Peppermint Essential Oil for Natural Lip Care

Mentha piperita

Mint has flavored food and folk remedies for thousands of years, and Greek and Roman writers wrote about it. Peppermint itself is younger than that story suggests: it is a natural cross between watermint and spearmint, first described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753. This page looks at how peppermint essential oil is used in lip balm.

Historical context

The mint family shows up all over the ancient world, though usually as spearmint or wild mints rather than the peppermint we know now. Roman writers, including Pliny the Elder, mentioned mint as a digestive aid, and dried mint has been found at Egyptian archaeological sites. Peppermint as a distinct plant came later. It is a natural hybrid of watermint and spearmint, and Linnaeus described it in 1753 from plants collected in England. By the mid-1700s it was being grown for its oil around Mitcham, near London, a town that became known for peppermint farming. Steam distilling the leaves is still how the oil is produced for products like lip balm.

What does peppermint oil do for your lips?

• Cooling feel: the menthol in peppermint switches on the same nerve receptors (called TRPM8) that respond to cold, so lips feel cool even though nothing has actually changed temperature.
• A light tingle: menthol is a mild irritant, so it can cause a slight tingling and draw a little blood to the surface. Some people notice a faint flush from this. It settles within an hour or two, and it is a surface reaction rather than any kind of treatment.
• Some antimicrobial activity: in lab studies, peppermint oil slows the growth of certain bacteria and fungi. That is measured in a dish, not on skin, so we treat it as a small bonus rather than a reason to expect any real protection.
• Scent and flavor: we use peppermint oil distilled from certified organic peppermint grown in Oregon's Willamette Valley, not artificial mint flavoring. The softening and moisture come from the balm's butters and oils, not from the peppermint.

Using it safely

Peppermint oil is strong, so it needs to be well diluted before it goes near lips. In a finished balm it is already blended down to a small fraction. A few people are sensitive to it: peppermint is a known cause of allergic reactions on the lips and around the mouth, which usually show up as dryness, redness, or chapping rather than anything dramatic. If your lips feel worse instead of better, stop using it. It is also worth keeping mint balms away from young children, since menthol can be too strong for them. If you have reactive skin, dab a little on the inside of your wrist and wait a day before trying it on your lips.