Terre Pruitt's Blog

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Posts Tagged ‘peppermint oil’

Essential Oil Itch Relief

Posted by terrepruitt on April 25, 2018

You may be aware of the fact that there are various uses for essential oil. I wrote a post about using Eucalyptus Oil on a bug bite back in May of 2013. I just used the oil straight from the bottle onto my arm where the bug had bit me. Well recently I had a bug bite and this time I decided to use a different oil. I decided to try Peppermint Oil to help relieve the itching. With Peppermint Oil the advice is to use a carry oil with it. A carry oil is just an oil you mix with the essential oil to help dilute the essential oil. Most often wherever you buy your essential oils from they will have a bottle of carry oil to purchase too. I just use olive oil from my kitchen. I think I have used coconut oil too. I always have both in my kitchen so I just use what I have.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia in the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Gentle Yoga, Group Ex classes, YMCA, Zumba, Nia Technique, SJ City Fit, SJCityFitI got a little bowl . . . a pinch bowl and put a little olive oil in it. I tried to only do a drop or two of peppermint oil, but I think a few poured into the bowl. I mixed it together and applied it to the offending site. It worked very well. Since it is minty it caused my skin to tingle a little but the itch was gone. And since it is an oil it stayed on and soaked into the skin so the relief lasted some time.

There are other uses for peppermint oil. My bottle of peppermint oil says:

“Peppermint Essential Oil contains menthol, which is a proven aid to digestion. The familiar aroma of peppermint is known for both its warming and cooling properties. It is refreshing, energizing, and is a mental stimulant. Friendly to the sinuses, peppermint is also useful to the muscular system, especially for women during monthly cycles or menopause. It relieves bad breath and is a good nerve tonic that helps with mental fatigue and nervous stress.”

Peppermint oil for PMS or menopause symptoms can be used in different ways. For cramps you can diffuse the oil or you can add it to a warm bath. It also might be helpful to dilute it with a carrier oil and then just rub it on your belly or on any muscle that is cramping.

With a hot flash situation having a spritzing bottle with peppermint water in it might help. Just mist your face and/or body during a hot flash.

So if you have some peppermint oil around it can help relieve itching from bug bites, aid in digestion, give relief to cramps and hot flashes.

Do you use essential oils around your home?  What do you do with peppermint oil?

Posted in Essential Oils | Tagged: , , , , , , , | 8 Comments »

Sugar Is Awesome

Posted by terrepruitt on August 1, 2013

So last Christmas my sister-in-law gave my hubby and I wonderful book.  But she gave ME some sugar scrub.  It was lemon-mint.  I thought that was a great idea.  I had always wanted to do that with essential oils.  Well, as you might be able to imagine there are a ton of sugar scrub recipes out there and on the internet.  So if you are here looking at mine —- THANKS!  Some of the scrubs I have had have been a little too oily for me, so I was going for a less oily one.  To me the scurb-y part of the sugar is what you want.  The essential oil for a little therapy.  The oil can be a moisturizer but it doesn’t have to be a lot.  So I futzed with a few of the recipes I found on-line.  I actually made my first batch months ago and this is when I am getting around to posting about the scrubs.  So I don’t remember where I got the recipes that I futzed with and I don’t remember what I did the first time.  But here is my latest recipe for a nice sugar scrub.

Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle YogaSugar Scrub

2 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup oil (I use olive oil)
30 drops pure peppermint oil
15 drops Ylang Ylang
20 drops tea tree
juice of half of a lemon
zest from a lemon

Put the sugar in a bowl then pour some of the oil in.  Don’t use it all at first.  Stir and stir until it is well combined.  Then half of the peppermint.  Mix well.  Then add the remaining drops of peppermint.  Mix well.  Add more olive oil.  Mix well.  Add the Ylang Ylang.  Mix.  Add the tea tree, then mix.  Add only as much of the olive oil as you want.  You may even want more oil.  But add then mix.  It tends to LOOK like it is not enough but then as you stir is mixes in and the sugar gets saturated.  So pour and mix.  When you are done adding all the oil you want, then add the lemon juice.  Then add the lemon zest.  Mix, mix, mix.

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Dance Exercise, Nia, Nia at the City of San Jose, Nia classes in the South Bay, Nia Teacher, Nia Class, San Jose Nia, Nia San Jose, Nia workout, Nia, Zumba, PiYo, Gentle YogaI have canning jars which really make a nice presentation, but they start to rust in the shower/bath.  Plus you have the band AND lid to deal with.  It is kind of a pain in the shower.  So I was looking for a pretty flip top jar, but then I realized that the little hinge would probably rust.  So finally I settled on something that is not as pretty, but I think it is much more functional.  Just a regular plastic container.  One lid to deal with, easy on, easy off.  No screwing and unscrewing involved.  No metal to rust.

Again, maybe not as pretty, but I think it will be better in the end, because rust isn’t pretty either.

I chose a peppermint essential oil because it has an invigorating effect, so I thought that would be good for morning showers.  Ylang ylang is for stress relief, which many people would appreciate.  Tea Tree Oil helps stimulate the immune system. It is known to fight bacteria, fungi, and viruses.  To me that is perfect in a scrub.  Since I teach Nia which is a barefoot cardio dance, I think of scrubs as being primarily for my feet.  So a scrub that invigorate, relieves stress, AND fights bacteria and fungi —- is GREAT.

I hope you like it.  Of course you can use an essential oil you like.  What oil will you use?

Posted in Essential Oils, Misc | Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a Comment »