Menthol based herbs are some of the more commonly requested and used in home medicinal and health recipes. The problem is, most people do not know how to use them properly, how to harvest them, how to grow them, or even how to store them.
Here are a few of the more common medicinal mints and some information on each one. Keep in mind, each one of these can be found in multiple forms and can be used with most age groups in the proper dosages.
Peppermint
Peppermint is the most common mint, but it isn’t used for some of the things people think it is used for. Peppermint is primarily used for headaches, tooth pain, and for sore muscles and joints. If you are using it for headaches it can be used as an essential oil in a diffuser or can be used topically to the area.
The inhalant properties will help open up sinus passages and relieve headaches and sinus pain. For tooth pain the peppermint can be used topically or in a daily use paste with coconut oil as the base. For sore muscles and joints, use the peppermint oil or ground peppermint plan with a carrier oil like coconut oil or sweet almond oil and apply to the area.
Spearmint
Spearmint can be used primarily for upset stomachs and to help with dizziness and nausea. The most common way to do this is to take the fresh spearmint plan and steep it in hot water for several minutes. You can also crush the leaf to release the liquid of the leaves and toss them into hot water. Drink the liquid after several minutes of steeping or sip on it gently.
You can use the crushed leaves in a candy form by mixing them with a sugar candy base. Let the mixture cool and chew the candy or make it smaller for easy swallowing to help with your stomach.
Russian Sage
You may not think of sage when you think of the mint, but it is part of the mint family. The Russian Sage plant can help with headaches and with anxiety. In most cases, it is used in diffusers, infused oils that are diffused, or burned in dehydrated form. These methods help deliver the sage properties to your sinus passages to help with headaches and to give a calm effect to your overall senses and help soothe anxiety and tension.
The key point to keep in mind with using mint herbs in medicinal home remedies is to use a carrier oil as most of them do have a burning effect when they are used and can be too strong. This is especially true for people with sensitive skin or sensitive tastes. Carrier oils can be coconut, vegetable, olive, or other similar organic based oils.
