Spearmint Essential Oil

Spearmint Essential Oil

Mentha spicata

Spearmint is a perennial herb and the spearmint essential oil is extracted from the plant with the botanical name Mentha spicata.

Spearmint is native to Europe and southern temperate Asia and naturalized in many other temperate parts of the world such as northern and southern Africa, as well as North South Americas.

First described scientifically by Carl Linnaeus in 1753, it has been used by the ancient Greeks in the bath water! Mint has been mentioned in the Bible and in the writings of the famous naturalist Pliny the Elder (1st century AD).

The Latin epithet ‘spicata’ in the botanical name stands for ‘spiked’ or ‘bearing a spike’ and might be a reference to the shape of the leaves of the flowers.

Spearmint is also known as common or garden spearmint and spire, green, lamb, pea and fish mint. Spearmint oil is a good alternative to peppermint essential oil if you want a less stronger smelling version of mint.

What does spearmint essential oil smell like?

Minty, sweet, herbaceous, green, penetrating, warm

Which part of the plant provides the oil?

The flowering tops.

Where has spearmint been sourced from?

Central Macedonia, Greece

How is spearmint essential oil extracted?

Spearmint oil is extracted by steam distillation.

This involves using steam from boiling water to extract the essential oil from the plant.

The heat from the steam causes the plant’s cell walls to open allowing the essential oil to be released.

What other oils blend well with spearmint essential oil?

Spearmint essential oil blends well with basil, bergamot, eucalyptus, jasmine, lavender, marjoram, peppermint, rosemary and sweet orange.

How can I benefit from spearmint essential oil?

The smell of spearmint is well known to most people.

It is refreshing, energizing, mood uplifting and may help to relieve mental fatigue.

Because it’s slightly antiseptic it may be useful for minor skin irritations and can help to repel insects. The properties of spearmint oil resemble those of peppermint but its effects aren’t as powerful so can be a useful oil for children due to the lower menthol content.

It can help break up congestion and the vapours of spearmint essential oil may help breathing.

It has been used for a wide variety of ailments including asthma, bronchitis, catarrhal conditions, sinusitis, colic, flatulence, nausea, vomiting, colds, fatigue, headache, migraine, nervous strain and stress.

Spearmint is refreshing and rejuvenating, with a tantalising scent that will awaken your senses, uplift your mind, and help you achieve a state of mental calmness.

Are there precautions I should know about?

Spearmint oil should be avoided in therapeutic quantities during pregnancy.

It may cause skin sensitisation and irritation of the mucous membranes. The maximum dermal use level for spearmint is less than 2%.