep it away from candles and flames.[4]
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Steffen Arctander, Perfume and Flavor Materials of Natural Origin, Elizabeth, NJ, 1960: Mentha Arvensis Oil.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Vivasan, product packaging of Peppermint (E 120).
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA), Guidelines to IFPA Members Treating Babies and Children. Revised August 2021.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), Safety. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Tisserand Institute, Safety guidelines. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA), Statement on Internal and Undiluted Use of Essential Oils. November 2019.
- ↑ National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health, Peppermint Oil. Retrieved 8 November 2026.
- ↑ Robert Tisserand, Proof of Safety: Challenges Facing Essential Oil Therapy. AIA Conference 2007.
- ↑ International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (IFPA), Pregnancy and Lactation Guidelines. Revised August 2021.