How to Make Peppermint Medicine ~ Home Apothecary Series

"Peppermint is one of humanity’s favorite and most uplifting flavors. It is carminative and anti-spasmodic, having a relaxing effect on the muscles of the digestive system; it combats flatulence and stimulates bile and the flow of digestive juices. It is carminative, diaphoretic, and anti-emetic. As a mild anesthetic to the stomach lining, it often allays feelings of nausea. It is nervine, and anti-microbial. This plant (combined with Elder and Yarrow) is a traditional treatment for fevers, colds, and influenza and thereby has saved countless lives throughout the ages."

~ Green, James, The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook

Peppermint, which is a hybrid mint (a cross between watermint and spearmint), is what I would call a "pretty" herb! It is pretty refreshing, pretty tasteful, pretty medicinal and pretty much a plant that you can do many wonderful things with in your home. It is considered a nervine stimulant but in an nourishing way for your body instead of a depleting way like coffee and sugars. According to herbalist Rosemary Gladstar, "they activate the nerve endings by increasing circulation, providing nutrients, and increasing vitality and zest. They neither provoke the system nor agitate it".  Though commonly known as a digestion aid, it is also helpful for easing nausea, flatulence, stomach cramps, clearing sinuses, headaches and for freshening breath. Yes, peppermint is a pretty amazing herb! And while peppermint oil can be used to treat these same concerns, this post is focused on sharing recipes which use the actual herb.

"The popularity of peppermint is based on its volatile oil, which contains an abundance of menthol, a time-honored and clinically proven aid to digestion. Menthol is also a mild antispasmodic which makes it useful for relieving menstrual cramps and nausea. It is also a mild vasodilator, creating a warm or flushed feeling by stimulating circulation."

~ Mark Pedersen, Nutritional Herbology

DIY Peppermint Extract (aka Tincture)

This tincture can be used as a culinary mint extract in the kitchen, to aid digestion, relieve gas and heartburn, reduce colic and cramps, relieve nausea and vomiting and help to calm upset stomachs. The average recommendation for adults is 10 - 15 drops (or 1 - 2 dropperfuls) of peppermint tincture to water or warm tea and to drink the dosage 3 - 4 times per day (as needed). You will find the easy recipe here!

DIY "Pick Me Up" Tincture

With this trio of herbs and honey, your body will receive many of the vitamin and minerals that have been zapped from stress and will revitalize and refresh you! Another bonus is that peppermint is a digestive aid and will help with any sluggishness you suffer because of poor digestion (thus providing you with more energy!). You will find our recipe here!

DIY Peppermint Infused Muscle Strain Medicinal Massage Oil

When those muscles start to ache and tense up, massage in this medicinal oil for some therapeutic relaxation and herbal relief. You will find the simple recipe here!

DIY Breathe Better Vapor Rub

You can prepare a vapor rub with peppermint leaves and a few other useful herbs that aid in congestion. Our frugal recipe for the pictured "Breathe Better Vapor Rub" is found in our Ebook here. For the version which utilizes peppermint essential oil, visit here. 

DIY Peppermint Herbal Honey

For a fun and medicinal food to add to your pantry, infuse raw honey with peppermint and use like you would any "normal" honey (while gleaning the herbal benefits described in this article!). This honey can also be used to sooth burns (honey acts as a healer and protective guard while the peppermint will cool and relieve the pain). To prepare it, simply use dried peppermint in place of the herb found in this recipe.

Peppermint Tea/Tisane

Peppermint makes a tasty and nourishing daily tea which provides an excellent source of minerals like potassium, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium and much more! It can also be used to heal your body from cold and flus. Drink the tea before and after meals to help prevent heartburn and aid in digestion. It can be used to treat IBS symptoms as well. In addition, the flavor of peppermint will also enhance other undesirable tea blends so feel free to add this herb for its culinary abilities.

Tea/Tisane Blend Ideas:

• Headache Tea: equals parts of chamomile and peppermint

• Wake Me Up Tea: equal parts of green tea and peppermint

• Tummy Tea: equal parts of chamomile, dill leaf/seed and peppermint

Nourishing Female Tea Blend

Tea blends are a soothing way to feed your body the vitamins and minerals it needs. The peppermint in this blend acts as a stimulant; increases circulation, provide nutrients and increases vitality -- something many of us ladies desire! You will find the recipe here! You will also find more tea blend ideas with peppermint here.

Peppermint Tub Tea

Prepare a tub of peppermint tea and soak in the stimulating bath blend! You can hang a bath bag filled with the leaves under the running hot water to infuse the tub water. You can add a handful of peppermint into the tub and soak directly. You can also heat up a kettle of water, pour the herb in a large heatproof bowl, let steep for 30 minutes, and then strain the “tea” into the prepared tub. For an invigorating blend to boost circulation and ease sore muscles, consider mixing peppermint together with lemon peel, rosemary and/or ground ginger. 

Herbal Steam Nasal Congestion Treatment

Place approximately 3 tbsp. of fresh mint leaves (or 2 tbsp. dried) in a bowl filled with boiling hot water. Let cool slightly and place a towel over your head and the bowl and inhale for a few minutes to relieve nasal congestion. Be careful not to scald yourself in the process.

Peppermint Link Up ~ Care to Share?

Do you have any recipes or information on peppermint usage? We would love for you to share with us! Please join our all about peppermint link up which will be coming soon! It will be open until the end of this summer (September 2016) in order to give you the opportunity to share all you have on this amazing herb! Stay tuned!

This article is a part of our Create Your Own Home Pharmacy Series.

Disclaimer: I am not a certified herbalist but a homemaker interested in the arts of natural healing. The information I have learned has been gleaned through study of some of the following favorite books; Rosemary Gladstar's Medicinal Herbs: A Beginner's Guide, Grow Your Own Drugs by James Wong, and The Complete Illustrated Book of Herbs by Reader's Digest and websites of herbalists (such as the Bulk Herb Store Blog).

I am not a doctor. While I do seek scientific confirmation of the safety and effectiveness of the herbs and remedies I use, remember that using remedies is a personal decision. Nothing I say on this blog is approved by the FDA or intended to diagnose, treat or prevent disease. All things on this blog are my opinion or the opinion of others. Also, if you have a medical condition, are taking pharmaceutical drugs, or are pregnant, please consult your physician prior to taking herbs.

All the fine print. This post may be shared with some or all of the following link-ups: The Art of Home-Making Mondays, Modest Mom Monday's, Monday's Musings, Good Morning Mondays,  The Scoop, Tuesdays with a Twist, Raising Homemakers, Wise Woman Link Up, Homestead Blog Hop,  Wow Us Wednesdays,  Coffee and Conversation, Homemaking Thursdays, Home Sweet Home, Our Simple Homestead, Awesome Life Friday Link Up and Create, Bake, Grow & Gather. Thank you lovely ladies for hosting these. This post may contain affiliate links (which are merchant links that help to support this site at no additional cost to you if you purchase an item through them).